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does this Imuran dose sound too high?

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Ulcerative Colitis
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Posted 10/8/2007 10:37 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Gang. I am teetering on the edge of flaring, am using steroid enemas currently in the hopes of staying off pred (just got off it about 30 days ago). My GI and I both agreed that increasing the Imuran is an obvious starting place, as I am currently on 100mg. But.... we disagreed on how much to increase. I was advocating 125 but he doesn't think 25mg increment does much, so he bumped me up to 150mg. I am not a doctor, and I think my GI is an excellent doctor, so I don't want to question him... but.... I weigh about 135 - 140, so 150mg sounds really high to me. I know that the dose is only loosely weight related, and I know I am sort of obsessed with this question of dosing to your weight on Imuran, but does this sound really high to any of you who are on Imuran? I have noticed that most of you - according to your signatures - are on lower doses..... I am not scared of the bump in terms of hair loss/immunity issues etc, as I have read that for whatever crazy reason,side effects are not dose dependent on Imuran. Sounds very counterintuitive, but my fiance, who does a PhD at the med school at Duke, also has understood that to be the case with Imuran, and my GI says the same thing.... and I know we will monitor it with blood test (he is very into the blood test, thankfully).... anyway, I am rambling now so will stop. the point is, does 150mg sound crazy to anyone besides me????? thanks.
Posted 10/8/2007 11:30 PM (GMT 0)

Hi,

I weigh about the same as you and I am on 250 mg.  I have been on imuran since June 1 and I am also on the brink of flaring.  I am wondering if the imuran is doing anything at all.  When did you start on it?  My GI is pretty agressive and I know that the dosage is from 100 to 250 for UC.

Posted 10/8/2007 11:35 PM (GMT 0)
I tried 150mg for a couple of months and then my bloodwork showed the dosage was too high. I am now on 100mg. I weigh b/w 105-109 (depending on the day of the week!).
Posted 10/9/2007 12:03 AM (GMT 0)
I weigh 195 lbs, and I've been on 250mg daily for around 10 months. It helps a little but it's not getting me anywhere near remission.
Posted 10/9/2007 12:31 AM (GMT 0)
I am currently 118 lbs and have been on 150 mg of Imuran for approx 3 months. Weight is definitely a factor, but most importantly how you metabolize it. It wouldnt hurt to attempt the increase if it will benefit you. You will never know what will work unless you try. You can always come back down if your blood work shows it is too high for your system to metabolize.

Posted 10/9/2007 2:29 AM (GMT 0)
thank you to everyone for replying. I started Imuran at 50mg in early july and am just now around 12 weeks on it. anyway, I REALLY appreciate hearing that many of you tried a dose similar to mine. that makes me feel much better.
Posted 10/9/2007 2:36 AM (GMT 0)
The doctor can order a Prometheus (that's the lab) test to figure out your optimal dose.  Ask about it if you are concerned. 

Posted 10/9/2007 2:37 PM (GMT 0)
Going from 75 mg to 100 mg made a big difference for me.
Posted 10/11/2007 1:09 PM (GMT 0)
I am in the 120's and I am on 150 mg too. I started at 75 mg, but Promethius tests always bump me up.

Dang that test is expensive!!!! I just got my portion of the bill..close to 175$. Uggh.
Posted 10/11/2007 1:23 PM (GMT 0)
I don't think weight has as much bearing as you think. I am over 200lbs and just bumped to 100mg. If you are worried have the prometheus test. I am about to have my 3rd prometheus and have had a cbc every other week for awhile now once a month.
Posted 10/11/2007 6:15 PM (GMT 0)

Hey, when you say it made a big difference going up 25mg, what is your definition of a big difference.....i am on 200mg/day right now, and am borderline starting to get a flare, the 200mg/day worked great for me for a whole year (i didnt even know i had CD anymore) but my blood counts were always borderline normal-high for my WBC. I have been thinking of having it boosted from 200-->250, but if it made a big difference for u i might seriously consider it....my doctor never actually tried to see how much i could tolerate, he started me at 200mg/day, my liver/kidney scores didnt even move from pre-imuran to post-imuran, so i think i could handle a little more....

 

 

P.S. noticed your profile says u are an E.E. i am in my last year of E.E., cant wait to get that piece of paper.

UCinGV said...
Going from 75 mg to 100 mg made a big difference for me.

Posted 10/11/2007 6:30 PM (GMT 0)
I am on 150mg.  I was on 125mg for years but I have had constant flares. And even on 150mg I cannot get into remission.  I know its helping a little as without it I cannot get below 20mg of pred.  But with it I can manage to drop to around 7.5 - 10mg.

BUt, I tell you going from 125 to 150mg might not have helped all that much symptom wise but boy am I now tired!!  I am totally exhausted. Barely able to function now.  But at least the bleeding has now stopped.

Posted 10/11/2007 7:16 PM (GMT 0)
I am 172 (78 kg)
now imuran 175
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