video icon
document icon
chat bubble icon
Virtual visits. With less of the virtual hassles.

Download resources to help elevate your next telemedicine or in-person patient visit.

Get Started click here to download telemedicine resources

Home > Dosing & Administration > Dosing & Administration for Patients With EPI due to CF

Dosing & Administration for Patients With EPI due to Cystic Fibrosis

CREON has dosing strengths to help meet your patient’s changing lipase needs

CREON dosing should be individualized for each patient and adjusted based on clinical symptoms, degree of steatorrhea present, and fat content of the diet.1

CREON® (pancrelipase) dosing ranges by age and weight: 1) 12 months old or less 2) Older than 12 months but under 30 pounds 3) between 30 and 60 pounds 4) between 60 and 110 pounds 5) greater than 110 pounds

≤12 months

>12 months
-30 lb

30-60 lb

60-110 lb

110+ lb

CREON Dosing Strengths

3,000

lipase units

6,000

lipase units

12,000

lipase units

24,000

lipase units

36,000

lipase units


Capsules shown are not actual size and do not represent the exact color shade. For illustrative purposes only. The active ingredient in CREON evaluated in clinical trials is lipase.

CREON infant dosing is based on CFF Guidelines1*

3,000 lipase units/120 mL
of formula or per breastfeeding immediately
prior to each feeding

Capsules shown are not actual size and do not represent the exact color shade. For illustrative purposes only. The active ingredient in CREON evaluated in clinical trials is lipase.

*CFF Guidelines recommend doses of 2,000 to 4,000 lipase units in infants up to 12 months. CREON is available in a 3,000 lipase unit capsule.1

Infant Administration

  • Caregivers should administer CREON prior to every feeding
  • The CREON capsule or its contents should not be crushed or chewed
  • Do not mix CREON capsule contents directly into formula or breast milk
  • Contents of the CREON 3,000 lipase unit capsule may be put directly in the infant’s mouth right before feeding with formula or breast milk
  • The contents of the CREON capsule can be sprinkled onto soft food like applesauce or jarred baby food. Do not store CREON that has been mixed with food
  • Give the child enough formula or breast milk to completely swallow the CREON capsule contents or CREON food mixture
  • Care should be taken to ensure that the entire dose is swallowed and not left in the mouth as it can cause irritation of the oral mucosa

Help caregivers remember
how to
appropriately give
enzymes to infants

Video is available in Spanish and English

Watch now
Click to watch a video with helpful tips for giving enzymes to your infant

Sprinkling instructions

Hold the capsule upright so that you can read the word CREON on the capsule.

Carefully twist off the top portion of the capsule.

Sprinkle the contents of the capsule directly into the infant’s mouth, or mix the contents in a small amount of room temperature acidic soft food such as applesauce or jarred baby food.

Do not mix CREON with formula or bottled breast milk. If you sprinkled CREON on soft food, feed it to the child immediately. Do not store CREON that is mixed with food.

Give the child enough liquid to completely swallow the CREON contents or the CREON and food mixture. Look in the child’s mouth to make sure that all of the medicine has been swallowed. Any medicine left in the mouth may cause irritation.

CREON dosing recommendations are based on CFF Guidelines1

Per-meal dosing range guidelines1†

>12 months to <4 years

1,000

lipase units per kg of body weight

≤2,500

lipase units per kg of body weight

Age ≥4 years

500

lipase units per kg of body weight

≤2,500

lipase units per kg of body weight

†Per-day maximum lipase units should not exceed 10,000 per kg of body weight for patients >12 months. The CFF Guidelines also provide a dietary fat-based maximum lipase dose of less than 4,000 lipase units per g of fat ingested per day.1

  • Usually, half of the prescribed CREON dose for an individualized full meal should be given with each snack1

CREON should be taken during every meal and snack1

Meals and snacks are for illustrative purposes only.

The CREON Dosing Guide can help determine the minimum and maximum appropriate dose for meals and snacks.

Use the dosing guide

Dosing and administration considerations

  • CREON should always be taken with food. CREON should not be crushed or chewed.
  • Total daily dose should not exceed 10,000 lipase units/kg body weight/day unless clinically indicated.§
  • Fibrosing colonopathy has been reported in patients with cystic fibrosis taking high-dose pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy.
  • CREON should be initiated at the lowest recommended dose based on patient's weight.
§The CFF Guidelines also provide a dietary fat-based maximum lipase dose of less than 4,000 units per g of fat ingested per day.

Instructions for patients who have a hard time swallowing capsules

If your patients have problems swallowing CREON capsules, you can guide them with the following steps:

Hold the capsule upright so that you can read the word CREON on the capsule.

Carefully twist off the top portion of the capsule over the food you plan to eat.

Sprinkle the contents of the capsule on a small amount of room temperature acidic food such as applesauce. Ask your doctor about other foods you can mix with CREON. Do not crush the contents of the capsules.

Swallow the CREON soft food mixture right away without chewing and drink enough water or juice to make sure the contents of the capsules are swallowed completely. Do not store CREON that is mixed with food.

Check list icon

Encourage patients to track treatment and share the results with you

Download
Treatment Tracker
CFCareForward logo

Help patients get financial, nutritional, and
educational resources

Learn More
Silhouette

Request patient starter kits, product samples, and more

Contact a Rep