Treatment with Azathropine

Azathioprine (Imuran - easier to spell and type) has done a wonderful job for me.

I've been on it since 2003. It can take as much as 6 months for it to kick in and really do its job. Generally you are started on prednisone or better yet Entocort as the same time as the Imuran if you aren't already on one or the other to enhance the Imuran as its efficacy builds up in your body. I opted for 6 months of Cipro rather than 3 or more months of one of the steriods until the Imuran could kick in for me.

I continue to use Pentasa as well as the Imuran as my two maintenance drugs and have been in symptomatic or total remission since late 2003 w/an occasional bout of nausea or gentle rumblings when I get lazy and lapse on taking my Pentasa.

So for me, the Imuran does need the assistance of Pentasa to keep me in total remission, but conversely the Pentasa can not keep me in remission w/o the Imuran.

As long as the stricture is from inflammation and not from scar tissue the medicine has potential to help. Make sure your doc takes regular blood tests with the immuran to watch your liver function. I hope it works.

I've been on Imuran for about 2 years and it has kept me mostly symptom free with the help of Humira and steriods to smooth out starting it. I have been very fatigued though since starting it and my doc says that its from the Imuran and its something I have to deal with in exchange for less symptoms.


~*Astro*~

TOTM, I think you can expect a little stomach discomfort at first. I had that, and fatigue for a couple of weeks and then things went downhill really fast. In other words your body will tell you for sure if it's not going to be tolerated. Most people do ok on it--I hope you're one of those folks.