Everybody is a little nervous when first trying the next class of uc medications. I was also quite nervous when I started 6mp (Imuran is metabolized into 6mp into the body, my medication skips a step). I've been on 6mp since January 2013 and I have yet to experience a side effect. I'm not sick anymore than I was before starting 6mp. The most common side effect when starting Imuran is nausea, take it with a snack before going to sleep to reduce the odds of it. I never got nausea, some do, and it goes away within the first month of starting it.
After you've been on it a while, side effects are quite rare, but serious when they occur. What helped me, was reading about
the actual risks versus benefits with 6mp. The odds of it improving your uc symptoms are 60 to 70 percent. The odds of the most serious side effects are less than 1 percent.
If you want to read more about
risks versus benefits of imuran, I highly recommend the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America links:
Webcast:
programs.rmei.com/CCFA139VL/presentation/player.htmlTranscript
:
www.ccfa.org/assets/pdfs/risk-and-benefits-transcript.pdf