Weird symptoms related to Imuran?

Long story short, my surgeon wanted me to exhaust all options before going under the knife since Remicade isnt doing its job anymore after a month or so. My gastro recommended high dosage of Imuran in conjunction with the Remicade (125mg a day). I understand this is not really that high for someone that weighs 180 but lately Ive had some weird issues that I need to address before moving up to bigger numbers.

I feel really tired all the time, even after sleeping 10 hrs a night. I have very bad nausea all day which effects my ability to eat much (lost about 15 pounds since Ive started on Imuran). This past Saturday I got to work and 2 hrs later was completely drained (weakness in hands and legs, shortness of breath and in a daze) and decided to go to the hospital. This had been happening all week but it felt a lot worse on Saturday. My blood numbers were fine and a CT of the chest was fine as well. The ER doctor seemed to think its likely due to the Imuran since nothing else has changed and my blood tests were good.

My gastro doesnt seem to think this is Imuran related. Im planning on skipping the Imuran for a week to see if the symptoms go away. In the meantime Im wondering if anyone else has had these type of side effects from taking Imuran.


Current Meds are : Asacol, Remicade (taken last friday), Imuran, probiotic and multi vitamin

I take 250mgs Imuran and I know the nausea can last all day and it doesn't matter when I take it. Tell your GI to prescribe you something for Nausea. Mine ordered Zofran and it works like a charm.

I normally took all my Imuran in the mornings with my breakfast but tried to take it at night for two days and it didnt help at all. The nausea is there all day and weakness as well. Didnt take any Imuran since the day before yesterday and woke up this morning feeling energized and good. Im pretty sure its the Imuran. I guess Ill ask the doctor for nausea meds and give it another shot.

Im definitely going the surgery route after this.

     It may be the Imuran in conjunction with the Remicade.  Your talking about big gun meds here.  What blood work was done?  I would ask to see your results, and make sure you see what the norms are.

     Before I went on Remicade, my doctor tried increasing my 6MP from 50 mgm to 100 mgm because I just could not get out of flares.  Well, I felt like ****.  Talk about tired ugh....no energy whatsoever!  I felt like a walking zombie and just an overall flu like feeling...just terrible!  At the time, we had a summer place in the mountains and I had to have my blood drawn at a local lab.  Thank God I found a Quest lab.  When my doctor received the results, he tried seven times to reach me because my red blood cell count was low.  I was taken off the 6MP immediately and a week later my RBC was normal..whew.  A month later he started me back on 50 mgm again, but my flares kept coming.

     When I started Remicade, six months later, my GI doctor took me off the 6MP two weeks prior to my starting dose of Remicade.  He did not believe in having his patients on two strong immunosuppressants at the same time.  Remicade failed and so did Humira.  So, I had surgery June 28.2010.