Creon Dosages: Your GoodRx Guide

Your diet and nutrition are important to your well-being. But as relevant as they are, they can be difficult to prioritize. It takes a significant amount of time, energy, and money to shop for groceries, prepare meals, and support local restaurants. Yet, the ability to digest food is a common afterthought.

Digesting food is a relevant issue for people who live with pancreatic insufficiency, a condition in which the pancreas doesn’t release enough digestive enzymes (proteins). This can lead to gut-irritating symptoms such as diarrhea, bloating, and stomach pain — among others.

The most commonly prescribed medication for pancreatic insufficiency is Creon (pancrelipase). Creon effectively improves digestion and digestion-related symptoms for many people. But multiple daily doses are required to receive its benefits. 

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Here, we’ll discuss common Creon dosages for adults and kids.

What forms does Creon come in?

Creon comes in oral capsules. The capsules contain a mixture of three different pancreatic enzymes: lipase, protease, and amylase.

A simple way to understand the different capsule formulations is by how much lipase they contain. There are five capsule formations available:

• 3,000 units of lipase

• 6,000 units of lipase

• 12,000 units of lipase

• 24,000 units of lipase

• 36,000 units of lipase

You can swallow Creon capsules whole, or you can open them up and sprinkle the contents onto a soft, acidic food like applesauce. (Eating nonacidic foods when you take your dose can make Creon less effective.) As soon as you add Creon to food, ingest it immediately. Then, try to drink a glass of water to make sure all of it gets to your gut.

What’s the typical Creon dosage for adults?

Adults should take Creon with every meal and snack in order to help the body digest the food adequately. The dose you take with meals is considered your “full” dose. With snacks, you’ll typically take a half of your full dose.

There isn’t one typical Creon dosage. Your prescribed dosage — or how much Creon you take with snacks and meals — will depend on your body weight, your normal diet, and the symptoms you’re experiencing. It’ll also depend on what’s causing your pancreatic insufficiency, such as cystic fibrosis or chronic pancreatitis.

Your healthcare professional will make the final call on how much Creon you should take with every dose.

Keep in mind: Pancreatic insufficiency is a chronic condition. It’s typically something you’ll live with long term. And, as your lifestyle and symptoms evolve, your prescriber may raise or lower your dosage.

Example Creon dosages for adults

If you’re new to taking Creon, understanding how dosages work can be difficult. Here are a couple of examples.

Let’s say you have cystic fibrosis with pancreatic insufficiency and weigh 96 kg (211 lbs). You may be told to start off by taking two 24,000-unit capsules (48,000 units total) with every meal. In turn, you’d take one 24,000-unit capsule with every snack.

On the other hand, if you weigh 96 kg but have chronic pancreatitis, you may start off with a different dosage. You may be asked to take two 36,000-unit capsules (72,000 units total) with every meal, and one 36,000-unit capsule with every snack.

Whatever amount you’re prescribed, let your healthcare professional know if your symptoms aren’t well controlled with your initial dosage. They’ll likely raise your dosage slowly, until you experience relief. Each dosage increase will likely take place over several days.

What’s the typical Creon dosage for children?

Like the dosages for adults, Creon dosages for children can vary. While there’s no typical dosage, there are general recommendations broken down by age group. 

Like adults, children should take Creon with every meal and snack in order to adequately digest the food.

Infants age 12 months and younger

Infants who are 12 months and younger typically receive at least one 3,000-unit capsule for every 120 mL of breast milk or formula they consume. They should receive the medication before every feeding. Some infants eventually receive higher dosages if they don’t show signs of responding to this initial dosage. 

Creon should not be mixed with breast milk or formula directly. Instead, place the capsule's contents directly in the infant’s mouth or in applesauce, and then give them the formula or milk shortly afterward. This will help ensure Creon works as intended.

Young kids age 13 months through 3 years old

Due to their stage of development, young children who are 13 months through 3 years old may start off with higher dosages of Creon. Many kids in this age group start off by taking 1,000 units of lipase per kilogram of body weight.

For example, if your 2-year-old weighs 12 kg (26 lbs), they may initially take two 6,000-unit capsules (12,000 units total) with every meal and one 6,000-unit capsule with every snack.

Kids age 4 years and older

Creon dosages for kids age 4 and older are similar to adult dosages. (The amount of medication they receive is the same regarding how much they take per kilogram of body weight.) A common starting point is 500 units of lipase per kilogram of body weight.

For example, if your 6-year-old weighs 24 kg (53 lbs), they may start off by taking two 6,000-unit capsules with every meal and one 6,000-unit capsule with every snack. Their healthcare professional may then raise their dosage slowly, as needed.

Are there any dosage adjustments for medical conditions?

There aren’t any widely-recommended Creon dosage adjustments for medical conditions.

However, your healthcare professional will likely monitor you more closely for side effects if any of these situations apply to you:

• You’re taking a high dosage of Creon. A high dosage is considered to be more than 2,500 units of lipase per kg of body weight per meal or 10,000 units of lipase per kg of body weight per day.

• You have gout or high uric acid levels, as Creon may raise your uric acid levels.

• You have certain kidney problems.

• You’re taking a medication that could interact with Creon, such as acarbose.

What happens if you miss a dose of Creon?

If you forget to take Creon with a meal or snack, it shouldn’t be a major issue. Go ahead and skip the missed dose. While you may experience a flare of pancreatic insufficiency symptoms, they should subside. Just make sure to take the medication with your meals and snacks going forward.

If you find yourself missing Creon doses frequently, reach out to your pharmacist. They can offer tips to help you stay on track. Medication reminder apps, pill organizers, and keeping Creon in a secure location near your pantry can all make a difference.

What should you do if you take too much Creon?

If you accidentally take more Creon than recommended, reach out to your healthcare professional for advice on what to do next. If you can’t reach them, another option is to contact Poison Control online or at 1-800-222-1222. Not much data is available about Creon overdoses, so it’s best to talk to a professional about what to expect.

In general, one or two extra doses shouldn’t be a big issue. Problematic side effects from Creon are more common with higher dosages taken for extended periods of time.

How to save on Creon

There are ways to save on Creon, which is only available as a brand-name medication. GoodRx can help you navigate between options like copay savings cards and patient assistance programs to save money on your prescription:

• Saving with a copay savings card: If you have commercial insurance, you may be eligible to pay as little as $5 for up to a 90-day supply of Creon using a savings card from the manufacturer. If you’re taking Creon due to cystic fibrosis specifically, you may be able to pay as little as $0.

• Saving with a patient assistance program: If you’re uninsured or underinsured, you may be eligible for Creon’s patient assistance program, which offers the medication free of charge.

There are also medications available that are similar to Creon. Depending on your insurance coverage status, Pancreaze, Pertyze, and Viokace are possible Creon alternatives to consider. Zenpep is another common Creon alternative. These they’re not directly interchangeable, if you’re having trouble accessing Creon, ask your healthcare professional if you’d have better luck with one of these alternatives.

Why trust our experts?

Written by:

Joshua Murdock, PharmD, BCBBS

Joshua Murdock, PharmD, BCBBS, is a licensed pharmacist in Arizona, Colorado, and Rhode Island. He has worked in the pharmacy industry for more than 10 years and currently serves as a pharmacy editor for GoodRx.

Reviewed by:

Austin Ulrich, PharmD, BCACP

Austin Ulrich, PharmD, BCACP, is a board-certified ambulatory care clinical pharmacist. In his early career, he provided direct patient care in a variety of settings, including hospital and community pharmacies, and in a primary care clinic as a clinical pharmacist.

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