Creon Micro

This leaflet answers some of the common questions about Creon Micro. It does not contain all of the available information. It does not take the place of talking to your doctor or pharmacist.

If you are helping someone else to take Creon Micro, please read this leaflet before you give the first dose.

All medicines have risks and benefits. Your doctor has weighed the risks of you taking Creon Micro against the benefits expected for you.

Your doctor and pharmacist have more information.

You may need to read it again.

Creon Micro is a pancreatic enzyme supplement used in a condition called pancreatic exocrine insufficiency where the body does not make enough enzymes to digest food. This condition appears in a number of different patients including those with cystic fibrosis, chronic pancreatitis, or patients who have had upper gastrointestinal surgery. People with a deficiency of pancreatic enzymes often suffer with symptoms of diarrhoea, steatorrhoea (foul fatty stools which float in the toilet), bloating and weight loss. These symptoms appear because the body is unable to digest food normally. When this happens your body's ability to absorb important nutrients from food is impaired and leads to malnutrition. If left untreated, these symptoms can affect your quality of life and a poor nutritional status could have long term health implications. The supplementation of pancreatic enzymes using Creon helps restore the normal digestive action in your body to relieve abdominal symptoms and improve nutritional status.

The enzymes are extracted from pancreas of pigs.

Creon Micro is approved for the uses listed above. However, your doctor may prescribe this medicine for another use. If you would like more information, ask your doctor.

There is no evidence that Creon Micro is addictive.

If you take this medicine after the expiry date has passed, it may not work as well.

Your doctor will discuss whether you should take this product.

You should avoid taking antacids, which are medicines that are used to treat heartburn and indigestion, at the same time as when taking Creon Micro. Antacids may affect how well Creon Micro work by breaking down the special coating used to protect the pancreatic enzymes. If it is necessary to take an antacid, then it should be taken at least one hour before you take your Creon Micro.

These directions may differ from the information in this leaflet.

Your doctor will tell you how much Creon Micro to take or give to your child. Do not increase the number of doses yourself without informing your doctor.

Your doctor has prescribed a dose of Creon for you or your child which is specifically tailored to the severity of the condition.

It is normally not necessary to restrict your diet of fat while you are taking Creon as your symptoms will usually be under control. In people with malnutrition, getting enough fat in the diet will help improve nutrition. If unsure, you should consult your doctor or dietitian regarding your diet whilst on Creon.

The maximum recommended dose of lipase in infants and children with cystic fibrosis is 10,000 units per kilogram body weight in 24 hours.

Patients who use more than 10,000 units per kilogram per day, will probably be monitored closely by their doctor.

The small measuring scoop that is provided with the bottle is designed to contain a dose of 100 mg of granules. This amount provides 5,000 units of lipase.

Creon Micro can be added to small amounts of acidic soft food that do not require chewing such as apple juice or mashed bananas. The mixture of Creon Micro and soft food should be swallowed immediately without crushing or chewing, and followed with water or juice to ensure complete ingestion. Care should be taken to ensure that no drug is retained in the mouth.

In young infants, Creon Micro should be mixed with a small amount of apple juice and given from a spoon directly before the feed. In young infants, granules should be taken with acidic liquids or soft foods (e.g. mixed with apple juice or apple puree), but without chewing, directly before the meal. When giving Creon Micro to young infants the apple juice should not be diluted.

When you are taking Creon Micro, it is important to make sure that you drink plenty of liquid every day.

Drink plenty of water every day when you are taking Creon Micro.

Diet should be considered as part of your overall management plan. Talk to your doctor for more information and advice.

Creon Micro helps most people whose bodies do not make enough enzymes to digest their food, but it may have unwanted side effects in a few people. All medicines can have side effects. Sometimes they are serious, most of the time they are not. You may need medical treatment if you get some of the side effects.

If you take too much Creon Micro you may get irritation or inflammation in the anal region.

You may not experience any of them.

The active ingredient in Creon Micro is an extract of pancreatic powder of porcine origin (pigs), therefore the presence of porcine parvovirus or other porcine viruses cannot be totally excluded. However, there is no evidence of transmission of these viruses to humans or of porcine pancreatic powder extracts causing illness in humans.

Keep the container tightly closed in order to protect from moisture.

Heat and dampness can destroy some medicines.

A locked cupboard at least one-and-half metres above the ground is a good place to store medicines.

If your doctor tells you to stop taking Creon Micro or they passed their expiry date, ask your pharmacist what to do with any that are left over.

Creon® Micro: Round, light brown enteric-coated granules in glass bottles. Each glass bottle contains 20 g of enteric-coated granules. Measuring scoop supplied.

Each dosing unit of 100 mg of Creon® Micro contains Pancreatic Extract 60.12 mg equivalent to not less than 5,000 Ph.Eur. units lipase, 3,600 Ph.Eur. units amylase and 200 Ph. Eur. units protease.

Inactive ingredients in Creon Micro are: macrogol 4000, hypromellose phthalate, cetyl alcohol, triethyl citrate, dimeticone 1000. One dosage unit is measured with a measuring scoop as dosing device.