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Reaction to Imuran

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Ulcerative Colitis
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Posted 11/11/2013 4:54 PM (GMT 0)
Well I was put on Imuran Last month and about a week and a half later I got pretty sick.  They assumed I had  flu or some sort of bug.  I was told to discontinue the Imuran until symptoms were gone then to start taking it again.   I hadn't had symptoms for a few days, so Friday night I took it and woke up 4 hours later with bad chills, vomiting, and just really sick again.  I guess I had a reaction to the medicine.  I am waiting to hear back from my GI.  I am so frustrated.  I don't know if I am ever going to find the right combo of meds to help me get better.  I am so over being sick.  so over having D. I am wonder what is next since the Imuran didn't work.  This disease is so full of trial and error. ...vent over.  Thanks!
Posted 11/11/2013 5:03 PM (GMT 0)
What have you done so far, including meds, supplements, probiotics, and diet changes?
Posted 11/11/2013 5:07 PM (GMT 0)
I have tried Asacol (Delzicol), Prednisone, rowasa enemas

I currently take a probiotic (cant think of the name right now!), forvia vitamins, and remicade. The remicade seems to help some and they upped my dose on the 29th ...it seemed to have been starting to help more, but then I got sick and my family doctor gave me an antibiotic which I don't think helped any.

I haven't made any long term diet changes.
Posted 11/11/2013 5:22 PM (GMT 0)
Here's a snipit from the Adverse Reactions of Imuran:

Gastrointestinal: Nausea and vomiting may occur within the first few months of therapy with IMURAN, and occurred in approximately 12% of 676 rheumatoid arthritis patients. The frequency of gastric disturbance often can be reduced by administration of the drug in divided doses and/or after meals. However, in some patients, nausea and vomiting may be severe and may be accompanied by symptoms such as diarrhea, fever, malaise, and myalgias (see PRECAUTIONS). Vomiting with abdominal pain may occur rarely with a hypersensitivity pancreatitis.

Source: http://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/lookup.cfm?setid=aaa6c540-4c84-48a0-939c-cd423134fa2a#nlm34084-4
Posted 11/11/2013 7:10 PM (GMT 0)
That was me. I had a remicade treatment the week I got sick from the first time and was starting to have solid bm's and all but then got sick and have had pretty bad D even with taking medication for it, and then this time around the vomiting was pretty bad. I was took it with food. I don't think I would risk trying it again even in divided doses.
Posted 11/11/2013 9:20 PM (GMT 0)
I have not been able to tolerate the drug either, in addition to the nausea, vomiting and chills, I also developed episcleritis (inflammation in my eyes),my ankles swelled up something horrible, a painful sort of cystic rash on my bum cheeks, extreme fatigue plus back pain. I was so frustrated because nothing I did changed the diarrhea, blood and urgency.

I'd been taking aza since Jan (along with pred), but just kept hoping the extreme sickness would go away. It was during this summer when I played around with the dose... stopping completely, going back on then trying to double the dose that the negative symptoms really showed up.

I've been completely off and azathioprine for about two weeks now. Everything has improved so I feel pretty certain that I can say I wasn't tolerating it.

I did blood work every two weeks, but GI never said there was any problems except hemoglobin.

Good luck to you.
Posted 11/11/2013 11:54 PM (GMT 0)
I had a very bad reaction to imuran also. Every time that I would take imuran, I would vommit for hours and hours. I stopped taking imuran and will never take it again. I also took remicaid for 3 years. It seemed to help at first, but then it stopped working. The only times that I can remember that I went into remission is when doctors would give me antibiotics. After taking the antibiotics, I would feel 100 percent better, but it only lasted for a short period of time. I know that doctors say that antibiotics are not good for you, but if it helps people with ulcerative colitis, why not prescribe them to us? It would be better than feeling like crap all the time and having violent outbreaks of diarrhea.
Posted 11/12/2013 1:34 AM (GMT 0)
My Doctor just prescribed me Imuran... Scared of possible side effects. I had a Total colectomy in 2007 and had the j-pouch and take down surgery in 2008. I have never achieved remission and have 20+ stools a day. I just changed GI doctors and told myself that I will give anything a try. Would appreciate good and bad feedback on this medication.
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