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How many years on Imuran/6mp?

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Posted 2/11/2008 12:42 AM (GMT 0)
Just curious as to how long you have been on either Imuran or 6mp. I've been on Imuran for almost 2 years.
Posted 2/11/2008 1:40 AM (GMT 0)
2 years this month on Remicade. I was never on 6MP, but I was on Azathioprine for about three years.
Posted 2/11/2008 2:10 AM (GMT 0)
Around six years. (Sorry, I can't remember any better than that.)

So far, so good on the effectiveness side, and either none or not many side effects (maybe my chronic low energy is related) and no huge, scary problems like I read about as possibilities before I started this. Whew!

Mitz
Posted 2/11/2008 11:51 AM (GMT 0)
6MP - 1 1/2 years for me :)
Posted 2/11/2008 3:12 PM (GMT 0)
Imuran...3 years. Had to stop in Nov. 2007 because of high toxicity.
Posted 2/11/2008 6:35 PM (GMT 0)
4 months on azathioprine..........not sure how much it is helping need to wait till I can taper off pred.
Posted 2/11/2008 7:38 PM (GMT 0)
about 2 years for me.
Posted 2/11/2008 7:56 PM (GMT 0)
I have only been on Imuran for about three months but I'm curious,  I read somewhere that long term use of Imuran can lead to tumors.  Does anybody know if this is true?
Posted 2/11/2008 8:11 PM (GMT 0)
The GI practice that I go to has had patients on 6-mp/imuran for 20+ years. I have been on it for 2.5 years.

--Keith
Posted 2/11/2008 10:11 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks!

Keith....that is what I was curious about. I started taking it at 29.
Posted 2/12/2008 1:19 AM (GMT 0)
i've heard long-term use of azathioprine is actually not too concerning. it has been in use since the 1980s, in much higher doses than we take it, so you figure some people have been on it almost 30 years by now..... I don't think the tumor risk is too great. that's my understanding.
Posted 2/12/2008 1:36 AM (GMT 0)
The Dr at Mayo clinic knew how concerned I was due to all the questions I had on my list that I was asking him on behalf of my husband regarding imuran (aza)

He told me not to be overly concerned. He said that it is a very safe drug if monitored properly(monthly blood tests are faxed to him before he has his secry fax a month's prescription to our pharmacy) and is tolerated within the limits by my husband. So far so good.

Once the year is over I don't know if the monitoring will be every 3 or every 6 months but he is watching real close this first year.

I recall his local GI mentioning something about a 5 year committment way back when...not sure what that is all about....

The Mayo Dr mentioned after the prednisone is eliminated (which it is) getting off all pain meds (maybe we are heading in that direction) and tapering the rectal meds which is already happening - he is not using the canasa on a regular daily basis and now using the cortifoam 3-4 times a week.

It will be interesting to see if the asacol gets decreased from 12 to whatever each day and ultimately does the imuran also get decreased?????

I know it has been said many times on this board about the mistake of getting off all meds but when a person is in a good remission do less meds keep you on a maintenance so that less medication is continually being processed by your body???
Posted 2/12/2008 1:44 AM (GMT 0)
Getting close to 1.5 years here.

Keith - good to know your doc has long term results. A relief to know!
Posted 2/12/2008 2:41 AM (GMT 0)
I think 6-mp has been around since either the 1950's or 1960's so there is lots of data on the med.

I think it is a good conversation to have with your GI.

--Keith
Posted 2/12/2008 2:49 AM (GMT 0)
I definitely have those questions in abeyance for the Dr but we are no where near that point in time. My basic questioning is to try to get an idea of others' experiences for comparison sake actually. I know everyone is different but just curious overall with personal experiences out there.

Can't get too anxious and ahead of ourselves - just some personal research and comparisons to put in the mix for the future.
Posted 2/12/2008 5:09 AM (GMT 0)
I couldn't imagine being on 6-mp for 20+ years.... I suffer from fatigue and I blame a lot of it on the 6-mp; I'm sure some of it has to do with the UC too.

--Keith
Posted 2/12/2008 12:24 PM (GMT 0)
Almost 1 year on Imuran. Almost 4 years on Salafalk. Judy
Posted 2/12/2008 2:04 PM (GMT 0)
It's a relief to me to hear that everyone who has been on this medication for a long time has not had any serious side effects.  I was hestiant at first to take Imuran because of everything I have read about it.
Posted 2/13/2008 1:07 AM (GMT 0)
3 1/2 years I believe.

I am in no rush to get off this drug as my only side effect is NO COLITIS. cool

I did years and years (pretty much my whole life) on other drugs that wouldnt keep me in remission and had the nastiest side effects for me.

I would do another 100 years of this drug.
Posted 2/13/2008 6:49 AM (GMT 0)
Just passed my 2 year mark on 6MP. No complaints about it except that it doesn't keep me totally in remission all the time. Still, I've been way better on it. It took nearly 8 months to see the improvement. No side effects for me, though it took about a year to get my white blood count back up to normal.
Posted 2/13/2008 12:01 PM (GMT 0)
Julee, I feel the same way about 6mp. I am way better on it but my only complaint is that is doesn't stop all the flares - just makes them more mild.
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