I'd have to say that if it works for her, let it be. She would know if it wasn't what her body was needing. My daughters both take Creon and it's pretty commonly used here as well (Minneapolis). My youngest daughter was on Creon 10 (1 pill w/ meals) but the dr changed her to 4 Creon 5's instead. Yes, it's easier for her to swallow 1 pill than 4 but the Creon 5 has much smaller beads than the Creon 10 so it's easier for her body to use them. She is doing better on them than on the Creon 10. My 10 year old takes 6 Creon 10's and it seems to work well also. As far as having a fixed number all the time, I personally don't think that's best either. I mean, if you're eating the same basic meals every day it really wouldn't matter but since most of us vary our meals, it would seem that the amount of enzymes needed would also vary. The dr has always told us to fluctuate the amount of enzymes with the particular meals she is having. If they eat a high fat meal we'll give her an extra enzyme or two and if it's a very small meal, we'll decrease it instead. It does sound shocking when you hear someone swallowing 20 pills or more for each meal but again, she could be on a lower strength enzyme and I would think she would know by her body's reaction if it wasn't what she needed. All that being said, I would, however, be concerned that she isn't being seen by a CF dr. Enzymes aside, there are many other reasons why a CF dr would be much preferable to a regular pulmonologist for a person with CF.
