Creon doesn’t cure any of the health conditions it’s used to manage. Instead, it’s used in people with exocrine pancreatic enzyme insufficiency (EPI)* to replace pancreatic enzymes. (Pancreatic enzymes are substances that your pancreas makes to help break down fats, proteins, and carbohydrates from your diet.)
Creon treats EPI that’s caused by:
• cystic fibrosis (CF)
• chronic pancreatitis (long lasting inflammation in your pancreas)
• pancreatectomy (removal of all or part of your pancreas)
• certain other conditions that may damage the pancreas, such as type 2 diabetes
CF is a lifelong condition. People with CF will have EPI their entire lives, and they’ll need lifelong pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy, such as Creon. Pancreatectomy also results in people needing to manage EPI for the rest of their life.
Chronic pancreatitis, on the other hand, may or may not go away with time. If your pancreas heals from this condition, you may be able to digest foods without taking enzymes, such as Creon, for your lifetime.
Talk with your doctor about how long you can expect to take Creon for your condition.
* For more information about EPI and how Creon is used to treat it, see the “Creon uses” section above.