Still losing weight: Does timing of Creon help?

Posted by howleegirl @howleegirl, May 15, 2023

Husband is still losing weght....too much!!!! We got his Creon dialed in correctly....wondering if he took the Creon after he ate if this would help him gain weight. I think I read on here that it helped someone to do this?

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Profile picture for shhill @shhill

Hi I’m new to this group and to Creon. My husband has been losing weight for a long time. He had to have surgery for a collapsed lung. The dr wanted his history so I told them that his pancreas was in atrophy and keeps losing weight. They put him on the Creon I was hoping for instant weight gain. Took him to the surgeon for a follow up and he had lost 3 more pounds. He now weighs 130 pounds. He was 220 pounds and 6’2. This is scaring me so much. His appetite is not the greatest. Some doctors say protein shakes. I think he needs fat. Any advice is welcome… My husband has been through a lot. Open heart surgery 11 years ago . With his collapsed lung he had to have 4 surgeries and hospitalized for over two months. The instructions on his Creon 24,000 , ate take one capsule three times daily with meals and one tablet three times a day with snacks. He is a slow eater. God bless you all and thank you in advance for any knowledge or advice you can send me. He is also a diabetic type two and he takes Levothyroxine for his thyroid that spiked just once. I read that Levothyroxine can cause weight loss. So sorry I’ll stop now. Just desperate!!!

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@shhill
Hi! I am new to this group as well, and I'm finding it very helpful to hear from others who have similar issues. My husband has pancreatic cancer and has had four months of chemo and the Whipple in January, and then two more months of chemo. His starting weight was approximately 182, and he has now dropped to 151. He was on Creon 24000 units for a few weeks, and the oncologist had him stop it so he could take a test to see if his pancreas was secreting enzymes. We went to the oncologist today and my husband is going back on Creon with 36,000 units. He will take two pills at each of three meals and one pill at each of two snacks each day. The oncologist said he should not expect to get back to the weight he was originally, but to have a goal of 165. I would encourage you to check and see if your husband should be taking a higher level of Creon and two pills with meals instead of just one pill. Also, I think it is very important for him to get lots of protein. I make my husband smoothies and load them up with protein foods such as yogurt, the protein drink, and protein powder. He eats a lot of cheese omelets for breakfast, and I found a recipe for protein blueberry muffins and one for protein pancakes. If he has a substantial breakfast, he seems to have a better day. I have become quite the nag, but I want him to eat five times a day like his doctor said he should do. He also is eating more potatoes and ice cream. Without the pancreatic enzymes, he won't be able to gain weight, so Creon will be necessary, probably for the rest of his life. I will let you know if he puts on weight after he's been on the increased units for a few weeks. His doctor said he should gain about one-half a pound per week with this higher dose of Creon. Hope our experience and others will help you in your journey. Knowing others care has really helped us. All the best!

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I have not heard about taking Creon after eating. From everything I have read, you should take it before you eat!

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Profile picture for shhill @shhill

Hi I’m new to this group and to Creon. My husband has been losing weight for a long time. He had to have surgery for a collapsed lung. The dr wanted his history so I told them that his pancreas was in atrophy and keeps losing weight. They put him on the Creon I was hoping for instant weight gain. Took him to the surgeon for a follow up and he had lost 3 more pounds. He now weighs 130 pounds. He was 220 pounds and 6’2. This is scaring me so much. His appetite is not the greatest. Some doctors say protein shakes. I think he needs fat. Any advice is welcome… My husband has been through a lot. Open heart surgery 11 years ago . With his collapsed lung he had to have 4 surgeries and hospitalized for over two months. The instructions on his Creon 24,000 , ate take one capsule three times daily with meals and one tablet three times a day with snacks. He is a slow eater. God bless you all and thank you in advance for any knowledge or advice you can send me. He is also a diabetic type two and he takes Levothyroxine for his thyroid that spiked just once. I read that Levothyroxine can cause weight loss. So sorry I’ll stop now. Just desperate!!!

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@shhill, just checking in. How are you doing? How is your husband doing?

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