In the presence of pancreatitis, enzymes must be prescribed, because they are designed to eliminate acute pain, further compensating for the constant deficiency of digestive substances of their own. To relieve pain, drugs are prescribed in tablets, and in order to replace the shortage of their elements - drugs in capsules. With a well-chosen enzyme preparation, the symptoms of pancreatitis are stopped, and digestion is fully restored.
Drug groups
In pharmacies, today there are many different types of enzymes for pancreatitis. They can be divided into the following groups:
- The substance is pancreatin in tablet form.
- Enzymes that contain not only pancreatin, but also bile.
- Pancreatin is in the form of microspheres (balls) or microtablets enclosed in a shell that is insoluble in the stomach.
Sometimes an adsorbent (for example, simethicone) is added to the composition of enzyme preparations, which reduces gas formation with bloating. It should be immediately noted that enzymes with bile for pancreatitis do not need to be used. They, as a rule, cause an increase in the activity of the gland, while in the presence of an exacerbation, on the contrary, it needs peace. In addition, when prescribed, medicines containing bile can cause diarrhea. Such medications are indicated for healthy people in case of error in the diet. This means in the form of "Festal", "Digestal", "Biofestal", "Normoenzyme", "Normoenzyme Forte", "Fairstal", "Enzistal" and so on.
So, for the treatment of pancreatitis, medications are intended that include only pancreatin, possibly with dimethicone or simethicone, in the form of pills or capsules.
Means in tablets: their function and role in the body
Enzymes from pancreatitis, which are produced in the form of tablets, are prescribed to inhibit the functions of your own pancreas, especially with severe pain, which is caused by an exacerbation of this disease.
These drugs do not alter the intestinal motor functions with the release of bile. Their reception is prescribed not only in the presence of the disease in question, but also with the development of atrophic duodenitis, intestinal dyskinesia and gastric reflux. They can be prescribed to patients with irritable bowel syndrome. The absence of bile, which is usually obtained from animal raw materials, makes such drugs safe for children and those who are prone to an allergic reaction to beef protein.
Studies have shown that enzymes for chronic pancreatitis in the form of tablets much better relieve severe pain than encapsulated drugs. They suppress the activity of the pancreas by the feedback mechanism. Having received a replacement, the body gives a signal to stop the production of its own enzymes, which reduces the pressure in the ducts of the gland, its edema decreases, and the pain stops.
The best drugs in pills: pros and cons
Traditional enzymes with exacerbation of pancreatitis in conventional pills have the advantage: low cost (we are talking about "Panzima Fort"). True, they are unstable in the stomach, where they are simply digested. In order to avoid this, they suggest combining these drugs with drugs that reduce acid formation. This makes therapy more expensive and requires adherence to a special medication regimen. Therefore, the drugs of choice in the presence of severe pain are tablets of pancreatin, which are coated with a soluble coating, for example, Gastenorm along with Mezim, Panzikam, Panzinorm Forte, Pancreasim, Pancreatin, Penzital and Penzital and Enzistalom P ".
The disadvantage of these funds is their poor mixing with food in the stomach. As a result, they can enter the intestine sooner or later in the food mass. Nevertheless, this does not at all prevent these drugs from fulfilling their main task, which is to block pancreatic secretion.
It is worth noting that the drug called "Pancreatin" is one of the most popular drugs in this group. The cheapest but not the most ineffective of this series are Pancreasim along with Gastenorm Forte and Panzikam. The most expensive drug is Mezim (probably due to active advertising). The optimal choice in the framework of relieving pain discomfort against the background of exacerbation of pancreatitis is recognized as Panzinorm Forte.
Also, what enzymes are prescribed for pancreatitis?
In capsules: their function and role in the body
With a long course of the disease, patients develop exocrine insufficiency, while the enzymes that digest food are not secreted by the gland. As a result, the assimilation of nutrients fails, weight is completely lost, feces become oily, regular diarrhea and other symptoms of maldigestia occur.
To replace the insufficiency of the functions of the gland in the presence of chronic pancreatitis, it is necessary to replace their own hormones with drugs. In such a situation, it becomes extremely important that the medicine in the stomach is not digested, but mixed well with food and moved through the stomach with a food lump, and then through the intestines, while exerting its direct effect. Pancreatin preparations, which are available in capsules, actually meet these requirements.
Capsules can be digested only in alkaline conditions of the intestine. Inside contains many mini-microspheres (plates) of pancreatin, which facilitates mixing with the product mass. A feature of these funds is that sometimes enzymes directly in the gut do not have time to activate, so they do not inhibit the secretion of their own components. But, as is already clear, they are not faced with a similar task. They just have to provide a person with normal digestion, and pancreatin tablets will cope with the pain.
The best enzymes for pancreatitis in capsules
Here is a list of drugs with pancreatin in capsules that are used for long-term maintenance treatment of the chronic form of pancreatitis: “Creon” along with “Mikrasim”, “Pangrol”, “Panzinorm” and “Hermitage”.
The choice of a drug from the above directly depends on their cost, on the personal experience of the doctor prescribing such funds, and, in addition, on a number of additional characteristics. So, for example, Panzinorm contains an increased volume of lipase, which makes it possible to more effectively participate in the absorption of fat, and at the same time fight diarrhea.
The most expensive of this group is the Hermitage. And the most affordable - Panzinorm. Despite the low cost, the medication presented is quite effective.
Which doctor should I go to?
To optimally select an enzyme preparation for the treatment of pancreatitis, a visit to a gastroenterologist is recommended. The doctor will need to inform you about the presence of such symptoms as abdominal pain along with digestive disorders, weight loss and constant diarrhea.
How to take enzymes for pancreatitis, the doctor will tell.
How should I take these enzymatic agents?
I must say that there are no clear canons and a single scheme. It all depends on the problem in a particular patient. In the presence of this disease or in the case of enzyme deficiency, each person requires a different dosage of enzymes, in this regard, capsules and pills are produced in different dosages.
How long should patients take enzymes?
Doctors prescribe enzyme treatment for pancreatic pancreatitis always individually. A person who has a marked enzyme deficiency is marked, should use such a medicine constantly. In order to improve the digestion of food against the background of diarrhea and food poisoning, such drugs are prescribed for a shorter time. People who arbitrarily without obvious symptoms of insufficiency take enzyme medications make a serious mistake. Because, if there are enough of their enzymes in the body, and they also come in additionally, their own production decreases.
Who should take these medications?
Enzymes for pancreatic pancreatitis are replacement therapy. Definitely it is assigned to those people who lack their own enzymes. For example, patients with cystic fibrosis (a genetic disease). Due to the presence of a congenital deficiency of enzymes, such people should consume appropriate medications for life, otherwise they simply will not be able to live without it.
The lack of these elements in adults occurs with prolonged inflammation of the pancreas. Often this happens with acute pancreatitis. Then a certain volume of cells dies, and since they are not restored, then islands of connective tissues (fibrosis) form in the organ or calcification develops (that is, salt deposition). Due to the decrease in the number of functioning cells, the pancreas does not produce enough enzymes. As a result, intestinal function deteriorates, increased gas formation occurs, and fats and proteins are not digested as it should.
How can you understand that there are not enough enzymes in the body?
Their deficiency is manifested by clinical symptoms. For example, a person begins to worry about bloating, along with increased gas, diarrhea, unformed, fatty feces (while he is poorly washed off the toilet and sometimes very fetid).
In order to determine the enzyme deficiency, it is necessary to take feces for elastase (this will show the number of relevant ingredients that are secreted by the pancreas). An ultrasound scan is also required. If the organ is dense and with fibrous inclusions, then enzymatic deficiency can be assumed.
We examined how to take enzymes for pancreatitis.