Creon capsule too large to swallow: Any tips?

Posted by altc321 @altc321, Sep 19, 2023

Does anyone know if Ceon in the capsule can be inserted in a smaller capsule to make it easier to swallow? I don’t like mixing it into apple sauce to take every time I eat. Are there capsules (empty) you can buy that are are smaller and compatible with the Creon enzyme?

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Pancreatic Cancer Support Group.

My original Creon capsules were 24,000 units per capsule, but I requested the 36,000-unit capsules so I wouldn't have to take so many. They are definitely larger.

According to this page: https://www.creoninfo.com/creon-dosing you can also get them in lesser doses of 12000, 6000, or 3000 units per capsule. Unfortunately, the pictures I'm finding on the web aren't all scaled the same or identified for size.

Capsules do come in standardized sizes as noted here:
https://capsulesupplies.com/pages/capsule-size-chart

and the six standard Creon pill images are shown here:
https://www.drugs.com/imprints.php?drugname=CREON

I still haven't found linkage between the dose and the physical size, but this might help your research a little bit.

Maybe this?
https://www.mdpi.com/nutrients/nutrients-14-01341/article_deploy/html/images/nutrients-14-01341-g001.png

REPLY

It could be helpful to talk with your pharmacist about the issue you are having.

REPLY

Quoted directly from the creoninfo.com website:

“If you have trouble swallowing capsules, open the capsules and sprinkle the contents on a small amount of room-temperature, acidic food, such as applesauce. Drink enough liquid to make sure the medicine is swallowed completely”.

This information also appears in the package insert.

REPLY

@altc321, have you been able to talk to your pharmacist about possible solutions? I like to hear what you've learned.

REPLY

Called my pharmacist but CVS doesn’t sell empty capsules so I ordered from Amazon…. they have all sizes.

REPLY

How long can you go on Creon capsules ? Hubby taking it 25000 3 times a day but he was also given a smaller dose in bottles.

REPLY

I recently had to take a daily Rx in capsule form -- large capsules that I couldn't swallow. I found that putting the entire capsule atop a spoonful of applesauce made it go down every time. (And, not as annoying as having to eat several spoonfuls of applesauce mixed with the emptied contents.)

Good luck with this.

REPLY
Please sign in or register to post a reply.