Festal or Micrazim, which is better? Festal or Pancreatin: which drug is better

The number of enzyme preparations in pharmacies now amounts to dozens. From the cheapest domestic “Pancreatin”, similar drugs go further up in price, differing in the number of enzyme units, capsule and tablet shells, and country of production. Moreover, their composition is approximately the same - 3 basic enzymes: lipase, amylase, protease. These include Mezim. Festal stands out from this series in that it includes two additional components that provide more complex action, compared to opponents.

What is the difference between Mezim and Festal?

Mezim is a well-known German enzyme preparation, presented in three forms: Forte, 10000, 20000 (20 or 80 pieces per package). The difference between them is only quantitative and is determined by how many enzymes are in one tablet. Thousands are international units that measure the effectiveness of lipase, the main enzyme responsible for the breakdown of fats. The higher this indicator, the “stronger” the drug.

In addition to lipase, Mezim contains protease (protein breakdown) and amylase (carbohydrate breakdown). Their activity is also measured in units, but since pancreatic secretory insufficiency is primarily manifested by lipase deficiency, the gradation of pancreatin preparations according to their potency is indicated by lipase units.

Mezim Forte – 20 tablets

The French Festal also contains these enzymes, there are more of them than in Mezim Forte, but less than in Mezim 10 and 20 thousand (see. comparison table below). Available in 20, 40 or 100 tablets. The main difference between Festal and Mezim is the presence of bile and hemicellulase components in each tablet. This addition ensures a more comprehensive participation of the drug in the digestion of food.

1. Components of bile:
   • enhance lipase activity in the breakdown of fats,
   • moderately enhance the contractility of the gallbladder during dyskinesias,
   • Helps absorb fat-soluble vitamins
   • have a slight laxative effect due to increased intestinal motility.
2. Hemicellulase- an enzyme responsible for the breakdown of plant fiber in the intestines. In a healthy person, this substance is produced in sufficient quantities by the natural microflora. When there is a disturbance in the normal flora or a deficiency of this enzyme, fermentation processes begin, manifested in excess gas formation and flatulence. The amount of hemicellulase in one Festal tablet is not so large as to ensure complete replacement of its deficiency in case of intestinal problems; one can only count on an auxiliary effect.

What to choose?

Both drugs have been used in gastroenterology for a long time and have proven themselves well. When choosing between Festal or Mezim, it is better to proceed from the diagnosis made by the doctor. Mezim 10,000 or 20,000 is best used for long-term systematic treatment, for example, for chronic pancreatitis, choosing the right dosage tablets. Mezim Forte or Festal is taken individually or short-term to help digestion. Festal is also advisable in the presence of JPV (according to hypokinetic type), during diets requiring in the diet increased amount vegetable fiber (greens, bran, vegetables), for constipation associated with poor diet.

Pharmacies sell many drugs to solve problems with the gastrointestinal tract, the most popular of which are Festal and Mezim.

The effect of each drug depends on the characteristics of the body. You can experimentally experience the effects of each of them. But it’s better to study enzyme preparations that are prescribed to help the digestive tract.

Why are enzyme preparations needed?

Our body has special substances - enzymes that break down, help absorb and remove food. If the digestive system malfunctions, a lack of these substances may occur, and then problems and unpleasant phenomena with the gastrointestinal tract begin.

The most effective means for the production of enzymes is pancreatin, the main component of Festal and Mezim. This is an absolutely safe component containing lipase, amylase and propase. Without these enzymes, activity is impossible digestive system.

Festal

Advantages of the drug

Festal has been known and popular since the times of the USSR. It contains components of the pancreas and bile, which affects the effectiveness of enzymes. Bile extract helps absorb fats in the intestines, which cause nausea and heaviness. By regulating intestinal function, bile promotes stable bowel movements.

The main purpose of Festal is splitting into small intestine carbohydrates, proteins and fats, normalization of microflora in the intestines and the production of its own enzymes in the stomach.

Fats are well removed by Festal due to its choleretic properties.

The breakdown of plant fiber in the intestines is also controlled by Festal, which will facilitate absorption plant products and prevent bloating.

Promoting the production of your own enzymes in gastrointestinal tract, Festal also accelerates the process of bile production, normalizing digestive processes.

Festal is used in the treatment chronic diseases gastrointestinal tract, to improve digestion, as well as to get used to wearing an artificial jaw and to prepare for x-ray examination abdominal cavity.

In case of intestinal obstruction, inflamed pancreas and liver diseases, Festal is not prescribed. In some cases, the drug may cause allergic reactions on the components in its composition.

Flaws

In case of cholelithiasis, when choleretic substances are prohibited, and if you are prone to diarrhea, Festal should not be used, since it contains natural bile.

Although Festal is prescribed to pregnant women and nursing mothers, its frequent use can cause allergic reactions and even inflammation of the oral mucosa.

How do patients respond?

« If you suddenly eat a poor-quality product and don’t immediately understand, it is better to take a Festal tablet to reduce the likelihood of poisoning. By the way, I’ll tell you one secret. If you take the tablet on the morning of January 1st with a weak alcoholic drink, the broken state passes faster. Although I do not recommend taking the drug often, so that the pancreas does not start to get lazy. It’s better to watch your diet and avoid excesses.” Marina Poroshina, Petrozavodsk.

« I buy Indian Festal, usually after some rich feast. Sometimes my body can react poorly to fatty cottage cheese or cheese. Then Festal becomes just a salvation; one tablet is enough for everything to return to normal. And I also take Mezim when Festal is not at hand. But why pay more for the same effect? Elena, Moscow.

Mezim

Advantages of the drug

Mezim is similar in composition and action to Festal. It contains lipase, ampilase and protease - enzymes for the activity of the pancreas. Mezim helps digest and absorb proteins, carbohydrates and fats. It is prescribed for pancreatitis, flatulence, overeating, etc.

The use of Mezim is very common due to the many positive properties a drug that provides urgent help pancreas and promotes food digestion. This medicine is relatively safe and is prescribed even to small children and pregnant women. In this case, the advantage of Mezim is the low content of enzymes in it in comparison with the similar Festal.

Mezim is prescribed before an x-ray or ultrasound of the abdominal cavity. But still, it should be recommended by a specialist who will determine the correct dosage and duration of treatment.

Flaws

Mezim is contraindicated for use if the patient is particularly sensitive, as well as during exacerbations of pancreatitis. Although the drug is easily tolerated, it can sometimes cause nausea and even vomiting.

Mezim may not provide desired effect, because it is often counterfeited. This is most likely due to high cost drug. To verify the authenticity, under the top layer of the hologram you need to find an image of the letter M, this serves as proof of the authenticity of the drug.

How do patients respond?

“The smell of the tablets is not very pleasant, but you can get used to it or be patient. But the effect is felt within half an hour. This is very convenient if you need to work immediately after eating.” Rinat Khairullin, Omsk.

"Mezim - good drug, it is truly indispensable during the holidays. You need to take a pill before meals, and then there is no heaviness, bloating or other similar stomach troubles!” Alena, Moscow.

Results: which drug is better?

So, Mezim or Festal?

The difference in the drugs lies in their composition: in addition to pancreatin, Festal also contains natural bile and hymecellulase. This difference indicates the choice in favor of Mezim in the presence of cholelithiasis. At the same time, Festal has choleretic properties, promoting better removal of fats.

When choosing a drug, the patient’s feelings are important, since there is no significant difference between Mezim and Festal.

We must not forget the main thing: these are medications that should be prescribed by a competent specialist. Mistaking stomach pain for a lack of enzymes, you can miss a serious illness.

Almost everyone has experienced or is experiencing digestive problems. A lot has been developed pharmaceuticals, relieving symptoms and promoting improvement of the condition. The most common among them are festal and mezim.

The principle of action of the drugs is similar. We still give preference to one specific one. Why? It all depends on individual tolerance. Also, the choice of remedy may be influenced by the current condition, for example, pregnancy.

“The stomach can’t do it - the festal will help!”

Available in tablets (dragées). Contains:

• ox bile extract;
• pancreatin;
• hemicellulase;
• sodium chloride and a number of excipients.

Can be used to restore intestinal functions, with a disturbed diet, in therapeutic and for preventive purposes from stomach pathologies. The main task of the drug is to stimulate the natural production of gastrointestinal enzymes and bile.

Like many pharmaceuticals, Festal has a purpose for use and a number of contraindications. Frequently asked question: is it possible to take Festal during pregnancy?

Doctors say that festal during pregnancy is acceptable, but you should definitely get the go-ahead from the doctor, do not overdo it with the dosage, and do not become addicted.

At persistent disorders digestion, you can take 1-2 tablets immediately after meals. For therapeutic and prophylactic purposes as replacement therapy Prescribed for gastrointestinal pathologies, after operations, for the elderly.

It is not recommended to use Festal for people with chronic or acute pancreatitis, obstructive jaundice, complex diseases liver, intestinal obstruction. Individual intolerance to components is one of the most important aspects refusal of medications.

Reviews about the festival

Irina, 40 years old: “After one unpleasant story, the festal is always at hand. Any feast, any fast food, change of usual diet (on vacation) - miracle pills help cope with any gastronomic load.”

Svetlana, 35 years old: “I have known about the festival since childhood, it has always been in home medicine cabinet. Two clear advantages - efficiency and low cost - speak in favor of this drug. Especially next to more expensive (branded) analogues.”

“Mezim makes my stomach feel good!”

Reviews about mezim are also mostly positive. The product has a composition and properties similar to festal. Complaints about the high cost of the medicine, it seems to us, are not justified, because when you recalculate the number of tablets in the package, that’s what it turns out to be.

In addition to pancreatin, in mezim among active substances pancreatic enzymes present:

• lipases;
• amylase;
• proteases.

Possible with:

• chronic pancreatitis;
• gastritis, enteritis, ulcers;
• infections;
• Gastrointestinal disorders.

The drug is prescribed after surgery and before endoscopy.

Not worth it if:

• chronic and acute pancreatitis;
• hypersensitivity.

In principle, Mezim can be taken during pregnancy. This is written in black and white in the instruction insert. But Mezim during pregnancy, like other medications, should be taken carefully, and be sure to consult a gynecologist. The drug will help compensate for the deficiency in the production of natural pancreatic enzymes. However, pregnancy is a condition where it is difficult to judge the safety of commonly used products.

Reviews about the drug Mezim

Alena, 54 years old: “These are not dietary supplements; you shouldn’t accustom your body to the medicine. Mezim is perfect as a “life preserver” in specific cases.”

Sergey, 41 years old: “I have gastritis, sometimes even an ordinary dinner gives me heaviness in the stomach, heartburn, and pain. Two Mezim tablets - joyful relief from problems without side effects».

Important: do not self-medicate and start taking Mezim or Festal without a prescription. A qualified approach to the choice of replacement therapy will help avoid problems.

All this is accompanied by symptoms such as diarrhea, followed by constipation, nausea, vomiting, increased gas formation, bloating, abdominal pain, loss of appetite and many others. Enzyme preparations – Festal or Mezim – will help to cope with this.

What is important to know about such medications?

In every human body There are enzymes that ensure the breakdown, absorption and excretion of food entering the gastrointestinal tract. When the digestive system is malfunctioning, there is a lack of these enzymes, as a result of which a person feels discomfort from the gastrointestinal tract.

And in these cases, there is probably no way to improve the production of these enzymes. more effective means than pancreatin. As a matter of fact, this substance is the main active component of such medicines, like Festal and Mezim.

Pancreatin is made from the pancreas cattle and is an absolutely safe component. This substance is based on enzymes:

• lipase;
• amylase;
• gap.

Without them, the functioning of the digestive system is basically impossible. They promote the rapid breakdown and absorption of proteins, fats and carbohydrates.

In addition to pancreatin, Festal and Mezim contain other Excipients. For example, Festal also contains bovine bile powder and hemicellulase, which force the organs to produce their own enzymes, which also helps improve the digestion process.

It is worth noting that these drugs are not dietary supplements and cannot be used healthy person just as a preventive measure. This medicines, which have their own indications, contraindications and side effects, and are also used only as therapeutic therapy, not preventative.

Therefore, it is better to consult a doctor before using them, since indigestion may be caused by other pathologies that require treatment. urgent treatment and having nothing to do with the organs of the peritoneum, but having a direct effect on them.

Indications for use

Festal and Mezim are prescribed for:

• violations exocrine function pancreas ( chronic pancreatitis, cystic fibrosis);
• chronic inflammatory-dystrophic diseases of the digestive system;
• partial or complete resection of the gastrointestinal tract, accompanied by disturbances in the functioning of the digestive system;
• preparation of the digestive organs for ultrasound examination.

Mezim and Festal are also shown to persons leading sedentary lifestyle life and forced to be in long-term immobilization.

How are the drugs different?

Before answering the question, which drug better than Mezim or Festal, it is necessary to identify how one remedy differs from another.

And the only difference in them is that Festal, in addition to pancreatin, also contains other excipients (bovine bile and hymecellulase). Therefore, it would be more accurate to say that Festal is, of course, better than Mezim.

However, based on practice, these drugs are equally effective, and some people benefit from one drug and others from another. It all depends on the organism itself and its characteristics.

As for the cost of Festal and Mezim, there is not much difference in it. By buying a second one, you can save on average up to 20 rubles per package.

Precautionary measures

All enzyme preparations, including Mezim and Festal, cannot be taken simultaneously with:

• drugs intended to treat anemia, as they interfere with the absorption of iron by the body;
• medications that reduce the level of acidity in the stomach. In this case, the effectiveness of the former decreases.

During pregnancy and lactation, Festal and Mezim can be taken only in cases where the expected benefit to the mother exceeds potential harm fetus

Useful video about enzyme preparations

Rhythm modern life undoubtedly leaves its mark on our health. Passion for fast food, irregular meals, a meager breakfast and an overly dense dinner, poor-quality food - all these factors are the starting point on the path to diseases of the digestive system.

Every person who monitors their health should have an idea about enzymatic preparations, pharmachologic effect which are aimed at improving the work digestive tract and improving the digestion process in general.

The principle of operation of the enzyme preparation

A common disease of the digestive tract is pancreatitis, which is manifested by a malfunction of the pancreas. Or there are frequent cases of isolated pain due to excessive overeating and preference fatty foods. In the mentioned cases, enzymatic preparations come to the rescue, which are designed to regulate the digestion process and correct the functional actions of the pancreas. Thanks to pancreatic enzymes in the gastrointestinal tract, complex substances are broken down into simpler ones, which are easily absorbed by the body.

The secondary task of medications is to stimulate the mechanisms of breakdown of carbohydrates, fats and proteins in thin section intestines, as well as participation in the development of beneficial microflora.

Festal or Pancreatin: which is better?

There are contraindications, use after consulting your doctor

Even those who have not encountered problems with the pancreas are aware of the drugs Pancreatin and Festal, which are freely available in pharmacy chains. Medicines have therapeutic assistance for signs of indigestion. And yet, Pancreatin or Festal, which is better? Let's compare what they have in common and what is the difference.

Similarities of drugs

In fact, the medications we are considering are largely identical in their effects, therefore, they have similar indications for use:

• chronic pancreatitis outside the period of exacerbation;
• diffuse changes in the structure of the liver;
• difficult bile formation and bile secretion;
• to stimulate digestion during overeating and physical inactivity;
• preparing the digestive tract for ultrasound.

Contraindications are also identical:

• increased sensitivity and allergic reactions to the components of the drug;
• acute and aggravated pancreatitis;
• hepatic coma;
• cholelithiasis and empyema of the gallbladder;
• different kinds hepatitis and jaundice;
• intestinal obstruction;
• diarrhea;
• age up to 3 years.

During pregnancy and lactation, use with caution and after consultation with a doctor who will assess the risks and benefits.

Both medications are similar in release forms. Manufacturers produce them in the form of dragees and tablets.

Pancreatin and Festal: differences

Now let's see how Pancreatin differs from Festal. The main difference between medications lies in their composition. The enzymatic preparation Pancreatin contains only one active substance of the same name (Pancreatin is a combination of enzymes: lipases, amylases, proteases, which break down fats, carbohydrates and bread rolls, respectively), as well as calcium stearate, starch, sucrose, talc, lactose and glucose as auxiliary components.

60 tab. (Biosynthesis, Russia)

As for Festal, together with pancreatin it contains as active substances hemicellulose(this is also an enzyme, but its main task is to break down fiber (coarse fibrous plant food)) and bile, and sodium chloride acts as an auxiliary component. Produced in France.

40 dragees

If we compare them by quantity active ingredients, then Festal has a clear advantage. However, we should not forget that due to this the list side effects This drug has quite a wide range of effects: allergic reactions, constipation, nausea, diarrhea. While Pancreatin causes side effects much less often.

Regarding functionality combination drug Festal again occupies a dominant position, since in addition to replacing the secretory function of the pancreas, it stimulates intestinal and gallbladder peristalsis.

The table shows that the difference between Festal and Pancreatin is in larger dosages of the main components of the substance per tablet. With absence therapeutic effect, or the manifestation of side effects, one drug can be replaced with a second.

Which is cheaper: Festal and Pancreatin?

Speaking about the cost of medications, Pancreatin has an undoubted advantage, since it is several times cheaper than Festal. From a financial point of view for symptomatic and irregular treatment Festal is more suitable, while Panreatin is indicated for continuous use.

In pharmacy chains "Pancreatin" is found as Russian production, and imported (mainly from European countries). When buying cheap Russian-made Pancreatin, pay attention to the weight of one tablet (indicated on the package). For some, it is halved (125 mg or 100 mg (see photo)), therefore it contains half as many active enzymes listed in the table above.

100 mg/table. (60 pcs)