Azathioprine side effects

If I was you, I would place a call into your doc. Backaches and abdominal pain while taking an immune suppressor can be an indication of pancreatitis which is a common complaint when using these meds.

Lovely, I go on Imuran (azathioprine) today. :(

builttoride,

How would you describe your back pain?
I've been on Azathioprine for probably two months now I guess and I've been having similar symptoms. I was on it once before for quite some time and never had any problems, but then I was off for maybe a year and then now that i'm back on it seems to maybe be affecting me more..

The pain I feel starts in my lower back and radiates outward, but it doesn't feel like a joint pain. It's more of a pain in my nerves or something, and I've noticed it seems to only happen when I'm out of breath or my adrenaline is pumping. For example, today I was outside at work and I had the office phones forwarded to a spectralink (cell phone thing) so I could still answer them. A doctor called to schedule a surgery and I realized I didn't have a pen, so I ran all the way back and upstairs to not keep him waiting and to get it all down. By the time I got back in my chair, my back was THROBBING, and it continued until my heart slowed and I caught my breath more. I have no idea what it is or why it happens but it's annoying for sure.

I've also been feeling a general feeling of being unwell, like I'm always on the verge of getting sick. Fatigued, slightly achey, headaches, etc. Who knows if any of it is connected but since Azathioprine is the only drug i'm on now, it could be.

Well, The night after writting this post, all hell broke loose. I woke with sever abdominal pain, started to throw up had a temperature and shakes, sore joints, as well as normal bowel issues. and it carried on this way for hours. increadily painful. I was on the vere of calling an ambulance. It carried on this way for about 12 hours.

I struggled in to hospital the next day to see my specialist for the prearranged appointment (lucky timing!). and yeah, he said I was showing classic symptoms of intollerance to Azathioprine, and took me off it straight away. which was a big relief to me.

Last night I went to bed a bit nervous, as I was scared it might all kick off again. but I am happy to report that although I did get the cramps and feeling of nausea, it was to a much lesser degree, ad I was not physically sick (although spent a fair bit of the night hovering around the bathroom or with a bucket... just in case. Today I am shattered, but generally feeling better. also not getting those nasty azathioprine headaches that I have had for the last month. I'm hopeful tha tonight will be one step closer to normal!

ediekristen

I would describe my backpain as more muscula than skeletal. It tends to affect me most when I first get into bed or relax in a chair, its not quite cramp, its more a dull and throbbing ache. It certianly isn't present all the time. but I was told that lower back pain was a possible side affect of the drug.

Yeah, Intollerance to drugs is a real pain, and because it takes a while to rear its ugly head sometimes, it can be very depressing, as you do tend to pin your hopes on each drug you try. This is the 3rd drug that I have been on that after a month or so has started to make me feel so much worse than I did before, (I'm also intollerant to Asacol and Mezavant). I'm having a couple of days off everything except prednisalone (on 40mg right now), just trying to clear my system a bit. Been feeling very different since coming off the drug, very sleepy and tired all the time, and a bit sick. I have been sleeping a lot (not long unbroken sleeps, just 14 hours a day trying to stay in bed). Basically my body feels very week and tired, but hopefully that will go away as I recover from the latest set back.

Tomorrow I am going back in to hospital again to see my prof. Plan is to try me on 6-mercaptopurine (which is similar to azathioprine, but lacks the active molecule that can cause nausea side effects). Apparently there is about a 66% sucess rate with this drug for those who are intolerant to Azathioprine. I'm afraid that I'm going to have to once again pin my hopes on this drug, for as far as I am aware, this is about the last drug option avaliable to me.

If it doesn't work out, well surgery rears its ugly head I guess... but I am trying as best I can to avoid that, or at least delay it, as you never know what medical breakthroughs may happen in the next couple of years! I will also try some alternative medicine options before i commit to surgery. I just feel that it is foolish to rule them out, and I would regret not trying to find another solution at a later date.

Remicade isn't offered for long term to people with UC here in UK on the NHS. They will administer one infusion only, with the aim to help either 6mp or azathioprine start working. Guess thats the problem with such an expensive drug.

If I decided to pay for private health insurance then remicade may be an option, but I doubt that I could sight up for medical insurance when I have an existing condition. Ah well, mussen't grummble, I haven't had to pay a penny for any of my treatment or tests so far.

Lol, I know the feeling! I sometimes will look at my skin and think, Oh NO!!! I'm turning yellow! And then I realize that it's the lighting. I, of course, always keep an eye on the whites of my eyes to be sure they remain white.

hey builttoride .. ive just seen your post about being in the uk and only having one shot at remicade .

Where i am in Berks they put you on a maintenance dose and can get at least 2 years worth of treatment . Infusions every 8 weeks some people go every 6 weeks if they cant last 8

I hear that alot of people going to the ward i use for infliximab / remicade also have this option . I was initially put on a front loading / booster course of 3 infusions and then made to stop but things started to slip so they quickly put me on a maintenance course. 

2 of the GI doctors said that they are "liberal" with it these days and even tried to push me to use Humira - but im waiting to see if remicade will work for now

i hope you can maybe see somebody else and get yourself some infusions if they are needed . It made a huge difference to me

Also i had a reaction to aza and switched to 6mp with no problems - I hope this too will work for you 

Long over due, but here's an update. I was able to take the Imuran for about 2 months, then it got nasty with me. Each time I took the pill (50mg) I would get more and more nautious until I was throwing up and it was really kicking my arse. The last time I took it, which was a month gap since the last time, I had me throwing up w/in 20 minutes and I felt like I had taken a 'food poisoning pill'. I was fatigued, nautious, vomiting, cramping, you name it. Again, weird how I was able to take it for 2 months with no symptoms, then it built up to be toxic for me.

I have been on Imuran for just over a month now and I believe I am "rejecting" it now. The same thing happened with me with Asacol: I tolerated it for a few weeks and then I lost my appetite, which led to severe dehydration, anemia, stomach pains and cramps, everything related to having my stomach be completely empty for a prolonged period. The past several days I'm starting to go through the same thing, while desperately trying to keep something in my system so I can continue taking my drugs. Oh, the irony. I believe I'll have to stop Imuran. I'll be phoning my doc this week.

But if anyone else has stories of med rejection by the body, I'd be interested to hear them.