Cotazym (Lipase/Protease/Amylase)
Cotazym (Lipase/Protease/Amylase) Dosage and Side Effects
COTAZYM is used for the treatment of pancreatic insufficiency attributed to cystic fibrosis, chronic pancreatitis, or any other medically defined pancreatic disease that might require pancreatic enzyme therapy, as determined by the doctor.
COTAZYM is a prescription medicine used to treat people who cannot digest food normally because their pancreas does not make enough enzymes due to cystic fibrosis, swelling of the pancreas that lasts a long time (chronic pancreatitis), removal of some or all of the pancreas (pancreatectomy), or other conditions.
COTAZYM may help your body use fats, proteins, and sugars from food. It contains a mixture of digestive enzymes including lipases, proteases, and amylases from pig pancreas.
Proper Use of this medication
Take COTAZYM exactly as prescribed by your healthcare provider.
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You should not switch COTAZYM with any other pancreatic enzyme product without first talking to your doctor.
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Do not take more capsules in a day than the number your doctor tells you to take (total daily dose).
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Always take COTAZYM with a meal or snack and enough liquid to swallow COTAZYM completely. If you eat a lot of meals or snacks in a day, be careful not to go over your total daily dose.
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If the capsules are opened, try to avoid sprinkling them on dairy products such as milk, custard or ice cream.
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Your doctor may change your dose based on the amount of fatty foods you eat or based on your weight.
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Do not crush or chew COTAZYM capsules or its contents, and do not hold the capsule or capsule contents in your mouth. Crushing, chewing or holding the COTAZYM capsules in your mouth may cause irritation in your mouth or change the way it works in your body.
Usual dose:
Take 1 to 3 capsules with each meal and 1 capsule with each snack as directed by your doctor.
Warnings and Precautions
BEFORE you use COTAZYM talk to your doctor or pharmacist if you:
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Are allergic to pork (pig) products
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Have a history of intestinal blockage or scarring or thickening of your bowel wall (fibrosing colonopathy)
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Have gout, kidney disease, or high blood uric acid (hyperuricemia or hyperuricosuria)
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Have trouble swallowing capsules
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Have any other medical condition
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Are pregnant, plan to become pregnant, are breast-feeding or plan to breast-feed. It is not known if COTAZYM will harm your unborn baby or if COTAZYM passes into your breast milk. Enzymes such as COTAZYM are broken down in your gastrointestinal tract, and thus are not absorbed into the body as intact enzymes.
Tell your doctor all the medications that you take, including prescription and nonprescription drugs, natural health products, vitamins and herbs.
Talk to your doctor if the following occurs while taking COTAZYM:
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stomach area (abdominal) pain
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bloating
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trouble passing stool (having bowel movements)
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nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea
Take COTAZYM exactly as prescribed. Do not take more or less COTAZYM than directed by your doctor.
Side Effects
The most common side effects of pancreatic enzyme preparations including COTAZYM include the following:
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Blood sugar increase (hyperglycemia) or decrease (hypoglycemia)
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Pain in your stomach (abdominal area)
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Frequent or abnormal bowel movements
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Gas
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Sore throat and cough
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Dizziness
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Vomiting
Other Possible Side Effects:
COTAZYM and other pancreatic enzyme products are made from the pancreas of pigs, the same pigs people eat as pork. These pigs may carry viruses. Although it has never been reported, it may be possible for a person to get a viral infection from taking pancreatic enzyme products that come from pigs.
Tell your healthcare professional if you have any side effect that bothers you or does not go away.
Interactions with this medication
As with all other pancrelipase lipase preparations, interactions with COTAZYM is possible. Therefore, tell your doctor all the medications that you take, including prescription and nonprescription drugs, natural health products, vitamins and herbs.
Other related products
The above information is an educational aid only. It is not intended as medical advice for individual conditions or treatments. Talk to your doctor, nurse or pharmacist before following any medical regimen to see if it is safe and effective for you.
