CREON Videos

NARRATOR: I’m Dr. Shahab Mehdizadeh and I’m board certified in gastroenterology, internal medicine, and in nutrition.

I consider a few key things when I’m putting together a treatment plan for a patient with EPI due to chronic pancreatitis, pancreatectomy, or other conditions.

First, it typically includes pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy.

Second, I will talk about diet and discuss if dietary modifications may be needed.

Third, I also will recommend lifestyle modifications. I emphasize the importance of abstinence from smoking and alcohol as these can further damage the pancreas.

It is really important to educate patients when starting any therapy.

I think it is key for my patients to understand why I’m prescribing enzymes to them.

Taking CREON, which is a pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy, with meals and snacks...can help improve the digestion of fat, proteins, and sugars from food.

Exercise caution when administrating pancrelipase to a patient with a known allergy to proteins of porcine origin.

I want to make sure the dose I prescribe is working for them, so I explain that the CREON dose that I’m prescribing is a starting point. I ask my patients to track their diet and how they are feeling and emphasize to them the importance of this information.

When taking CREON, it’s important to follow the dosing instructions provided by your healthcare professional.

I will use this information to see if any adjustments are needed to their CREON starting dose when they return for a follow-up visit.

A diet journal can really be helpful for getting patients to think about what they’re eating.

I remind my patients that CREON should be taken with every meal and snack.

I tell my patients who are newly starting out to just put the capsules right there on the side of their plate so they don’t forget.

I’ll also tell them to set reminders on their phone, anything that will help them get in the habit.

It is important not to crush or chew CREON capsules or its contents and not to hold capsules in their mouth.

Crushing, chewing, or holding the CREON capsules in the mouth may cause irritation in the mouth.

I encourage my eligible patients to enroll in one of the patient support programs offered on CREON.com.

For patients with EPI due to cystic fibrosis, CREON offers the CFCareForward program, and for patients with EPI due to other conditions including chronic pancreatitis and pancreatectomy, there is the CREON On Course program.