Dr. Ranney:

I was really interested to hear about how you were diagnosed and how long it took to reach that diagnosis.

Camille:

When my gastroenterologist finally diagnosed me with EPI, it was because he listened to my story.

Camille:

It did take a while before they found the EPI. The symptoms are so similar to that of stomach issues. But by paying close attention to my body, that little light bulb turned on that said, “Hey, it’s got to be something else.” So I went to the doctor after doing some research and I said, I think it could be my pancreas. But my doctor said “no, it’s stomach issues,” which was frustrating.

Dr. Ranney:

Yeah, I’m sorry to hear you went through that. You know, when it comes to frequent diarrhea, bloating, and abdominal pain, it’s not uncommon to think of other GI issues, like IBS-D, first. These tend to be thought of first because they are in fact more common. Especially in patients under 50.

Dr. Ranney:

But it’s important for practitioners to not have tunnel vision and to only think about IBS-D when patients report these symptoms. Thinking about only the more common GI diagnosis can be a tough habit to break. We should be looking at the whole picture, including family or personal history of any underlying conditions related to EPI, clinical features, and also considering stool tests that include a fecal elastase.

Camille:

I wish they would have ordered those tests for me initially. There were a lot of communication barriers in those early days—like only being asked “yes or no” questions or having limited time to fully tell my story.

Dr. Ranney:

Unfortunately, I have seen that as well. Good communication is just so important in making a timely diagnosis. I can’t emphasize that enough. In my opinion, it’s so important to develop rapport with your patients. I think that includes making eye contact, you know, leaning in, and really hearing their story in their own words.

Dr. Ranney:

You know, we should be looking for symptoms and clinical features, like having symptoms after eating certain foods, fatty or floating stools, urgent bowel movements, and unexplained weight loss. For many patients, it often takes far too long to make the proper diagnosis, which can affect a patient’s overall health.

Camille:

I always tell people to keep track of their symptoms and write them down. If you have a good rapport with your doctor, they’ll say “Okay, let’s look into EPI.” If your doctor is reluctant to investigate things, then it’s time to advocate for yourself. Find another option, and refuse to give up.

Dr. Ranney:

I love the part about how you were persistent, you did your own research, and you continued to go back to your doctor to communicate what the issues were until they finally found the diagnosis for you. If EPI is missed, it can lead to some serious consequences. It is so important to include EPI in our differential early and to listen to our patients carefully as they describe their symptoms.

Camille:

The one thing that I really learned from this whole journey was to make sure and advocate for yourself.

SAFETY VOICE OVER:

USE

CREON^® (pancrelipase) is a prescription medicine used to treat people who cannot digest food normally because their pancreas does not make enough enzymes.

Important Safety Information

What is the most important information I should know about CREON?
CREON may increase your chance of having a rare bowel disorder called fibrosing colonopathy. The risk of having this condition may be reduced by following the dosing instructions that your healthcare professional (HCP) gave you. Call your HCP right away if you have any unusual or severe: stomach area (abdominal) pain, bloating, trouble passing stool, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea.

What should I tell my HCP before taking CREON?
Before taking CREON, tell your HCP about all the medicines you take and all your medical conditions, including if you are allergic to pork (pig) products; have a history of intestinal blockage or scarring or thickening of your bowel wall (fibrosing colonopathy), gout, kidney disease, or high blood uric acid (hyperuricemia); or are pregnant, plan to become pregnant, are breastfeeding, or plan to breastfeed.

How should I take CREON?
Take CREON exactly as your HCP tells you. Always take CREON with a meal or snack and enough liquid to swallow CREON completely. Do not crush or chew the CREON capsule or its contents, as this may cause irritation in your mouth or change the way CREON works in your body. Talk to your HCP or consult the CREON Medication Guide for how to take CREON if you have trouble swallowing capsules.

What are the possible side effects of CREON?

CREON may cause additional serious side effects, including:

• Increase in blood uric acid levels (hyperuricemia), including pain, stiffness, redness or swelling of your joints.
• Allergic reactions, including trouble with breathing, skin rashes, swollen lips, or itching.

Call your HCP right away if you have any of these symptoms.

The most common side effects of CREON include blood sugar increase (hyperglycemia) or decrease (hypoglycemia), pain in your stomach, frequent or abnormal bowel movements, gas, vomiting, dizziness, sore throat, and cough.

CREON and other pancreatic enzyme products are made from the pancreas of pigs, the same pigs people eat as pork. These pigs may carry viruses. Although it has never been reported, it may be possible for a person to get a viral infection from taking pancreatic enzyme products that come from pigs.

These are not all the possible side effects of CREON. For more information, ask your HCP or pharmacist.

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

If you are having difficulty paying for your medicine, AbbVie may be able to help. Visit AbbVie.com/PatientAccessSupport to learn more.