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mercaptopurine & crohns

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Crohn's Disease
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Posted 8/20/2015 10:23 PM (GMT 0)
Hello everyone I am starting mercaptopurine tomorrow and I'm nervous because its a new medicine for me can anyone tell me there eexperience with it did it work good or bad thank you for reply?
Posted 8/21/2015 1:46 AM (GMT 0)
Bstiggy,

I don't know if you're aware, but it's the same thing as 6-MP (6-mercaptopurine) that many post about taking. I was on it for several years and unfortunately it didn't really help, but others have had better success. You do have to have regular liver function tests done.
Posted 8/21/2015 11:06 PM (GMT 0)
Thank you
Posted 8/23/2015 4:33 AM (GMT 0)
That darn drug made my hair fall out and the rest of me feel like crap for 3 months, and THEN it kicked in.
ugh
Posted 8/23/2015 4:20 PM (GMT 0)
I've been on it for 8 months, doctor prescribed it in conjunction with Humira. Basically its a way to keep Humira working.

6mp is also used to prevent organ rejection.
Posted 8/24/2015 3:51 AM (GMT 0)
Keep up with your blood work, and look out for any signs of pancreatitis. Severe upper abdominal pain, vomiting, fever etc.. I was on the sister drug Imuran and it put me in the hospital with pancreatitis and my liver was also really inflamed. Really bad experience. So just keep an eye out for everything.
Posted 8/24/2015 4:29 AM (GMT 0)
after 1st month of 6 mp you need to get bloodwork, and after that, every 3 months. Atleast thats what my dr. told me.
Posted 8/24/2015 10:01 AM (GMT 0)
It's been a while since I was on it, but I think I was getting blood work monthly.
Posted 8/25/2015 12:40 AM (GMT 0)
Yeah they have you do it often to make sure it's not hurting your liver etc.. Didn't really help me since I reacted so badly within a week. Thankfully I do okay on the methotrexate. Lots of blood work for that one too of course. Hope it all works well for you.
Posted 8/25/2015 3:13 PM (GMT 0)
Thank u do you all usually take it in the morning evening or what?
Posted 8/26/2015 3:08 PM (GMT 0)
I have been on 75mg of 6-mp from Sept 2013. It takes 3-4 months to kick in so I was on prednisone for those 3-4 months. I take it at night after dinner. Initially you may feel nausea but it gets better with time.

Your doctor should do TPMT blood test before you start medicine. It gives idea that you will or will not get side effects. Once you start medicine, you should have regular CBC and LFT blood tests while you are on medicine. Initially may be monthly and then every 3 months.

If you still don't feel good after 3-4 months, your doctor can check levels of drug in your body with some blood test and he may decide to increase the dose based on it.

I know it is scary drug but once you feel better, it will not bother you as much. But make sure you do your blood tests with out missing and if you catch infection, go to your doctor.

Hope this helps you. Wish you long remmission.
Posted 8/26/2015 7:08 PM (GMT 0)
I was on 6mp for about 7 years and didn't have any side effects. The only thing I noticed while I was on it is that I would get a migraine for about three days straight one time a year (usually in April so who knows it could've just been allergies or something). I stopped taking it on my own because I was feeling good and didn't want to be putting that stuff in my body if I didn't have to but that was a huge mistake. After 2 years of not taking any medication, I recently found out I have major inflammation and actually just started Humira this morning. Along with Humira I am back on 6mp (75 mg/day) and I take it at 1pm (I made sure to set an alarm on my phone so I never forget to take it!) Usually after I eat something. Good luck and try to stay positive!
Posted 8/26/2015 8:07 PM (GMT 0)
Thank u its nice to hear positive feed back
Posted 8/27/2015 9:13 PM (GMT 0)
The 6mp makes me very nauseous , I only been on it for 3 days will it eventually stop?
Posted 8/27/2015 10:33 PM (GMT 0)
After 3 months.
:P
Posted 8/27/2015 11:27 PM (GMT 0)
My experience was awful. I got hepatitis induced by 6-mp. And if you know anything about Hep, that was crazy. My skin, eyes and nails turned yellow and I itched for at least 15 days, then my doctor gave me something for the itching which caused me to be sooooo constipated and then i had to use a saline water filled tube to put up my bum to be able to poop 2 days in a row (i forgot what they are called, but I got them at CVS). I had to be put on prednisone until I got my humira approval...and now after being on Humira for 4 months I feel awesome.
Now, this is my story, I know someone who has been on 6mp for over 4 years and it has worked wonders for her, she is almost 18 years older than I am. I am 28.
Good luck, but really watch out for weird symptoms, I would hate for this medicine have the same effect on you as it did on me.
Posted 8/28/2015 12:20 AM (GMT 0)
Thank you with us having crohns are we able to get a vaccine for hepatitis?
Posted 8/29/2015 10:46 PM (GMT 0)
Mg doctor took me off the 6mp for the weekend , and see how I do an so far no more throwing up or nauseousness, so I wonder if he is going to lower my dose or what?
Posted 8/30/2015 2:44 AM (GMT 0)
After a few months on it, he upped my dose because he needed the medicine to be at therapeutic levels.
ugh
My hair started to fall out shortly after that.
THen they gave me folic acid.
I was super nauseous but never puked though.
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