Digestive system loads associated with poor nutrition, frequent overeating, and the use of hard-to-digest foods lead to malfunctioning of the pancreas, and sometimes can cause inflammation (pancreatitis). To restore the optimal functioning of the body, modern medicine offers a number of enzyme-containing preparations, among which you can choose "Creon" or "Mezim". Which is better from these means?
What other analogues exist and how to get the maximum therapeutic effect without overpaying for marketing tricks?
The composition of drugs containing pancreatin
The main active ingredient of enzyme-containing drugs for the pancreas is pancreatin, which contains: lipase, which breaks down fats from food; amylase involved in carbohydrate catabolism; a protease involved in the digestion of proteins. Most people who choose Creon or Mezim (which depends on each individual case) pay attention to the amount of pancreatin and additional components.
If macrogol, a substance with a mild laxative effect, is found in both drugs, then dimethicone, which lowers gas production, is present only in Creon. Comparing the instructions for the use of these drugs, you can get a table that reflects the concentration of the main substance and the dosage of three enzymes.
Enzyme-containing preparations | Pancreatin, mg | Lipase, units | Protease, units | Amylase, units |
Creon 25000 | 300 | 25000 | 1000 | 18000 |
"Creon 10000" | 150 | 10,000 | 600 | 8000 |
Mezim Forte | minimum | 3500 | 250 | 4200 |
Mezim Forte 10000 | 137.5 | 10,000 | 375 | 7500 |
Of the additional components in any modification of "Creon" there is: liquid paraffin, macrogol 4000, dimethicone 1000 and polyethylene glycol. The capsule shell contains gelatin, as well as: titanium dioxide, yellow and red iron oxide. In the Mezima tablets, the manufacturer, in addition to the main substance, included: cellulose, magnesium stearate, silicon dioxide, sodium carboxymethyl starch. The soluble shell of each of these pills contains: emulsion of simethicone, talc, macrogol 6000, titanium dioxide and azorubine varnish.
The role of enzymes in the human body and indications for their use
Enzymes, or digestive enzymes, help the body break down complex substances into simpler compounds. Starch is involved in carbohydrate catabolism; steapsin (lipase) dissolves and fractionates lipids (triglycerides), ensuring the delivery of fatty acids to various organs and tissues; proteases (or proteolytic enzymes) hydrolyze proteins, releasing amino acids. All of these enzymes are synthesized by the pancreas. If a person has a deficiency of these digestive enzymes, the absorption of vitamins and minerals from food is impaired, hormone production is disturbed, gastrointestinal tract problems occur, stool is disturbed, pancreas malfunctions and its risk of inflammation. Enzyme deficiency can manifest itself with various symptoms: heartburn, belching, constipation, or diarrhea. It can occur with a sharp change in diet (leaving a diet, eating exotic dishes on a trip, visiting a restaurant with a sample of delicious dishes). In such cases, "Creon 10000" or "Mezim" will help to improve well-being. Which is better depends on the severity of the condition.
If there is a slight malaise after overeating or the drug is needed for prevention, then you can give preference to Mezima tablets. In case of serious digestive disorders, the doctor will prescribe capsules with a high dose of pancreatin ("Creon 25000").
Features of the mechanism of action of Mezima and other enzyme-containing tablets
Mezim is an enzyme preparation that compensates for exocrine pancreatic dysfunction. It promotes the digestion of food when eating foods that cause heaviness in the stomach and other problems due to malnutrition. As well as “Creon”, “Mezim”, “Pancreatin” (which is better to choose from enzyme-containing agents, the doctor advises) they contain lipase, amylase and protease, which break down fats, proteins and carbohydrates to fatty acids, monosaccharides, glycerol and amino acids .
Coated tablets should not be chewed or crushed when taken. They begin to dissolve already in the stomach, therefore, the drug enters the duodenum in an altered form. Of the other disadvantages of Mezim or Pancreatin tablets, their uneven distribution in the food lump and later penetration into the intestine can be noted. Therefore, in the question "Creon" or "Mezim", what is better for the doctor in the treatment of pancreatitis or pancreatic dysfunction of the patient, the answer will be - the first drug. The duration of substitution therapy can be from several days to several months.
The main advantage of Creon
The main factor in choosing this medication is its form of release. Thanks to the latest medical and pharmaceutical advances, the Creon preparation, obtained by extraction and grinding of animal pancreatin (cattle or pigs), is enclosed in mini-microspheres with a diameter of 0.75-1.25 mm. They are placed inside the capsule, which, being destroyed in the gastric juice, releases them and allows you to continue your path through the digestive tract in its original form, without reacting to the aggressive environment of the stomach.
The action of minimicrospheres begins in the duodenum, where they actively enter the catabolism of fats, proteins and carbohydrates. The advantages of microspheres also consist in the fact that pancreatin is evenly mixed with food and is better distributed over the contents of the stomach. "Mini-balls" with the medicine penetrate the intestine much faster and dissolve only in its environment, due to the composition of its shell. In addition, the dose of enzymes in Creon is much higher than in Mezima tablets and other drugs. It is available in three dosages: 10,000, 25,000 and 40,000. The first two types of "Creon" are dispensed from a pharmacy without a prescription, and the last is intended exclusively for serious illnesses, therefore it is mandatory prescribed by a doctor.
"Festal" - a combined analogue, what is the difference
This drug, like other digestive enzymatic agents, is aimed at normalizing the digestive process and eliminating discomfort. It is made in the form of enteric-coated tablets with pancreatin.
Choosing "Festal" or "Mezim" (which is better), or "Creon" - you need to consider that the first drug is strictly contraindicated in acute pancreatitis or exacerbation of the chronic stage of the disease. This is due to the content in Festal (as well as Enzistal and Normoenzyme) of additional ingredients - hemicellulose and bovine bile, which promotes emulsification and absorption of fats. Such drugs are not recommended for people with hepatitis or biliary tract diseases.
What is better to give children: Mezim or Creon
The instructions for use indicate that "Creon 10000" is prescribed for children with exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, which is associated with gastrointestinal diseases arising from: chronic pancreatitis, cystic fibrosis, gastroectomy or pancreatic surgery, Schwahman-Diamond syndrome, cancer and other ailments .
Of the most common diagnoses in which doctors prescribe a child "Creon 10000" (no more), dysbiosis (during feeding) and lactose intolerance (lactase deficiency) can be distinguished. In the question, “Creon” or “Mezim,” which is better for children, experts prefer minimicrospheres that help to most accurately maintain the dosage by counting the “balls” depending on the baby’s body weight. In addition, the drug penetrates the intestines, bypassing the aggressive environment of the stomach. For example, a child at the age of three months is prescribed ¼ of the capsule, and at 1.5 years - about a third. Minimicrospheres are added to liquid food (not hot), they can also be dissolved in drinks with a sour taste (fruit juice or applesauce). For children who are exclusively breastfed, “Creon” is not prescribed, since drinking with water can damage the sour-milk microflora of the intestines of the crumbs, increasing the risk of proliferation of the putrefactive bacteria population, and can also interfere with the natural restoration of the baby’s own pancreas.
Contraindications
Depending on the concentration of pancreatin, enzyme preparations are successfully used in complex gastroenterological therapy. However, choosing which is better, “Mezim” or “Creon”, it is necessary to remember that the appointment of both drugs is excluded in acute pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas), exacerbation of the chronic disease of this organ and individual intolerance to the main or additional components of the drugs. It is undesirable to use enzyme-containing drugs on your own. Based on the results of the examination, only a doctor identifies the stage of development of the disease and prescribes the optimal drug in accordance with the patient's condition. It is also not recommended to get involved in the described means, taking them for a long time and uncontrollably: this can provoke pancreatic dysfunction, which will be unable to produce the necessary enzymes on its own.
Reviews and advice from doctors
Despite the fact that the mechanism of action of Creon and Mezim is similar, choosing which is better, Mezim or Creon for pancreatitis, doctors take into account the different effects of these drugs on the body. It is due to the concentration of pancreatin and the dosage of the prescribed drug, as well as the innovative technology for the manufacture of German medicine in capsules (“Creon”). In most cases, to improve digestion and eliminate small negative symptoms in the pancreas after eating fatty and spicy foods, doctors consider it advisable to take Mezima Forte. If such conditions occur occasionally, then such assistance to the pancreas can be provided independently.
If heartburn, bloating and other symptoms of problems in the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract become common, then you need to visit a doctor and undergo an examination. After familiarizing himself with the tests, the doctor will be able to accurately determine “Creon” or “Mezim,” which is better and more effective for individual therapy. This can be a short treatment course of taking capsules with a large dose of enzymes, or prolonged symptomatic taking of tablets that facilitate the work of the pancreas and normalize the function of digestion. The capsules are swallowed whole with a sufficient amount of not hot and not too acidic liquid (pH <5), since when the acid-base balance of the drink is above 5, the shell of the microspheres is destroyed.
Which is better, "Creon" or "Mezim": difference (opinions of patients and young mothers)
Almost everyone who had the chance to take these enzyme-containing preparations or give them to children noted the high effectiveness of Creon, calling it “strong”, “working”, “effective”.
Despite the wide range of diagnoses described by users, this drug provided noticeable medical assistance to everyone, eliminating many negative symptoms. Occasionally, you can find comments that tell about the absence of any result. This is due to errors in the use of drugs (when “Creon” is used instead of “Mezim” before a hospitable meal), with their uncontrolled intake or with a mistaken diagnosis.
Cost difference
If the advantages of the pharmacological characteristics of the drug "Creon" are obvious, then its relative high cost in comparison with enzyme-containing tablets often causes a refusal to purchase. In terms of availability, which is better, "Creon" or "Mezim Forte" with the same dosage (for example, 10,000 units)? A pack of 20 Mezim Forte tablets in most pharmacies costs between 200-220 rubles, and for the equivalent number of Creon capsules, the buyer will have to pay about 300-350 rubles. The cost of the same drug, manufactured by Solvey Pharmaceuticals (France) or the German company Abbot Laboratories, with a dosage of 25,000 units (20 capsules) in urban and online pharmacies reaches 570-600 rubles. Domestic Pancreatinum (100 mg) with the same active ingredient, but lower concentration and moderate effect, will cost about 60-70 rubles (60 tablets). Doctors may recommend Mikrazim capsules (AVVA RUS, Russia), 50 capsules of which cost 466 rubles (10,000 units) or 781 rubles (25,000 units); Pancreatin Forte tablets (Biosynthesis, Russia) 20 tablets for 41-50 rubles.
Eventually
Mezima, Creon, and other enzyme preparations have quite a few differences, they can be summarized as follows: gastroresistant capsules with minimicrospheres are the most effective form of medicine that helps direct the active substance into the intestines without changes. The number of pathologies and the degree of their development, at which Creon helps, is much greater than the indications for Mezim tablets. Practitioners today prefer to recommend innovative capsules of "Creon", and only in rare cases replace it with a more budgetary analogue.