Quiting Imuran because of infections?

I have been on Imuran for over a year and have been fight sinus and kidney infections. I am on my third antibiotic for my current sinus infection and now they are afraid I will get C diff. Just wondering if anyone has had to quit taking Imuran because of a similar situation. And if so, what alternative med did you take? Thanks!

Elizabeth

Has your primary care doctor checked your IgG levels to see if you have an underlying immune deficiency?

Also vitamin, mineral and trace mineral levels?

With 3 sinus infections and resistant infection you should be referred to ENT for evaluation and treatment, not stay with treatment by primary care doc.

Ideally, your primary care doc should order a sinus CT scan (if one has not already been done) so ENT will have it at it at your first visit. You may have some previously undiscovered anatomical abnormality and it will help them evaluate location and severity of infection.

You can be proactive against c. diff by taking probiotics that includes saccharomyces boulardii. You have to check the label/contents of probiotic formulas to make sure this particular strain is in the mix.

I had to stop taking Immuran after having (2) episodes of Bronchitis back to back and then getting Pneumonia after those (2) infections - with being on Immuran my body just couldn't fight the infections even with higher doses and stronger antibiotics - I ended up going off of it for 3 months so I could fight the infection and then after being on 3 different antibiotics for almost 3 months I got C-diff :)

For some odd reason when I went to start back on the Immuran my body went crazy with side effects and it never started to work again. I am now on Methotrexate (injection form) - I have had to stop my weekly shots for 2 weeks when I ended up with Pneumonia last spring, but was able to restart again 2 weeks later with no problems. I was also pretty stable when I took a break from it. I do seem to do much better with the MTX and being infection free than I did with the Immuran - I am also very careful about colds and germs to the point of washing my hands ALL the time, etc.

I also get C-diff very easily - it has come to the point that I have a stand-by RX of Flaygl on hand at all times - I end up taking that for 6 weeks after I take any antibioitic :)