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Azathiopriane?

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Ulcerative Colitis
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Posted 3/21/2010 5:09 AM (GMT 0)
My doctor told me on Friday that he might want me to look at starting Azathiopriane after Im finished with my prednisone treatment. Im not familiar with this drug and have been able to sustain a pretty mild case of UC for 17 years. Im not sure if my UC is so bad that I need this drug.
Plus all of the things that Im reading about it are scaring me a bit. Higher cancer rates?

Anyone with experience with it, I would love to hear.

PS. I just tried Lialda for 3 weeks and it make my flare tons worse, so had to go back to Pentasa and start on Pred. Am feeling like a million bucks now, and can usually stay in remission after. But am still nervous about this new drug.
Posted 3/21/2010 8:30 AM (GMT 0)
I'm on Imuran. It helped me get off of Entocort.
I have not had any problems with it.
When I first started taking it it would make me nauseous, so I started taking it at bedtime with a medium sized meal and it helped me.
You have to go for blood work regularly...they monitor liver, kidney, and white blood cells (yes???).
I haven't gone in several months though, I'm bad. =(
Posted 3/21/2010 10:19 AM (GMT 0)
i've been on azathioprine for a long time now, about 13 years on between 50-150mg, currently 150mg.

i've not had any problems with it.

had blood tests everyday at first but now only every 3 months

Posted 3/21/2010 1:22 PM (GMT 0)
What you read about Aza and 6mp are more or less designed for the people that take it to avoid organ rejection. The doses we take are so small that the percentage of lymphoma's decrease significantly. I'm on 6mp, which is similiar and I have been on it for 3 1/2 years. I was scared to take it at first too but I am glad I did because I am now in complete remission but I still some minor blips here or there that are quickly resolved. This med is an alternative to long term steroid treatment. Long term steroid treatment can mess with your body in a major way. Steroids if taken over time can cause bone loss and adrenal glad malfunctions (there might be a couple more things it but I can't remember right now). So you have to choose between the necessary evils and if you don't want to start it then of course there is always surgery but that is reserved for the last step.
Posted 3/21/2010 3:15 PM (GMT 0)
Good to know.
So is Azathiorpine a generic name for a 6MP? Is Imuran the same type of meds?
Posted 3/21/2010 3:34 PM (GMT 0)
Aza is the same name for Imuran just like Mercaptopurine is the same as 6mp. These two meds are similiar but Imuran is broken down to 6mp in the liver.
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