Scope results, Imuran?

I was on it for quite a while, never had any side effects that I noticed. It helped me a little. Now that I'm on Remicade I don't take it any more.

I went on Imuran to get off pred. I overlapped pred. and Imuran about 5 months until the Imuran kicked in.

Let's see....I had my first diagnosed flare in Sept. 05 after my son was born in June. I was put on Colazal and pred. and went into remission in December. I quit the Colazal cold turkey in March '06 after my hubby lost his job and I felt guilty about the cost. I almost immediately went into a flare and was put back on pred. I had to go up to 60mg to get relief and the side effects were pretty bad (the joint pain was so bad at 60mg I couldn't get out of bed in the mornings). Anyway miserable GI's (aka my first GI) PA put me on Imuran in April as I was tapering pred. It took me until August/Sept to completely get off the pred. I say it was Sept that I went into full remission but I think that was a lot mental too. I was terrified to come off pred. and tapered way slower than I probably needed to.

By then I had found a new GI. Old GI had put me on 50mg. New GI ran a promethus and it showed I was not at my therapeutic level. He upped me to 150mg. Next test showed I was WAY too high. Lowered me to 100mg (where I am now). I had some initial nausea that subsided once I started taking the Imuran after dinner. I do have a lot of fatigue. I can't say for certain if that is the Imuran or just UC in general. Since Sept.
06 I have not had a major flare (knock on wood). I occasionally have some mucous in my stool. If I see any I usually just add in Canasa suppositories until it subsides. I have IBS too so I do occasionally have D.

I see my GI every 6 months and have bloodwork every 3. That is probably way more information than you needed!

16 year remission?! WOW!

theres got to be more imuran responses out there somewhere?

Do a search here for Imuran. In the eight months or so that I've been here, there's been oodles of responses about Imuran. I am sure there's one that was active only a day or two ago, so merely scrolling back will find you some information.

For me, it's a fabulous drug. I was so afraid to go on it after reading the side effects -- make that petrified to go on it -- but except for a few minor bumps in the road, I've been doing extremely well on it for probably around six years.

Good luck!

Mitz

just got in........

I'm on azathioprine the generic of imuran for two months. Here's my story

9/7 started pred at 60mg a day and quit Asacol cold turkey
end of sept went into a huge flare (got worse after starting pred)
Oct went on cipro and hydrocortisone e's began to get better (still on pred)
Nov began azathioprine and continue to get better
currenty, my stools are almost fully formed and have no blood, d and barely cramping (just when I have to go) and have 1-2 bm's a day. I'm still on the pred at 60/40 alt days.

I have no clue what really helped me though I doubt the pred b/c I went into a huge flare after starting it but it really seems too soon for the azathioprine to have helped me...........

I take the aza at night it makes me tired though could also be a combo of all the drugs I am on.

HTH! ~ any other ques just let me know.

I've been on azathioprine since May last year.  I think it helps.  But I also havne't successfully been able to totally get off prednisone either.  Upped the dose of aza. to 150 almost 2 months ago, so that should be kicking in soon and hopefully I can get off the Prednisone!  Had some tiredness and nausea at first and still some tiredness, but nothing bad.  Nausea went away after a while.

I meant to add that I overlapped both pred and Imuran for a few months as well.  I was never so happy the day I was done with prednisone! 

 

like the others, I overlapped pred and imuran. I needed the pred immediately to keep from getting sick while the imuran had time to kick. pretty standard I think. I overlapped by about 3 months. no problems, except i was loosing some hair then and I thought it was the imuran but the hair los stopped once off pred, so don't worry about that while on both. it may just happen.

I have been on imuran just about 6 months. have been able to stay off pred, which is why i was put on it as I am steroid dependent. so, it definitely has been doing its job. am still struggling a bit with some things - some days I am fine, other days I am still having lots of UC symptoms. so, I wouldn't say I am in remission yet but I am thankful to be able to stay off pred.

I was TERRIFIED of imuran but no longer am. I think it is a good and useful drug. my one suggestion is to increase your dose slowly overtime, as I got awful headaches the first few days on it, and my GI slowly increased me over a couple months, so I was at 50mg for a couple weeks, then 100 for a couple weeks then 150mg. I had bad headaches for about 3 days each time, but otherwise no problems. but, I suspect that going from 0 to 150 overnight would be a beating.

don't be afraid. it sounds worse than it is. It really is a pretty easy for most people and if it turns out you have problems with it, my understanding is that you'll know right away because you'll get really sick, and then they'll pull you off and it'll be fine, just like you had a flu bug or something. most people tolerate it really well. the only thing is to make sure you get your blood tested regularly. also, if you get a fever on it, tell your GI. or, if you feel like oyu have the flu while first on it, tell your GI. neither of those should happen.

don't worry. good drug. not too hard to adjsut to. for me, much harder emotionally than physically. for sure.

some days I have diarrhea and some days a little blood or pain. you know..all those wonderful UC symptoms. I am eating a pretty restricted diet right now and that seems to be helping, but I would be lying if I said that imuran has been my wonder drug. it hasn't, at leats not yet. it has benefited me, for sure, but for me it hasn't been a magic bullet, whereas some people go into complete remission on it. I am hoping I just need a bit more time, as some people really only feel better after 6 months. not sure. but lots of people on here have had really good results from it, so don't be discouraged by me. and, I am mean I go to work and all, and exercise most days, have sex, see freinds.... normal life. it is just I have some days where I race to the bathroom often at work, or I get sick as soon as I eat. juust not my pre-UUC life, I guess.