Who should not take digestive enzymes?

The one controlled trial of DigeZyme reported no adverse events in 40 adults over 60 days, but that's a narrow, single trial, not a broad tolerability literature. Three situations are worth a doctor's input before starting any digestive-enzyme supplement: a diagnosed pancreatic condition, a known allergy to enzyme supplements, and pregnancy, breastfeeding or giving one to a child.

Who should check with a doctor before taking a digestive-enzyme supplement

Situation	Why it matters	What to do
A diagnosed pancreatic condition (e.g. exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, chronic pancreatitis)	These are treated with a separate, FDA-regulated prescription category, not an over-the-counter blend	Ask a doctor about prescription options; don't self-treat with an OTC supplement
A known allergy to enzyme supplements, or to mold/fungal ingredients generally	A documented case of anaphylaxis to a supplemental enzyme has been reported	Ask an allergist before trying any enzyme product, especially a first time
Active digestive tract irritation (e.g. an ulcer flare)	No trial has tested enzyme supplementation in this situation	Ask a doctor before adding a supplement
Pregnant, breastfeeding, or considering it for a child	No dosing or safety data exists for these groups	Ask a doctor or pediatrician; this article gives no dose or use recommendation for them

A diagnosed pancreatic condition

If a doctor has diagnosed a condition where your pancreas doesn't make enough of its own digestive enzymes — exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, chronic pancreatitis, or a related diagnosis — that's treated with a specific, FDA-regulated category of prescription drugs (pancreatic enzyme replacement products), not an over-the-counter supplement like DigeZyme. After finding wide quality variability among unregulated pancreatic enzyme products, the FDA required every manufacturer of this drug category to file a full New Drug Application, with a final deadline of April 2010; today, only a handful of brands are FDA-approved for this specific use. A blend like DigeZyme sits in a completely different regulatory category (a dietary supplement, not a drug) and has not been evaluated or approved for treating a diagnosed pancreatic condition. If you have one, ask your doctor about the prescription options built and regulated for it, rather than an OTC supplement.

A known allergy to enzyme supplements

Digestive enzymes are proteins, and a documented case report describes a woman who had an anaphylactic reaction — throat tightness, swelling, shortness of breath — after taking a supplemental lactase enzyme tablet, confirmed by skin testing to be a reaction to the enzyme protein itself. If you've reacted to any enzyme supplement before, or have a known allergy to mold or fungal-derived products (the microbial strains these enzymes are fermented from), talk to an allergist before trying one, particularly for the first time. See digestive enzyme side effects for the case in full.

Active digestive tract irritation

We haven't found a trial testing digestive enzyme supplementation in people with an active ulcer or a flare of a diagnosed digestive condition. Protease, one of DigeZyme's five enzymes, breaks down protein — the same material the stomach and intestinal lining are made of — and without a trial ruling it in or out for someone with active irritation there, the honest answer is to ask a doctor before starting rather than assume it's fine.

Pregnancy, breastfeeding and children

No dosing or safety data exists for pregnancy, breastfeeding, or use in children, and this article gives none. If any of those applies, ask a doctor or pediatrician rather than following a general adult amount.

Who this doesn't apply to

Outside the situations above, the research we've reviewed doesn't identify a specific group of otherwise-healthy adults who should avoid a digestive-enzyme supplement at label doses — though it's worth repeating that the controlled safety data behind that is one 60-day trial in 40 people, not a large literature. See digestive enzyme side effects for what that trial did and didn't find, and digestive enzyme dosage for what's actually been tested.

Questions people ask

Who should not take digestive enzymes?

People with a diagnosed pancreatic condition, a known allergy to enzyme supplements, active digestive tract irritation, or who are pregnant, breastfeeding or considering it for a child should talk to a doctor before starting, rather than following general adult guidance on their own.

Who should take digestive enzymes?

There's no established test or deficiency marker that identifies who "should" take one. People generally try a digestive-enzyme supplement because of self-reported digestive discomfort, not a diagnosis — and the one clinical trial on DigeZyme specifically enrolled adults already diagnosed with functional dyspepsia, not a general population.

What would happen if digestive enzymes weren't present in the body at all?

Without adequate digestive enzymes — which happens in diagnosed conditions like exocrine pancreatic insufficiency — the body can't fully break down food, leading to malabsorption, unintended weight loss, and greasy or floating stools. That's a medical diagnosis requiring prescription-strength treatment, not something an over-the-counter supplement like DigeZyme is intended or evaluated to fix; if those symptoms describe you, see a doctor rather than starting a supplement on your own.

Who needs digestive enzymes?

People with a diagnosed enzyme-production problem need prescription-strength treatment specifically approved for that. Outside of a diagnosis, "need" isn't really the right word for an over-the-counter supplement like this one — it's closer to a discretionary try, and the evidence for what it does at that point is thin; see digestive enzymes: what the research does and doesn't show.