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Posted 1/23/2008 3:24 PM (GMT 0)
Hey All,

  I wanted to ask someone who's has been taking 6-MP and had issues with it.  I've been on the drug for 8 weeks and its worked pretty well so far, almost remission.  I started at 75mg but blood work came back bad, so we dropped it to 50mg and blood work was still not that great and now I am at 25mg and it's getting better but slowly.  I was wondering if anyone experienced it, my liver tests were fine but my WBC is low, so is the Hemoglobin and Red Blood Cell Count.  Feel mostly fatigured and tired, other than that symptoms are improving greatly.  Is it possible to stay in remission while on such a low dose?

Best,

Nsg 121

~6-MP - 25 mgs

Posted 1/23/2008 3:37 PM (GMT 0)
I think that if you are responding well (symptom wise) to the dose you are at then that tells you that it's the right dose for your body. I'm on 50-100mgs because that is what MY body responds too. As for the fatigue, that can be the combination of the med and the anemia. Are you on any iron supplements? My WBC, fluncuated at first too and I had to go in for frequent blood tests but the longer I was on it, the more stable it became.
Posted 1/23/2008 11:59 PM (GMT 0)
I started at 75mg and then went down to 50mg after my WBC came back low. (2.1) I then decided to break my pill in half and take half in the AM and half in the PM. I think that helps my body metabolize it better. Also, I take 800-1200mg of folic acid -- good for blood health.

After over 6 months of splitting my pills and taking the folic acid, my WBC gradually got better. After 8 months it was completely normal!

Keep in mind that dosages of 6MP are usually based on weight. If you're a small person, the lower dose could be just right. And heck, if you see it's working then I can't see why you'd want to up the dose.

For fatigue, maybe you can help that with diet. Are you sleeping enough? There was a thread on here about how many of us like/need a lot of sleep.
Posted 1/24/2008 12:54 AM (GMT 0)
Have any of you experienced serious side effects of 6MP? My doctor may be starting me on it since my Cortenemas don't seem to be working. I'm concerned about the side effects of immunosuppression, especially because I work in the health care field. Is there anything from your experience that I should know before I start? What sort of monitoring have they done for you?

Of course I'll do the research myself as well, but I'd love to hear from your experiences, which are invaluable. Thanks!
Posted 1/24/2008 1:20 AM (GMT 0)
I find the fatigue to be the major side effect of 6-MP.

I do however find nsg121's post a little weird as it says 8 weeks. 6-MP usually takes at least 3 months to kick in if not longer. For me it took 6.

Anyways - here is some information on the adverse effects of 6-MP.
Posted 1/24/2008 2:59 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks for the info. 6 MP does NOT sound like a benign drug.
Posted 1/24/2008 11:55 AM (GMT 0)
First they start your dosing out based on weight but then tweak it according to how your body is metabolizing it. I'm a small person (125lbs) and I take 100mgs 2 days a week and 50mgs for the rest because my body needed that extra mg's to help it cope with my flares based on the Prometheus test.

No, this is not a benign drug but you have to remember that all the literature you read about this is based on higher dosages meant for organ transplants. We are on such a small dose that the chances of ever getting what the literature says is minimal.

Severin, my 6mp started working at 7 weeks so 8 weeks while is not typical, it can still happen. I didn't receive the full benefit however until 3 months.
Posted 1/24/2008 2:00 PM (GMT 0)
In response to Severin about how it worked so quickly, I know its strange even the doctor thinks so.  I would say in about 4 weeks I was getting into remission and by the 7th week I was pretty much in remission, but my blood work also came back very low along with a very very low Neutrophil count which was hovering at 616 and a Monocyte count of 63, both of these low counts probably contributed to the quick response but not 100% sure.  I'll take it as it is right now :) haven't felt this well in a while. 

julee70 - I will talk to my doctor about taking Folic Acid, I've also noticed that it helps with blood counts as well.  As far as sleep is concerned, I go to bed at around 10 and wake up at 6:30, so I am getting my usual 8 hours of sleep.  I just feel real tired when I wake up, more lethargic than anything but I am sure that's due to the low hemoglobin and Red Cell levels.

Best,

Nsg 121

~6-MP - 25 mgs

Posted 1/24/2008 2:04 PM (GMT 0)

Severin - I noticed in another thread that you had to give up your residency due to the disease?  Do you mean your medical residency? 

Thanks,

Nsg121

~6-MP - 25 mgs

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