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Pro's vs Con's for 6MP

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Ulcerative Colitis
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Posted 1/27/2009 1:30 PM (GMT 0)
  I was diagnosed a year ago with Pan Colitis. I've gone an entire year without a formed BM and blood in BM about 50% of the time. I had a second colonoscopy yesterday and the GI saw a reduction in inflammation, which is good news. He has prescribed 6MP and Cortenema for my UC. If the Cortenema does show an added improvement in two weeks, he's going to prescribe prednisone again.   My concern/worry is with the 6MP. The side effects that I've read about are pretty nasty. Does any one have any positive or negative comments about 6MP?
Posted 1/27/2009 1:33 PM (GMT 0)
I don't have any side effects from it besides loss of appetite. That's a side effect that has just presented itself after being on it for 2 years. It hasn't ever worked to put me into total remission but maybe it's made it so that I'm not worse than what I am????
Posted 1/27/2009 1:34 PM (GMT 0)
Hi there-
I have been taking 6mp for over 2 months. So far, I haven't had relief, but sometimes it takes several months to take effect- that is is the bad part.
As far side effects- at 50 mg I had little effects. Now I am at 100 mg, I am having nausea, headaches and dizziness.

I continue to have bloody d - 8-10 times a day. The only way I can get rid of this is to increase my pred which I hesitate to do. I am currently taking 15 mg.

Hope this helps
Posted 1/27/2009 1:48 PM (GMT 0)
I was leary of going onto 6mp in the beginning as well, but after being on pred for so long I had to try something new since diets were not helping me control my UC. I have been on 100mg of 6-mp for about 3 months now. The only side effects I have noticed were headaches when I first started the medication and now is a little decreased appetite and the occational dizziness (sp?) and light headediness. It seems to be slowly working as I have been able to decrease my pred, but it is still early.
Posted 1/27/2009 1:55 PM (GMT 0)
Please see all of my positive posts. I praise 6mp frequently on the board:) It has done wonders for my 18 year old. He does have an occasional wave of nausea, but that is it. It did take about 6 months to put him in total remission, so you may have to be patient. I am not sure about side effects in the beginning because he was in a terrible flare anyway. All I can tell you is now he is PERFECT, and has been having a great senior year, as opposed to 10th and 11th grade, which pretty much sucked!!!! We are making college choices, and praying for 6mp to keep doing its magic. Good luck to you.
Posted 1/27/2009 2:48 PM (GMT 0)
In the early days, when I was quite ill, my GI at the time prescribed 6mp. Even though I was on it for six months, I could never tell it did anything to help my condition, but it did cause my hair to fall out to the point I developed a bald spot - and I have very thick hair - and it made my nails develop weird horizontal ridges. I got off it. I've had better luck with ASAs, dietary changes, probiotics and natural supplements.
Posted 1/27/2009 3:27 PM (GMT 0)
I have only been on 6MP for a week now combined with 40mgs of prednisone. I was hospitalized and ran out of options. So far on 50mgs I have no real side effects. I have no appetite though but I thought maybe that was from the high dose of prednisone. Sometimes when I zip around I forget to eat. GOOD LUCK! I too am worried and concerned...but lived the last year in a flare with nothing helping.

Posted 1/27/2009 5:56 PM (GMT 0)

I am on 6-MP since almost 2 months and I felt a relief after only two weeks. I said it before that it might be conincidence, but I have a track record of drugs working very quickly for me than for the average person. In the beginning I had to deal a lot with dull headaches (tolerable, but annoying), slight nausea (eating Altoids helped me in that department) and an extreme tiredness one hour after taking 6-MP. I take it at 6 PM and now, it helps me sleep and I totally like that (I am insomniac since years, on and off). I still get some slight headaches and dizziness and I need like 10 hours of sleep, but it is okay for me and better than not sleeping and suffering all the time. Haven't experienced any hair loss (yet). Oh, and in the beginning I had a rash, but I am not sure whether that is from 6-MP or getting of Prednisone. And the side-effect described as "discoloration of skin" has given me more freckles. I am a redhead with very light skin and I already had some freckles (I am of Irish and Scottish heritage, so there you have it! smilewinkgrin  ) but I get more and more - not really a problem for me. It's kinda cute if I might say so! smilewinkgrin

We are all worried about the side-effects and long term effects of drugs, but I have reached the point in my 12 year "career" with UC where I care less and less about tomorrow, but only about today. It is impossible to plan a future with UC (please read, I said TO PLAN, not  TO HAVE) since the disease is so moody and unpredictable that I want to feel good NOW. And we all can get cancer and stuff that is described with 6-MP as a possible long term effect without taking 6-MP or even taking anything. That is at least how I see it.

WishfulMA, I see that you are on 50 mg of 6-MP. Are you particularly light in your body weight or young to be on such a low dose? It was my impression that 75 mg is always the starting dose and it will be lowered or increased after the initial few months? Just curious.

Posted 1/28/2009 6:41 AM (GMT 0)
Scarlett....definitely not low in body weight and I am turning 34 years old. I see my GI on friday as a follow up from being released from the hospital last week. I will ask. Thanks!
Posted 1/28/2009 6:52 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks you all for your comments.

I was just diagnosed with Bronchitis and I’m on anti-biotic (Z-Pac). My GI wants me to wait a week and then start the 50mg of 6MP.

The label of the prescription says not to have any alcohol. Is that true? I'm a red wine enthusiast and I really enjoy a scotch one in a while. Do any of you have an occasional glass of wine, etc.?
Posted 1/29/2009 12:51 AM (GMT 0)
     I've been on 6MP for about five years.  It hasn't kept me out of flares but I went to a GI surgeon last summer and he tends to think my condition would be a lot worse if I weren't on it.  The only time I was taken off it was when I was hospitalized last May.  My pancreatic enzyme levels (amylase and lipase) were off the wall...extremely high, and my GI doctor thought it was due to the 6MP so he took me off it.  However, my levels returned to normal by the end of my hospitalization (10 days).  At my follow up visit with my GI doctor he placed me back on the 6MP with close observation (frequent blood tests).  My amylase and lipase tests have been within normal limits so I continue with the 6MP.  My flare lasted seven months last year and I was on prednisone for the entire time.  Been of prednisone since Nov 1st and in remission for that long...yippeeee!!!

     My only side effect from the 6MP, well actually two side effects, is a lower white count and hair loss.  I cut my dosage down from 75 mgm to 50 mgm and my WBC is still 2.4.

Posted 1/29/2009 3:04 AM (GMT 0)
     Oh, I forgot to add in responce to Big Apple's question about alcohol consumption and 6MP.  I have an occasional glass of wine and when we were in AC for the past few days I had a mudslide...mmmm.  It was kinda strong too..lol.  I survived although I wouldn't make a habit of drinking every night.
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