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entocort now- MD plans Imuran or 6MP-benefits?

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Crohn's Disease
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Posted 3/31/2010 11:20 PM (GMT 0)
Hi again,

Iahve now been on entocort for a week.  Doing ok- mild cramping at time only.  NO diarrhea.. I have never had diarrhea- only pain.  I am waiting to go for a cat scan-then the plan is Imuran or 6Mp after tapering off the entocort.  I am nervous and scared about this drug.  Things are well on Entocort- but MD says you should not stay on it long term.  He is concerned if I wean off and take no meds- I will likely flare again.  I sure could use some input my friends...cry

Posted 4/1/2010 3:19 AM (GMT 0)
Hello,

I'm currently on 6MP for the second time. I was placed on it soon after my Dx and it really did work well. I took myself off of it, because I was concerned about using it long-term (and I also wanted to get pregnant). GI said that I would flare after it was out of my system and he was correct! Now I'm back on it (along with my prednisone taper) and I'm much more open to staying on it. I have not responded well to other drugs and GI says that if I keep going on and off I will need surgery.

I completely trust my GI, but to make me feel better, he is sending me to another doctor who has been doing research on long-term use. That will be in June, so I will be interested to hear what she has to say. I guess I just have to trust what they say, and know that its in my best interest.

Good Luck...I hope you find something that works for you.
Posted 4/1/2010 7:50 AM (GMT 0)

Hello,

We (son and I ) are pretty new to all this but I would firstly say that I think that being on entecort for a week isn't very long at all for it to take affect(believe it can take a few weeks for it to kick in) but as indicated it is not regarded as a long term solution.It does appear to be fairly normal to then move onto something else-son put on entecort January, now in his final few weeks of tapering off of it. Approx 6 weeks ago he went onto azathioprine(immuran). I can fully understand your apprehension about taking these drugs but I think that after you have been on them a while it just becomes part of the 'norm'

Your symptoms appear to be similar to my son's mild cramping and no diarrhea!

If you go onto the Immuran just remember to keep having the blood tests-especially in the first few weeks(son has had  one per week for past 5 weeks)

Without taking something then you could very well end up flaring again.

Good Luck    

 

Posted 4/1/2010 12:19 PM (GMT 0)
All steroids are "acute" drugs to treat and diminish flare symptoms and immediate inflammation in the short term. The immunosuppressants (6mp and imuran) and the biologics (remicaxde, humira, etc.) are for long term maintenance to keep you out of future flares or to minimize their severity. A good analogy would be antibiotics for the sinus infection and then allergy shots to help prevent future ones. And fear not -- 6mp and imuran are two of the most widely used maintenance drugs for Crohns with multi-decade records and side effects in only a small percentage of patients. There are hundreds of people on this site (me included) who have done well on them for years.

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