Imuran and Acne?

Hi All,

Long time no post. Hope everyone is keeping well :)

This a question for those on Imuran. I have been taking it 1.5yrs now (150mg dose) and my skin is in an awful state. Im putting it down to the imuran as its the only medication im taking and i never had acne before. I'm 26 years young.

I have what i think is cystic acne as well as whiteheads that are scarring my once perfect skin. No over the counter or expensive beauty treatments are making a differance.

So my question is: Is anyone else having the same problem? Can imuran cause this horrible acne type thing?

Sorry if this appears trivial but im vain, and my skin issues are getting me down. I know its nothing compared to being in a flare but there has to be a better alternative?

Thanks for any replies received

Rachelle :)

I don't believe acne is a listed side affect of immuran at least I truly hope it isn't. Son has been on entecort and has recently gone onto azathioprine(believe it the same as immuran) and he is desperately hoping that once he has finsihed weaning off of the entecort then his skin will return to normal, he has totally had enough of the acne.
Has your skin only just got worse or has it been from the outset of taking the immuran?
There are some types of contraceptive pill that can help with acne, is it worth running it past a medical person to see if it could be worth trying? It may be no good though if it reduces hormones and the imuran increases them(or is it the other way around)
If it is being caused by the drugs then I don't think that any expensive beauty treatment is going to work-all you can really do is use mild soaps/cleansers and keep the skin clean, maybe baby soap/lotions. We use a 'brewers yeast' soap that is really gentle-it worked a treat on son's teenage acne but it hasn't touched this steroid induced acne but it is mild enough not to irritate the skin further.
It is not at all trivial and I really feel for you, getting you down will make you stressed and surely that is no good for your condition either.
Perhaps someone will come along that can suggest a possible alternative drug that can do the same job without upsetting your skin.

hey I'm 40 yr's with cd, but new to imuran and prednisone, the prednisone gives me horrible acne around my nose, very oily as well, at first I used baby wipes to wipe my face off because of the oils, unfortunately imuran hasn't helped like the pred. i also don't like the constipation from the pred. pisses me off actually, i don't mind emptying out my bowels in the a.m. but i fear an obstruction, I've had 2 with surgery to remove 9ft of small bowel

Omg yes. My skin has gotten so terrible since being put on this medication. I had minor outbreaks every now and then, but after 6 months it is terrible. I finally broke down and made myself an appointment with a dermatologist.....you aren't alone. I asked others in a support group if they had a similar reaction and a few said yes.