Posted 1/15/2018 2:03 PM (GMT 0)
It typically takes 3-months to know whether azathioprine will work for you (when it reaches ideal, therapeutic/healing levels within your body). It's a very, very, slow acting medication. Often they start you on a very low dose and then watch your bloodwork for a number of weeks, and then increase the dosage to one that's appropriate for your body weight. Each time they make a dosage change, it takes 6-weeks to have an affect. Azathioprine is typically dosed 2.0 milligrams to 2.5 milligrams per kilogram of body weight (I weigh 160 pounds or 72 kilograms. 2.0mg X 72kg= 144mgs daily; 2.5mg x 72kg = 180mgs daily) depending on good bloodwork.
UC is an immune system attack that causes inflammation. First-line treatment is to apply topical anti-inflammatory mesalamine to it. Second line treatment of immunomodulators like azathioprine (I'm on 6MP, a sister medication) which work by slightly decreasing the immune system's ability to cause inflammation. White Blood Cells (WBCs) directly cause inflammation within our bodies, and aza slows the rate in which our body can produce WBCs. The less WBCs we have the less inflammation we can have in our large intestine, and the better our UC heals. However, the blood monitoring ensures our WBCs don't get too low, as we have to deal with everyday scrapes, bruises, infections and handle them. Azathioprine cannot do anything about the WBCs already within your circulatory system, only slows the rate new WBCs are created. You body clears WBCs out of the circulatory system on a regular basis, and their numbers will drop and stabilize once you've been on aza long enough. It's about 6-weeks from the time you pop a aza pill and it has an affect.