Zenpep Capsule: Uses, Dosage, Side Effects, Precautions and Alternates

Quick overview

Zenpep Capsule (pancrelipase) is a prescription digestive enzyme medicine made from pig pancreas enzymes, containing lipase, protease, and amylase. It is used to treat exocrine pancreatic insufficiency caused by conditions such as chronic pancreatitis, cystic fibrosis, or pancreatic cancer surgery, as well as after pancreas removal surgery or when pancreatic duct blockage prevents enzymes from reaching the intestine. It works by replacing the enzymes needed to digest fats, proteins, and carbohydrates. It must be taken with meals or snacks exactly as prescribed, and dosing is based on age and body weight.

What is Zenpep Capsule

Zenpep is a prescription medicine made from pig pancreas enzymes. It contains a mixture of lipase, protease, and amylase to help people digest food when their own pancreas does not make enough enzymes.

Zenpep Capsule uses

• Treats exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI), the inability to properly digest food, caused by conditions like chronic pancreatitis, cystic fibrosis, or pancreatic cancer surgery
• Used after surgical removal of the pancreas
• Used when blockage of the pancreatic ducts prevents enzymes from reaching the intestine

Benefits of Zenpep Capsule

• Helps break down fats, proteins, and carbohydrates from food so the body can absorb nutrients
• Replaces pancreatic enzymes needed for digestion
• Helps improve digestion of fats, proteins, and carbohydrates
• Supports better nutrient absorption

How Zenpep Capsule works

Zenpep supplies lipase, protease, and amylase enzymes that normally come from the pancreas. These enzymes break down fats, proteins, and sugars from food in the small intestine, helping the body digest and absorb nutrients.

Zenpep Capsule dosage

Always take Zenpep with a meal or snack. Swallow the capsules whole with plenty of liquid; do not crush, chew, or hold them in your mouth. If you cannot swallow capsules whole, open them and sprinkle the contents onto a small amount of acidic soft food like applesauce, bananas, or pears, and swallow right away without chewing. Do not mix the capsule contents directly into infant formula or breast milk.

For infants, the capsule contents can be mixed with a small amount of soft acidic food or sprinkled directly into the infant's mouth, followed right away by breastfeeding or formula feeding to make sure all the medicine is swallowed. Check the infant's mouth afterward to make sure no medicine is left behind.

Do not inhale the powder from the capsule or let it touch your skin. Do not switch brands or dosage forms of pancrelipase without talking to your doctor, since products can contain different enzyme amounts. If you miss a dose, skip it and take your next dose with your next meal or snack; do not take double or extra doses. Tell your doctor about any changes in your weight, since dosing can depend on weight.

Available forms and strengths

• Delayed-release oral capsules

Side effects of Zenpep Capsule

Common

• Headache
• Cough
• Feeling full quickly after eating a small amount of food (early satiety)
• Bruising
• Stomach gas, bloating, or cramping
• Mouth irritation or sores (if the capsules are chewed, crushed, or held in the mouth)
• Stomach pain, vomiting
• Diarrhea or frequent/abnormal bowel movements
• Rectal itching
• Dizziness
• Runny or stuffy nose, sore throat
• Changes in blood sugar

Serious

• Fibrosing colonopathy (scar tissue in the large intestine causing strictures or blockages), with symptoms like severe or unusual stomach pain, vomiting, bloating, severe constipation, or severe/bloody diarrhea
• High uric acid levels (hyperuricemia), which can cause joint pain, stiffness, swelling, or redness, and may lead to gout or kidney stones
• Severe allergic reactions, including trouble breathing, racing heart, fever, swollen lymph nodes, swelling of the face, lips, mouth, tongue, or throat, trouble swallowing, hives, itching, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, or fainting

Warnings and precautions

• Zenpep may increase the chance of a rare bowel disorder called fibrosing colonopathy, especially with high doses taken for a long time in children with cystic fibrosis. This condition is serious and may require surgery.
• Do not take Zenpep if you are allergic to pork (pig) products, since it is made from pig pancreas.
• Do not take more capsules per day than your doctor prescribed, since this does not make the medicine work faster and increases your risk of side effects.
• Do not switch brands of pancreatic enzyme products without talking to your doctor, because different products contain different enzyme amounts.
• Do not share this medicine with other people, even if they have the same condition, as it may harm them.
• It is not known if Zenpep could affect pregnancy or harm a baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.
• It is not known if Zenpep passes into breast milk. Tell your doctor if you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed.
• Tell your doctor if you have kidney problems, since Zenpep may increase uric acid levels. Patients with kidney impairment may require uric acid monitoring because high pancreatic enzyme doses can increase blood or urinary uric acid levels.
• It is not known if drinking alcohol will affect Zenpep. Alcohol may worsen underlying pancreatic conditions, especially chronic pancreatitis.

Storage

• Store at room temperature, between 68°F and 77°F (20°C and 25°C)
• It can be exposed to temperatures between 59°F and 104°F (15°C and 40°C) for shorter periods of time, such as when transporting it
• Store in a cool, dry place and protect from moisture and heat
• Keep in the original bottle, tightly closed when not in use
• If there is a small paper packet or canister (desiccant) in the bottle, keep it inside the bottle; do not eat it or throw it away

When to see a doctor

• Call your doctor right away if you have unusual or severe stomach pain, bloating, trouble passing stool, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea, which could be signs of fibrosing colonopathy.
• Call your doctor if you have joint pain, stiffness, swelling, or redness, which could mean your uric acid levels are too high.
• Stop taking Zenpep and get emergency help right away if you have signs of a severe allergic reaction, such as trouble breathing, skin rash, or swelling of the lips, face, or throat.
• Get emergency medical help right away if you or someone else has taken too much Zenpep.

Alternatives

• Viokace
• Pertzye
• Pancreaze
• Creon