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Posted 12/3/2012 3:20 PM (GMT 0)

Hi Everyone,

 

I'm 27 year old woman and recently started taking Azathioprine as anti inflamatories were not working for me anymore...

 

However since I started taking Aza 10 weeks ago I have felt dreadful and now I'm on 150mg I feel so ill :(

 

Anyway sorry for TMI but about 4-5 weeks ago I started having terrible cramping and diarrhea, but it wasnt a flare up as I can tell the difference now...told my nurse that it was getting worse today and she has taken me off the therapy...

 

She mentioned another drug she may try with me but I cannot remember the name, have anyone else had horrible side effect from Aza and if it didn't work for you what was the next step?

 

Fed up now - been prodded and poked for months on end confused

Posted 12/3/2012 4:00 PM (GMT 0)

some people try 6MP if they have trouble with aza/imuran. it has something to do with the way its absorbed? I think notsosicklygirl went through this and 6mp works for her,

good luck

Posted 12/3/2012 4:05 PM (GMT 0)
Hi i_love_coffee thanks for your reply - what is 6MP?

Thanks
Posted 12/3/2012 5:49 PM (GMT 0)
6mp is mercaptopurine , which is the active metabolite of azathiopine. It can work better for you if it is something about metabolizing aza that is causing you side effect. If it is the mercaptopurine itself, you will still feel bad.

Many have reported that after 4-6 weeks, the side effects diminished.
Posted 12/4/2012 12:43 AM (GMT 0)
Carrie,

Welcome to the forum.

Sorry you are suffering, and that you're having the side effects on top of UC.

I get that you're fed up and tired of being prodded...

Are you willing to do any supplementation as in: L-glutamine, slippery elm powder, probiotics?

These are all good choices. Diet modification? Food journal?

What about looking into LDN, low dose naltrexone, which has almost ZERO side effects?

There are things IMO that you can control, which will have a direct impact on your disease, the symptoms you experience and their severity.

I was able to control my UC into remission through various supplements, probiotics, diet modification, and LDN , low dose naltrexone.

 

For more info on the protocol which has put me into remission, please go to this link: https://www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=38&m=1666318 , and look at the 11th post.

 

I hope you feel better and let us know how we can help you.

 

Posted 12/4/2012 2:05 AM (GMT 0)
In So Fla,
I'm starting Imuran tomorrow. I have a question about the slippery elm. Isn't it true that it hurts absorption of medication? I'd hate to go on the Imuran and have the slippery elm mess it up.

Carrie...hope the 6mp works for you. Don't give up!
~Cita
Posted 12/4/2012 2:13 AM (GMT 0)
Yes, slippery elm does hurt absorption.
Posted 12/4/2012 3:40 AM (GMT 0)
Cita,
Not if you leave a 3 hour window between the mess and slippery elm.
Posted 12/4/2012 4:01 AM (GMT 0)
I take 6mp which is close to Aza and I've had no side effects. I hope you find something that works for you. I think some have done well on 6mp after Imuran but I doubt it's common. I think the 2 medications are very similar so it one makes you sick, they may both? I hope I am wrong and that you're able to use 6mp to get into remission. The other options might be biologics like Humira or Remicade.
Posted 12/4/2012 8:45 AM (GMT 0)
Gosh you all know so much about medications, I'm very impressed...

I have been diagnosed since 2008 and flared on and off for years but only recently have they assigned me a specialist who is really trying to help me, and in turn I'm learning more about this condition that we all are suffering with.

Thanks for all you advise - I will ask my nurse about the L-glutamine, slippery elm powder, probiotics and LDN and see what she thinks...

I hope the 6mp works and I will find out this afternoon (its 8.30am in the UK right now) what my doctor thinks I should be on...

My nurse mentioned that 6mp is not as strong as Aza so my body may be able to tolerate it....I get so worried though as I dont really react well to any medicine - Asocol I still flared a lot, Mezavant my white blood cells deminished quite severely, and now I cant take Aza I think I will prob end up having to have surgery :(
Posted 12/4/2012 9:06 AM (GMT 0)
I recently saw my doctor and she gave me my recent blood work results back, based on this blood work she could tell that the absorbtion levels were not the best with me and Imuran, therefore Imuran may not continue to work for me. But she said that some doctors actually prefere the 6mp route better. Also, let the Imuran heal you, it can take some people months to see results. It took me until recently to see the results of it. And wow! Slippery ELm does that! Man, I shouldn't be taking that then!
Posted 12/4/2012 11:08 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks, all....slippery elm in the garbage...I am so crazy on pred that I don't want to risk remembering the 3 hour slippery elm rule....

btw, my doc just prescribed me pred in 5mg tabs..somewhere on here someone was saying how hard the 20 mgs were to cut..he said they go a low as 1mg..just fyi.

~Cita
Posted 12/4/2012 1:33 PM (GMT 0)
carrie: where is your inflammation at in your colon? and have you ever tried any rectal meds such as rowasa or hydrocort?

Posted 12/4/2012 1:44 PM (GMT 0)
One reason I dropped slippery elm was because of the absorption thing. I think the two or three hour rule is stupid. Slippery elm coats your insides, which helps your uc but stops meds from being absorbed properly. If there is a two or three hour window that tells me that the slippery elm is no longer coating your insides at that point and that is the reason why you take it in the first place. Slippery elm does help people with uc as long as you don't need to take other meds and then, in my opinion, if that is the case, then you should be taking slippery elm every three hours so that your insides are always coated, otherwise, what is the point?
Posted 12/4/2012 4:05 PM (GMT 0)
I take slippery elm when I have too much urgency but I don't take it consistently.
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