A Guide to Pancreas Enzyme Supplements (+Tips to Save)
speciality medications
Pancrease and other pancreas enzyme supplements contain a critical trio of digestive enzymes – protease, amylase, and lipase.
Patients with impaired digestive function can use Pancrease and similar pancreatic enzyme medications to relieve digestive symptoms and enjoy an increased quality of life.
Pancreatic enzyme prescription drugs are recommended for patients who have compromised pancreatic functionality, as is frequently the case with pancreatitis and cystic fibrosis.
Interested in learning more about the function of digestive enzymes in the pancreas, how pancreatic enzyme supplements can help, or even finding the best prices for pancreatic enzyme medication with up to 88% savings from a reputable online pharmacy?
The experts at NorthWestPharmacy.com have you covered with this helpful guide.
What Are Pancreatic Enzymes?
Typically, the human pancreas makes about 8 cups of enzyme-rich digestive fluid daily. This ‘pancreatic juice’ or ‘digestive juice’ contains pancreatic enzymes (or proteins) that help your body digest your food effectively.
The pancreas makes three key digestive enzymes, including:
- Lipase, an enzyme that helps break down fat from your food. Without lipase, the human body lacks fat-soluble vitamins and produces fatty stools and diarrhea.
- Protease, an enzyme that breaks down dietary proteins. Without the ability to break down proteins, the human body is more vulnerable to parasitic activity, because tiny microorganisms like yeast, bacteria, and protozoa will thrive.
- Amylase, the enzyme that helps you digest the carbs and starches from your diet. Without amylase, patients experience diarrhea due to accumulating undigested starches in their colons.
The inability to create enough enzymes on your own is a side effect of several disorders, such as cystic fibrosis and chronic pancreatitis.
Luckily, prescription pancreas enzyme supplements replicate the function of these enzymes to help patients avoid malnutrition, chronic GI issues, and more.
A Guide to Popular Pancreatic Enzymes Prescription Drugs (And Ways to Save)
Pancrease and four other prescription pancreas enzyme medications are top-sellers through NorthWestPharmacy.com. Here’s how they work (and how you can get them for affordable prices!).
Creon 25
Creon 25 (pancreatic enzymes) is a medication containing all three pancreatic enzymes – lipase, protease, and amylase.
Creon 25 can help patients:
- Extract more nutrients from their food (improving their nutritional status)
- Relieve abdominal pain and cramping
- Ease chronic gas and severe constipation
However, as opposed to other GI drugs that are chemically produced and have a consistent structure, Creon 25 and the other pancreas enzyme supplements on this list are special medications called biologic drugs, or biologics.
Biologics are complex. They contain difficult-to-replicate, easy-to-contaminate, and often heat-sensitive biological materials. Making them requires very clean, thoughtful manufacturing and a lot of extra equipment.
This attention to making a great product pays off for patients. Pancreas enzyme medications are usually quite effective.
On the other hand, it’s impossible to create a genuine generic of a biological product. Between this lack of competition and the involved process of producing biologics, the price for this type of pancreas enzyme medication can be high.
Getting a Good Price for Pancreas Medications: Creon 25
In the United States, it’s not uncommon to see Creon 25 priced around $1,150.00 for a pack of 120 capsules, or $9.50 per capsule.
This amount won’t last long. Patients take Creon 25 with every single meal or snack. At that retail price, patients will spend thousands of dollars on pancreatic enzyme supplements per year.
Here, you can buy 100 capsules of Creon 25 for approximately $135.00 or about $1.35 per capsule – up to 85% savings.
Creon 10
Creon 10 (pancreatic enzyme) is a pancreas medication from the same brand as Creon 25.
The difference between Creon 10 and Creon 25 is simple: The number denotes the dosage.
With pancreatic enzyme supplements, the number in the product name tells you the number of lipase enzyme units in each capsule.
Creon 25, for example, contains twenty-five thousand units of lipase; Creon 10, a lower dosage, contains ten thousand lipase units per capsule.
The amount you’ll need to take will depend strongly on your specific needs.
Getting a Good Price for Pancreas Medications: Creon 10
In America, Creon retails for around $2.08 per capsule.
At NorthWestPharmacy.com, you can buy 100 capsules of brand-name Creon 10 for approximately $58.00 or around $0.58 per capsule (up to 72% savings).
Pancrease MT4
Pancrease MT4 (amylase / lipase / protease) is another brand of pancreatic enzyme medication. Pancrease MT4 supplements your body’s levels of digestive enzymes so that every time you eat, your body can digest your food as effectively as possible.
By taking Pancrease MT4, patients suffering from chronic pancreatitis or cystic fibrosis can avoid diarrhea, bloating, constipation, and malnutrition.
Each tablet of Pancrease MT4 contains this specific cocktail of pancreatic enzymes:
- 17,500 units of amylase
- 4,200 units of lipase
- 10,000 units of protease
Getting a Good Price for Pancreas Medications: Pancrease MT4
At NorthWestPharmacy.com, you can buy 100 capsules of Pancrease MT4 for about $98.00, or just under one dollar per capsule.
Pancrease HL (High Lipase)
Pancrease HL (amylase / lipase / protease) is very similar to Pancrease MT4. This pancreas medication contains different amounts of each enzyme, including higher lipase levels.
The active materials in Pancrease HL are:
- 22,500 units of amylase
- 25,000 units of lipase
- 1,250 units of protease
Your doctor can help you determine a specific dosing schedule, but much like Creon 10 and 25, patients must take Pancrease HL with every meal and snack.
Getting a Good Price for Pancreas Medications: Pancrease HL
Through our international and online Canada drugs website, you can buy 100 capsules of Pancrease HL for around $188.00, or approximately $1.88 per capsule.
Viokace
Viokace (pancrelipase) is a pancreatic enzyme supplement that contains a mix of the three essential enzymes (lipase, protease, and amylase) required for healthy digestion.
Viokace is prescribed to help patients with exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, often alongside a proton pump inhibitor to reduce any chances of its enzymes being deactivated from contact with gastric acid. (Some of the other medications on this list have special coatings to stop this from happening.)
Getting a Good Price for Pancreas Medications: Viokace
United States patients frequently pay around $376.00 for 90 tablets of Viokace – an amount that will likely only last for about a month of treatment.
Americans seeking lower prices can purchase 100 tablets of Viokace through NorthWestPharmacy.com for about $48.00, or approximately $0.48 per tablet (up to 88% savings).
Treating a Pancreas Enzyme Deficiency Effectively
The world of pancreatic enzyme medications can be tricky to navigate. Here’s a practical primer covering the basics.
What Is a Pancreas Enzyme Deficiency?
Pancreas enzyme deficiency is a disorder in which a patient’s pancreas does not produce adequate amounts of digestive enzymes. It’s a common side effect of pancreatitis and cystic fibrosis and can lead to various unpleasant and dangerous digestive issues.
People who have undergone a pancreas removal also require treatment for this enzyme deficiency.
What Can Pancreatic Enzyme Prescription Drugs Do?
Pancreatic enzyme prescription drugs are a particular type of medication known as biologics. Biologic drugs mimic the naturally occurring substance and replicate their use as closely as possible.
Pancreas enzyme supplements contain pancrelipase, a mixture of the three pancreatic enzymes (amylase, lipase, and protease) that humans need to digest properly.
Taking pancreatic enzyme prescription drugs improves a patient’s ability to absorb macronutrients (protein, fat, and carbs) from their food.
As a result, patients taking pancreatic enzyme medications may be able to enjoy relief from constipation, diarrhea, or even the effects of malnutrition.
How Many Pancreas Enzyme Supplements Should I Be Taking?
The amount of pancreas enzyme supplements you need to thrive will depend on your enzyme insufficiency and dietary needs.
Often, doctors recommend a dose of 500-2500 units of lipase per kilogram of food, along with protease and amylase in specific ratios.
That’s an extensive range and highly variable, so working with your doctor and keeping track of your experience will help you determine what’s right for you.
What Are the Potential Side Effects from Taking Pancreatic Enzyme Supplements?
Some of the most common pancreatic enzyme side effects are:
- Stomach pains
- Diarrhea
- Constipation
- Nausea
- Cramps
- Bloating and gas
In some cases, these poor digestive side effects result from a smaller-than-necessary dose of pancreatic enzymes instead of being caused by the drug themselves.
If you’re taking pancreatic enzyme supplements or medication and still have painful digestive side effects, your doctor will be able to help you update your dose or find a brand that works for you.
What Tips Are There for Taking Pancreatic Enzyme Supplements?
Figuring out your best pancreatic enzyme medication and dose will take some time.
Getting used to how your body digests with these drugs' support will take even longer.
Some helpful tips for taking pancreatic enzyme supplements or medications include:
- First, don’t take the supplements on an empty stomach – always with food.
- Don’t chew these medications. Swallow without crushing them.
- See if your doctor has any recommendations for increasing your dose if you’re eating a large meal or one high in fat. (It’s difficult to take too much of this kind of medication, as your body will simply excrete what it doesn’t use. But, on the other hand, using too little can result in digestive problems.)
- As you begin taking your pancreas enzyme medication, start a food log. Note what time you ate your food, when you took your medication, and how you felt afterward. This information can be beneficial for customizing your dose to further suit your needs.
- Don’t skip taking your medication, if at all possible. The gastrointestinal distress this causes will be uncomfortable, and it can make customizing your dose more difficult.
- Don’t take expired pancreas enzyme supplements. Expired medications are dangerous in any case, but biologics specifically will lose their efficacy over time.
Saving Money on Pancreas Enzyme Supplements
When your pancreas doesn’t make enough digestive enzymes to break down your food well, proper medication can help you overcome chronic malnutrition and daily digestive problems.
Unfortunately, that medication can be priced entirely out of your budget. And finding out which biologic is best for your unique needs can be a trial-and-error process.
In America, due to skyrocketing drug prices (with no end in sight), it can seem like you have to select the cheapest medication instead of figuring out the best one for you.
We aim to give you the information you need to determine which pancreas enzyme supplement helps you overcome your symptoms.
We’re also here to provide prices that work within your healthcare budget.
We have pharmacists ready to speak to you Monday through Friday if you need to ask questions about your pancreatic enzyme medications or if you need to clarify anything about your prescription.
In addition, our customer call center operates seven days a week, so you always have access to someone on the NorthWestPharmacy.com team ready to help you find what you need.
Wondering what it’s like to save money and enjoy simpler ordering processes with an international and online Canadian drugs store? Check out our online pharmacy reviews.
We’ve invested constant time and care into our customers’ experience over the years, and it shows. We’re proud to have an average rating of 4.8/5 over 425,000+ verified customer reviews.
When you’re ready to place your order for pancreatic enzyme medication, call our team at 1-866-539-5330.
Our friendly, knowledgeable team is here to help you get your medication at an affordable price!
