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Side effects of Imuran

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Crohn's Disease
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Posted 3/2/2012 3:50 AM (GMT 0)
I have been on pentasa for the past few years to treat Crohn's but I still have awful pain. It gets worse as the day progresses and at night I don't even want to eat anything because it is so bad. My doctor wants me to start Imuran. When I researched it I found that one of the side effects to Imuran is a type of leukemia... I'm terrified to switch medicines now. I was wondering if anyone has had any side effects from this or if they can tell me anything more about their experiences with it???
Posted 3/2/2012 11:37 AM (GMT 0)
The only side effect I've ever had is my WBC dropped a couple of times so I was off the drug for awhile. I'm back on it after a couple of years and my GI requires biweekly bloodwork to keep an eye on all my blood counts. If the WBC were to drop again I would even consider going back on it again. But 6 months in I've had no issues.

Talk to your doctor about your concerns and see if there are any other alternatives.
Posted 3/2/2012 2:39 PM (GMT 0)
I know it is scary to go to the immunosuppressives but Crohn's disease is scary too! I tried 6MP (similar to Imuran) but had to stop because my liver enzymes quickly elevated. Alternatives might be Entocort for a few months if your disease is located in your ileum. Or the biologics like Humira, Remicade, Cizmia,etc. They also carry their own risks. If you decide to try the Imuran, which has been helpful to many people, your doc will take regular blood tests and take you off if your body can't tolerate it. Good luck with your decisions.
Posted 3/2/2012 6:03 PM (GMT 0)
Hi,
Just started Azathioprine 2 weeks ago and had my first blood draw this morning to see if I can tolerate the drug. So far I have felt a little queasy, but no barfing. Also, I feel more tired and am actually able to take a mid day nap which is unusual for me. I run about 40-50 miles a week and am feeling a little more tired on the runs, but can still do them, so far, anyway.
I was pretty upset about starting on the drug because of the potential side effects, but also because I don't like taking any kind of drugs. The fact that I need to take such a strong drug is making me face the fact that I am sick, an idea that I have done my best to avoid facing. My goal is to try to focus on the idea that it is a good thing that there are medications available that have the chance of helping, rather than always worrying about what could go wrong.
I hope that if you decide to take an immunosuppressive drug that it works for you with minimal side effects. Good luck!
Posted 3/2/2012 11:05 PM (GMT 0)
I've been on Imuran off and on for almost 10 years now. It worked great for me with almost no side effects. Once my WBC went down, but when we decreased the dosage, it went back to normal.

If you're worried about lymphoma (I looked up the numbers a long time ago, so I'm not sure if it's 100% accurate, but it's close). The chance of lymphoma is 0.04% in the normal population. In people taking Imuran/6mp, the chance rises to 0.06%. So it's slightly higher, but not much compared to the general public and this is at all dosages.

Also, the nice thing about Imuran is that it has been well studied because people have been taking the medicine for nearly 40 years (organ transplants, auto-immune, etc.). I personally like taking this drug because it makes me feel like most of the side effects are known by now.

Good luck on whatever you decide to do. :)
Posted 3/9/2012 2:56 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks for your replies everyone. I feel better after hearing how you have all dealt with it.
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