Sudden stop of Azathioprine

To give a bit of background, I have been on Azathioprine for 5 months. When I was originally diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis I was put on Pentasa (4g) and Prednisolone (80mg). After slowly coming off Prednisolone a few times and ending up with a UC flare-up, it quickly became evident that Pentasa alone would not keep me in remission. My doctor put me on 100mg Azathioprine, in combination with the Pentasa. That worked okay initially, but after a few weeks I started to show symptoms again. The Azathioprine was then increased to 125mg and that seemed to do the trick...or at least in terms of the UC. Within a few weeks of the increased dosage I started catching colds (which is very rare for me). I was sick every few weeks but figured it was worth it to have the UC in remission. Then a few weeks ago I caught a cold that took two weeks to clear, but not before I started having fainting spells, hit my head and then discovered I have tonsillitis. I had a round of antibiotics to clear the tonsillitis but continued to feel light headed, weak and lethargic. For about 2 days I felt well and then came down with another bout of tonsillitis. On that same day I received a call from my doctor saying my blood test results from 3 days prior had come back- I was anemic and my neutrophil count was 0.7. I was urged to get to the hospital right away. Further testing in A&E revealed my neutrophil count had increased to 1.3. The doctors said I could go home but I had to come off the Azathioprine immediately. I am told that this will help with the tonsillitis (along with another round of antibiotics) and the anemia should decrease with the help of some iron tablets. My big concern at this point is that the Ulcerative Colitis will return. It has been 4 days since I stopped taking the Azathioprine and I can feel the sensitivity increasing in my colon and the odd gurgling noises returning. Has anyone been through something similar, or had to suddenly stop taking Azathioprine? How did that effect you? Any advise or personal experiences would be greatly appreciated...

Thanks for your reply Quincy! I do live and was diagnosed in the UK, although up until a few years ago I was living in the US. I have seen doctors on both sides of the Atlantic and tried medications in both countries. Unfortunately when I was prescribed the Asacol enema in the States, I had a terrible allergic reaction (increased stomach cramping, shooting pain up my spine, migraines)...it was truly unpleasant. The oral Pentasa seems to sit well with me and when I spoke to my doctor about enemas he didn't think that was necessary because I have Pancolitis. I wonder if there is something similar to the Azathioprine, but without such a high risk? Probably wishful thinking, but worth asking.

As for the tonsillitis, I had never had it prior to this. I am assuming it is a result of the my immune system being weakened by the Azathiorprine...which is most likely why it hasn't gone away. I am keeping my fingers crossed that this round of antibiotics (the dose has been doubled) will do the trick.

You could taper but if you're so bad off, I don't think stopping abruptly would really do much. It takes a while to get out of your system.
I'd also give the rectal meds a shot.