Has anyone successfully taken OTC probiotics instead of Creon for EPI?

Posted by creondave @creondave, Mar 24 6:18pm

Has anyone successfully taken OTC probiotics instead of Creon for EPI? If so, what probiotics did you try? Under a doctor's guidance, I am going to experiment with this, as I have spoken to a pancreas diagnostician who has said some people with idiopathic EPI have had success with this, but that it may take time to dial in which probiotics work. A long shot, but it would be great to hear if anyone had experience with this. Thank you.

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mcharlesfrancis | @mcharlesfrancis | May 12 7:22am

I haven’t seen many people successfully replace Creon with OTC probiotics for true EPI.

Creon works by replacing the digestive enzymes your pancreas is no longer making. Probiotics can sometimes help with bloating, gas, or diarrhea, especially if there is overlap with IBS or SIBO, but they do not replace pancreatic enzymes.

Some people use probiotics in addition to Creon and find they feel better, but for true exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, prescription pancreatic enzymes are still considered the standard treatment.

mcharlesfrancis | @mcharlesfrancis | May 12 7:23am

Besides Creon, there are several other prescription pancreatic enzyme replacement therapies (PERT) that contain similar enzymes (lipase, amylase, and protease).

Common alternatives include:

Zenpep
Pancreaze
Pertzye
Viokace (usually taken with an acid-reducing medication)

They all work in a similar way, but some people tolerate one brand better than another or find differences in cost and insurance coverage.