Camille:

When my gastroenterologist finally diagnosed me with EPI, he told me my food wasn’t being digested because my pancreas wasn’t releasing enough enzymes.

Dr. Ranney:

Yeah, that’s exactly right. I typically tell my patients, “EPI is manageable. Your pancreas is not producing or secreting enough enzymes to digest your food, so I am simply going to give you enzymes in a capsule form to help break down your food.” I feel like patients understand that concept very easily.

Dr. Ranney:

Diagnosing EPI early on and starting patients on a PERT like CREON is so important.

Dr. Ranney:

I just explain how important it is that they take CREON every time they eat, whether with meals or with snacks. I also tell them to check back in with me after five to seven days from starting CREON to see how the treatment is going.

Camille:

That’s how my gastroenterologist explained it to me. He prescribed CREON right away and he said, “Take it with meals and snacks,” so that I would have the enzymes I needed to break down my food. He said, “You’ll be taking this the rest of your life, but EPI is manageable.”

Dr. Ranney:

That’s true—manageable with the proper dose. And when it comes to prescribing CREON, I will typically start patients on a dose that’s appropriate for their weight and also for the amount of fat content in their diet.

Dr. Ranney:

I like to explain that pancreatic insufficiency is primarily a disorder of fat absorption and fat digestion. And so when we dose CREON and we talk about how many capsules to take with either a meal or a snack, I like to remind them of that because some snacks are bigger than others. And if their snack contains a lot of fat, they may actually need to take a dose that’s more appropriate for a meal.

Camille:

Exactly. What you snack on, and even how much you snack, can vary depending on where you live or the foods that may be associated with your culture and background. My doctor tells me how much to take with my meals and snacks.

Dr. Ranney:

One of the reasons I like CREON is because of the dosing options. This really allows us to tailor dosing to fit each patient’s need, no matter their weight or their eating habits. And if that diet changes over time, we can simply adjust the dose.

Camille:

It really is nice. Everywhere I go, I always take my CREON with me. It’s simply a part of my life.

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.