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Intermediate tmpt and imuran fears

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Crohn's Disease
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Posted 9/11/2012 4:15 AM (GMT 0)
I started Imuran 5 days ago and been doing some research on it and seeing that my enzyme is intermediate and I still was put on it makes my fears worse. How do I know if my bone marrow isn't being suppressed and now I am going to get some deadly infection! Wow I can't understand the horrible things we have to go through with this disease!
Thank you
Malshay
Posted 9/11/2012 11:18 PM (GMT 0)
I'm no expert. My Daughter takes Imuran, so I have concerns about that medication as well. The thing to know is that the side effects to most of the immunosuppressants, are generally associated with much larger dosages than are prescribed for Crohns patients.

The use of drugs like Imuran in organ transplants, are at considerably higher dosages. 

Imuran is fairly well tolerated on the whole.

Posted 9/11/2012 11:50 PM (GMT 0)
Have you had a TPMT test done? That's the test which identifies the risk of developing severe side-effects from thiopurine drugs, such as Imuran.

It's not essential to have a TMPT done, though. But it is essential to get your blood tested every 1-2 weeks for the first couple of months after starting Imuran or 6MP. If anything bad is happening to your blood cell count, blood tests will let the doctors know about it. Sometimes there is a temporary drop, then it rises again. But if it gets dangerously low, you'll be taken off the med.

Anyways, if it's your TMPT levels which are 'intermediate', I presume you're good for taking Imuran. It's folks who are deficient in TMPT who are at risk of developing serious side-effects.
Posted 9/12/2012 7:41 PM (GMT 0)
Thank you for your respenses. I am just a big wimp when it comes to trying a med with such horrifying side effects.

Malshay

Posted 9/12/2012 8:09 PM (GMT 0)
Dangerous side-effects are extremely rare. They have to be, otherwise the med would be taken off the market. Vastly more common are safe but unpleasant side-effects such as nausea. Mostly that is at that beginning and then passes as the system adapts to the drug.

Anyway, I doubt anyone actively likes being on these sort of drugs. But if they work, then they're worth it.
Posted 9/12/2012 11:55 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Malshay...I took Imuran for 2 weeks and my blood tests looked good so he inreased my dose from 50 to 75mg...that very day I got a fever and felt like I had the flu...next morning I get up and my fever was higher 101.7 so I called my dr. and he told me to stop the Imuran...I had the fever, headache, sore neck, & the worst heartburn I ever had in my life. So we stopped it and decided to try again in a week. I started it the next week and took it at 8 am and by 1:00pm i had a fever and and by 5:00 pm every joint in my body hurt so bad I couldn't even get off the couch! So there won't be anymore Imuran for me. My body just wasn't tolerating it. Of course it doesn't happen to everyone but that is my story. All my blood tests were fine. Liver was fine. Just couldn't tolerate it for other reasons not shown on the blood tests. So now I wait 4 weeks to go see him again to discuss another method of maintenace. Does anyone have any suggestions? I don't mean to scare you Malshay, just wanted you to know things do happen but it isn't the same with everyone.
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