Terrified cystic fibrosis patients have told the Daily Express of the UK's soaring health crisis as supplies of their life-saving medication are either dwindling - or gone.
And some CF sufferers are being advised to start dropping their daily dose of vital pancreatic enzyme replacement called Creon, with suppliers the German factory's production emergency possibly lasting until 2026.
As well as the lungs, CF causes sticky mucus to clog up the pancreas, stopping it releasing crucial enzymes the body needs to digest fats, proteins and starches - so to alleviate this, many of the UK's 11,600 sufferers take Creon.
Yet due to a recent "constrained supply" crisis by Creon makers Viatris - they blame on German third party manufacturer Abbott - UK pharmacies, hospitals and clinicians have finding Creon hard to obtain.
And many pharmacies are now restricting prescriptions to just two-weeks' worth of tablets - meaning sufferers and their families are constantly thinking about how to source the next two weeks tablets.
Daily Express writer Carlie Pleasant, 34, of Sittingbourne, Kent, tells us she struggles to maintain her weight with her CF as it is - so swapping high calorie meals and snacks for less fat-based ones could see her dangerously shed pounds.
Married mum-of-one Carlie said: "Creon is an essential enzyme I need in order to digest my food. My pancreas is so damaged from CF it simply cannot breakdown any fats or oils in my foods and certain drinks.
"Not taking Creon results in severe diarrhoea leading to dehydration, malnourishment and weight loss.
"I put a repeat prescription in for Creon in to the chemist in January, and as it stands still have not had any medication delivered.
"I’ve spent hours ringing around pharmacies around the county trying to source the enzymes but have had no luck.
"My CF team say it’s vital I keep up my daily intake of food and high fat diet in order to keep me healthy and to avoid hospital stays. However without Creon it is simply going to be impossible for me to do so.
"The supply I do have is now running low and with no end to this shortage in sight I am concerned for the future, not only for me but for everyone with CF and other illnesses that require access to Creon."
We have been highlighting the alarming NHS Creon shortage for weeks, telling how families are travelling up and down England desperately hunting stocks.
Around 80 per cent of UK CF patients are taking wonder drug Kaftrio - described as being "!like a cure" for many of the genetic disease's worst symptoms.
But Kaftrio only works in the body when taken with a high-calorie meal with fats - and being high in fat that meal needs Creon for the patient to digest it.
When a CF suffer reduces fats in their diet they can easily lose weight, which can then weaken the body and make them more prone to nasty lung bugs, infections and falling gravely-ill.
With the supply shortage biting, some NHS centres have written to CF patients suggesting swapping fatty meals and snacks for low-fat ones - which therefore require less Creon tablets to be taken.
One NHS letter sent to a CF patient that the Daily Express saw read: "If stock remains an issue it may be worth swapping to snacks that do not need Creon for example jelly, sorbet, ice lollies and boiled sweets.
"Alternatively, if you remain hungry with above options you may need to reduce the amount of Creon you take with your normal snacks rather than with main meals.
"Example if you take 2 Creon with a snack then to consider reducing to 1 Creon if really struggling with supply."
Ten year-old Oscar Watts, of Ampthill, Beds, takes around seven Creon tablets per meal but his parents have found them so hard to come by, they have been travelling to London pharmacies just to source a week's supply.
Mum-of-two Michelle Watts, 44, told the Daily Express: "It's a nightmare!"
Mother-of-three Chantelle Atarinejad, 35, and partner Bekim Bashkurti, 39, of Harpenden, Herts, also have had to drive for an hour into London just to source Creon for their 10 year-old son Rezart.
Businesswoman Chantelle told us: "If he didn't have Creon he would lose weight fast and that would cause a trickle-down effect of other serious issues such as being prone to infections."
A recent report by the industry body Community Pharmacy England reveals that of nine out of the 10 pharmacies surveyed in England, around 6,000 in total, had seen a significant increase in medicine supply issues in the past year.
Drug companies alert the government when they expect a supply problem. The number of alerts has doubled since 2020, rising from 648 that year to 1,634 in 2023.
Viatris, which own UK Creon marketing and distribution rights, claim supply interruptions were not due to any safety concerns and they aim to regularly provide us 90–95 per cent of their usual amount of Creon.
They said Abbott warned them of a "global supply constraint" of Creon, due to "high global demand and reaching maximum manufacturing supply output."
They added: "Due to this, our third-party manufacturing partner’s current production is unable to meet all demand."
The Daily Express send Viatris a list of questions related to the issues behind the shortages - but they failed to respond.
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson told us: "We are aware of supply issues affecting Creon and are working with the manufacturer to help resolve them. These supply issues do not only affect the UK.
"We have issued comprehensive guidance to healthcare professionals about these supply issues, which provide advice on how to manage patients whilst there is disruption to supply."