Azathioprine(Imuran) Question

In the past year and a half I have been instructed to gradually increase my Imuran dosage. I am currently at the max of 200mg daily.

I originally started at 100mg then went up to 150mg and now 200mg. I was originally prescribed to take Imuran in order to get off prednisone. I got off prednisone before the Imuran had a chance to kick in.

Now every time I have increased my dosage I have got more and more tired. It is not uncommon for me to sleep more than be awake. What is more troubling is the joint pain and bone pain. For example I have broken/dislocated wrist, multiple dislocated shoulder and much more. As of right I do nothing and I get hurt. I still have frequent bloody BM that hasn’t stopped however the energy and joint pain is more difficult to handle at the moment.

My doctor told me not a single one of his patients has ever had one of these side effects when taking Imuran.

My question is has anyone started feeling severe joint pain as well as extreme tiredness when taking Imuran? Also I am curious to know if anyone has just got off this drug cold turkey from 200mg down to 0. Or did anyone wean themselves off Imuran

Batman, you should consult with your GI, you shouldn't be having bloody stools. I agree with Gavin, the joint pain is probably from prednisone. I had terrible joint pain after taking pred for a long period of time. How long were you on it? My joint pain slowly went away. I am very tired too but I am not sure if it's from 6mp because I've always been tired, even before having UC or taking any medication. You should have your doctor run the test that shows whether you're in the theraputic range for Aza. If you aren't, at 200mg, it may not be the best medication for you or you need to use it in combonation with something else that will incresae the benefit.

I have been on Imuran for 3.5 years. I hate it all the time. I have come off it and it kinda makes you flu like. If you go off it and then go back on it start by talking a third od a dose for two days and then up it by a third for two days and keep it up until you are back on the full dose. You will get nasty sick if you go right back to the full does after stoping it for a while. I still get muscle pain and joint pain. You should not be bleeding that should be told to your GI dr. But the Imuran side effects go away. make you get your blood tested do as you can get some nasty liver damage and don't get too much sun as Imuran can cause skin cancer. Also you should ge your iron tested that may be the root cause of your joint and muscle pain. Especially if you are bleeding. I hope that helped out some. Good luck!

I've been on 150 mgs/day of Imuran for ages now, going on 4 (???) years. I was veryt ired at first, but I take my entire dose at bedtime, so that takes care of that side effect. I have not had any joint pain, but when I finally got off pred for good, I had unbelievably painful joints for a loooong time, a good 6 months. Wrists, knees, ankles.. it was awful, worse than any side effect I experienced while actually on pred! It will pass, give it about 6 months to fully go away, & use Tylenol in the meantime! I still have blood in my stools, not tons, but it's there. Overall I like Imuran- my UC has definitely improved since before I went on it, my life is pretty liveable these days. I get labs done every 6 months or so, they are always fine.

Batman - My GI put me on Azathioprine. There was no improvement and I stopped taking it on my own. I am not recommending anyone follow my lead, I am just sharing my experience. I haven't been back to my GI since January when I told him I wanted to use diet and what I call self-talk, commonly known as bio-feedback. He essentially told me I would be crawling back on my hands and knees, my expression, not his, but the sentiment is the same. I have been so fortunate to have prednisone as a friend, not an enemy, to my system. As I shared before, my uc led to pyoderma gangrenosum. Prednisone has kept it at bay. There have been periods when I do not need the prednisone. As my body continues to positively respond I am sure needing prednisone will become a thing of the past.

If it has been 18 months since you were on prednisone, and you only used it for 5 months, it seems doubtful you would still be experiencing symptoms connected to its use. It has taken me six years of hell to realize my body's reaction to stressful situations produced the living nightmare of uc. Is my health perfect? Not at all. Just had a bladder biopsy trying to find out why I have chronic uti's (Chronic Urinary Tract Infections) necessitating chronic use of antibiotics. Seems bacteria is hard to do a mind control on. LOL :)

The bottom line is trust yourself. Hopefully you have a primary care physician as well as your GI. Talk to them. Share your frustration. Ask for a consult with a different GI. I could go on and on, but it's likely to become irritating if it hasn't become so already. Look for a support group. Becoming pro-active just might save your life.

emw35 - Elnora