the new azathioprine

so i started the new azathioprine pills on dec 13. i've had a non stop headache and dizziness/vertigo since. i couldn't connect it to anything i've done lately besides this change. i called my pharmacist today to see if the old manufacturer (ROXANE) had made anymore since they have been on back order. he said the company has discontinued production of azathioprine and the new manufacturer (MYLAN) was the sole manufacturer now. i don't know what to do. i can't live with this constant feeling like my head has been shaken like a snowglobe. i don't see my gi doctor until jan 13 and i know he will be annoyed if i don't take it.

what should i do? has anyone else noticed a difference in the new pills?

hey guardian. no, i took 6mp a few different times but my enzymes sky rocketed every time- even when i cut the pills in half. that's why my doctor switched me to azathioprine. i haven't had that problem at all since i started it.

i'm gonna skip taking it for a few days to see if the headache/dizziness lets up. it has been so noticeable and i really don't complain about anything unless it deserves it!

i sent an email to the roxane manufacturer asking why they stopped making it!

hey mark. i don't think it's dehydration since i drink a crazy amount of fluid. i actually thought of that at first so i upped my water intake and started eating more potassium/magnesium. still no difference. i'm sure my doc will check my electrolytes when i go in to see him.

i honestly never got headaches on it in the few years i've been taking it. it's just been this month.

do you have new pills, too, or are you taking the same ones? the new ones i have are flat instead of little fat ones.

Well I'll be... Now that you mention it I noticed mine looked different recently but didn't think anything of it. just double checked now and they flat as well - not fat like before. I'll have to ask the pharmacist when I go in if the manufacturer was the same for all pills I have received from them.

I have noticed headaches more often lately, in fact I have one right now but minor - Perhaps that's just pure coincidence thing on my part though... Interesting however.

Pfit, i looked on the fda site and it says they are all on backorder besides mylan. Did you get side effects from the mylan one?

I dont know how much longer i can deal with it. I hope it goes away.

Interesting. I've been waking up with headaches the last several days also. I don't get them very often, so it's kind of weird to me when it happens. I'm also on the new Mylan stuff, but it's been longer than the last few days. Still, something I'll keep an eye on.

Banana I am so sorry, I have terrible headaches now too but not on same drug. What is azthioprine? What kind of drug is that? I see someone here mentioned 6mp, is it like that or a step before 6mp?

I hope you get relief soon, the head aches are the worst!

I used to have quite a lot of migraines while on Imuran. They were pretty bad. One time I had to go to the hospital for IV meds for migraines. I don't get them that bad anymore, I do feel your pain.

Hopefully it's a bad batch? I hope this isn't a continuous occurrence.

today is a little better after missing yesterday's dose. my head isn't throbbing as much but it's still there. i was very nauseous this morning though. makes me realize how darn toxic this crap is!

I have mad respect for anyone taking immunosuppressants. I took them for around a year and they just wrecked my body. I did not want to get up and do anything. It felt as if I had no soul.

I realize now that my body did treat it like a poison (I would vomit out water and food late at night). For me, I'd would rather be dead than be on that stuff again, but I understand everyone has individual tolerance levels... and that it is keeping some folks in remission.

For what it's worth, I believe you will be fine without it.

Best.

i ended up seeing my chiropractor and he said my whole right side is very tense. he adjusted me so hopefully that will help. my headaches are all right sided.

my BP has also been running lower than usual. i tested it this morning using my mom's cuff and it was 77/57. i'd like to get it up but not sure how. i eat salt like it's my job.

also called my doc and got blood work done today. hopefully will have the results by monday. i will let you guys know if anything shows up.

well, i got my blood results back. electrolytes are totally normal as is WBC, RBC, and hemoglobin. the only things that were high were m BUN/creatinine ratio and my eosinophils count.

i am still getting the horrible headaches from sun up to sun down. vertigo still there as well. i haven't taken the azathioprine since last monday night so i'm assuming that isn't what's causing it.

my chiropractic adjustment has not helped at all.

any ideas what it could be from if it's not the aza? i am very frustrated and at the end of my rope. i need a headache remedy. tylenol extra strength doesn't work at all.

yeah, the low carb high fat was mostly prior to the holidays, g!! i've definitely been eating more sugar than i was (cakes, dried/fresh fruit) so i don't think that's the problem. i've had some starches and fruit daily though.

sleep is TERRIBLE. i wake up a lot to pee and it takes me forever to get to sleep (i usually fall asleep around 2). can't seem to get a good sleep pattern going at all but it's been like this for a long time. i have a feeling it's catching up with me. i have no clue what my cortisol level is either. it's probably way too high at night since i'm not sleeping.

same weather in pennsylvania, too. i haven't had my vit D levels checked in a while. it's cold and very icy here. funny story though. 7 am yesterday the ice truck slid into our yard (ran over a tree, flower bed, basically all the landscape in the front yard is ruined). the salt poured EVERYWHERE. all over the grass, driveway. just a total salty mess. he missed our car by a few feet thank god.

yes, UCandMe. it feels like pressure/muscle tension between the upper part of my neck and the bottom of my skull. it's only on the right side and hurts when i press on it. it gets worse whenever i change positions- like laying down to sitting up and sitting to standing. bending over is out of the question since that gives me whiplash.

i keep thinking it's a brain tumor or something serious.

i haven't tried anything but tylenol. come to think of it, i have those seabands to wear on my wrist. i forgot about those. i will look up meclizine.

i asked the pharmacist if the aza was different but he couldn't give me any answers.

as for the fruit, i make sure to be just plain dried fruit from trader joe's.