Problems with pancreatic enzymes taking creon and metformin

I was for 5 years a T2 in remission having adopted a very low carb diet. After feeling very fit and well last Summer in Autumn I started feeling Yucky, then started losing weight rapidly, with changes bowel motions. Scans revealed a 3cms lesion in the foot of my Pancreas which was removed by Wipples procedure six weeks after Oct diagnosis. The weight loss was due to malnutrition as my pancreas was compromised and not producing digestive enzymes I was unable to obtain any nourishment from the food I ate. It’s vital to get checked ASP only 10% are early enough to get this operation. At first Creon was not much fun to take when feeling unwell and made me retch, but taken with some low suger lemon juice was palatable. Six weeks on I from the op I seem to have become used to it. There is an excellent NHS pamphlet on taking creon with good advice worth reading. I take three 25000 with a meal, two with a dessert. Better to take a little too many, I judge sufficient dose by having reasonably normal stools, if too little then stools end up pale, broken up and floaty. Yuk!

Jean1954 said:

i may or may not be type 3

For 6 months I was never feeling well my very proactive GP sent for for lots of tests and the outcome was problem with pancreatic enzymes so I was started on 25000 creon with meals and snacks. I was diagnosed with type 2 about 10 years ago and take 2 x 1000mg metformin with dinner.

Now I feel unwell after eating especially if had fat eg beef. My blood sugar readings are 11 after meals and 5 to 7 on waking and I am up 2 or 3 times a night to toilet and if I have had a fatty meal like tonight it's diarrhoea

Would my gp have heard of type 3 and is there anything special I need to do when taking creon
Any advice appreciated

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Hello I'm in the same boat, two pieces of advice, as little saturated fat and cut back on all fat as possible in your diet, the diarrhoea, if oily is a consequence of not having the enzymes to process your fat content in food so in short, it comes out the way it comes in.its called steatorrhea. Second piece of advice you can't overdose on Creon, up your intake by one every day or two with your meals till your bowel movements correct themselves, at one point I was taking 5 with my main meal, spaced throughout the meal the only side effect I have had was extra wind.
My GP was clueless to type 3 so was the hospital one doc called it insulin dependant, another knew about it from working in America said " we don't use that terminology here" , another doc called it pancreatic induced diabetes, I just kept telling them the diabetes was linked to the pancreatitis that they were cause and effect. If your taking to Doc, nurse tell them your having problems with your digestion and diabetis at the same time are they linked? If they don't say yes of course they are, run, run quickly away and never return they are just pretending to be medical.
There is nothing special about taking Creon, I contacted the manufacturer, this is what they told me. take before or during the meal, if your having trouble with the capsules break them apart and empty them into a glass of pure orange juice and drink with your meal. Only thing to be aware of is hot liquids eg tea/coffee, effect Creon's ability to work so don't wash the capsules down with a cup of the old earl grey and don't store them anywhere warm like carrying them around in your pocket. Hope that helps and you get to be better, good luck!!!