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Started IMURAN today....**1 week update**

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Ulcerative Colitis
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Posted 11/5/2007 5:45 AM (GMT 0)
Well....even though I am very nervous and reluctant....I started taking Imuran today.  150mg/day.  Kinda freaked about if Im gonna get any nasty side affects or not.  I guess I will know soon. 

Anyone have any words of advice about weening off Pred. and starting the Imuran?

Posted 11/5/2007 7:01 AM (GMT 0)
FosterDad,

Hopefully this will be a positive step as it were for me when I started in 05, I know it's scarey which is why you must get your bloods checked very often, from my understanding, all the nasties will show up in the bloods and can be fixed before they become a real problem.

I am still on pred so I can't offer any advice there, but just know we are all thinking about you and wishing you well.

Take care.

Dave
Posted 11/5/2007 9:04 AM (GMT 0)
Hi,

Pred didn't affect my colitis at all, it's imuran that has got me relatively stable so it's a great drug. One thing to look out for is that imuran can be toxic at different doses for different people.

I'm a 27 year old male, 6ft tall & weigh about 182 pounds and for me 150mg is toxic. I see from this forum that there are women a lot smaller than me who can take high doses.
When I was on 150mg I had severe chest pains, I was puking up constantly, my colitis symptoms much worse and my blood test results showed liver damage.

The day they dropped me drop to 125mg was the last day I puked and it took a few weeks after that for my liver and other symptoms to return to normal.

So you should be fine, just keep an eye out for the imuran side affects, at the worst you'll probably only need a month off work, which isn't too bad :-)

& I tapered off pred once I became established on the imuran and came off it just fine.
Posted 11/5/2007 11:59 AM (GMT 0)
Definately look for severe side effects. If you start throwing up, have intense abdominal pains, feel feverish or like you have the flu - this NOT normal side effects of Imuran/6mp. You should call your doc right away if this happens. But the typical side effect should be more of an annoying kind of thing more then anything else. By taking this med in the evening/night it can help reduce the side effects but you can expect headaches, slight nausea, fatigue and mild hair loss. Once your body gets used to it all those side effects go away.

It's going to take awhile for the Imuran to kick in so give it a fair chance when you start tapering off the pred. Don't expect instant miracles with this. Good luck on the pred taper and starting Imuran!
Posted 11/5/2007 1:32 PM (GMT 0)
Oh, man, Foster Dad, I understand your trepidation. I had it -- BIG TIME! -- when I started Imuran. Reading the side effects is enough to give anyone a fright.

That said, for me, I've had little or no side effects, and it had kept me free of any serious flares for six years. I forget I'm on it, frankly, after this long. I used to warn the dentist, and I had surgery last week and made a special call to remind the doc I was on it, cuz it really is no biggie. I don't get sick any oftener.

I hope it's the God send for you that it's been for me.

Good luck!

Mitz
Posted 11/5/2007 2:14 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks guys.

I was told by the pharmasist to spread out the dose throught-out the day. 50mg/morning - 50mg/lunch - 50mg/dinner Is it better to take it all at once or spread it out like that? The pharm. said it just lessons the side affects and doesnt make you as tired.
Posted 11/5/2007 2:18 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Foster Dad,

I just started Imuran three weeks ago and the only side effect so far for me 'was' being groggy in the am (not anymore) and now I take it at night and I am fine. I am also on prednisone and 60mg one day and 40mg the next, it is for my kidney's and may be helping my UC (not sure b/c it was 1.5 mos for me taking it before I got some relief, it was either that or the hydrocortisone e's???). Anyhow, I will be seing my kidney doc this Friday and see if I can taper down a little more.......I hope so!

So, I don't have much to add but I am in kinda the same boat as you. Hope you are ok w/the Imuran too!!
Posted 11/5/2007 2:48 PM (GMT 0)
I'm on 100 mgs, Foster Dad, and I take it all in the morning at once. Although I may try to move it to a nighttime regimen because I am tired all the time. But I was tired all the time before Imuran. UGH!

Don't know what to tell you about splitting the dose, but one thing that does occur to me is you now have to remember three times a day instead of one. Maybe call you GI and talk to the nurse about their opinion of splitting the dose.

Mitz
Posted 11/5/2007 5:27 PM (GMT 0)

Foster Dad, I've been taking Imuran for about a year with some success. Started at 100mg and currently at 150 with no side effects. My doc is reluctant to go higher.Prednisone was no longer working and I still take 4500mg/day of Sulphasalizine. Initially it did take about 6 weeks before there was any noticeable improvement in symptoms. My doc highly encouraged the use of a good multivitamin while on Imuran. I take Forvia which is supposedly formulated for U.C. sufferers (this is not an endorsement and I swear I do not work for the Forvia company). I don't much care for yogurt but recently started having  some every day and this also seems to be helping. Hope this was useful info.  Jeff.

__________________

 Acute/chronic U.C. for 40 years with a very understanding spouse.

Posted 11/6/2007 12:40 AM (GMT 0)
I understand how scary it is to make the decision to take these drugs. Both my kiddos are on Imuran/6mp. I cried and cried when I had to follow the doctors recommendation to put my kids on these drugs. My son (Imuran) did have a quite a a bit of hair loss, but not sure if it was the Imuran, the Prednisone or just the fact that his body was so stressed and under nourished from a year long flare. He has been on it since June and is doing really well right now. His liver will not allow him to take a dose that is considered therapeutic, but hopefully the dose he is on will work for him. My 8 year old takes 6mp and I don't think that she has had any noticeable side effects. Her dose is not at the therapeutic level either, but we'll leave it where it is for now since she is doing so well right now. They both have regular blood tests to check liver, white counts, etc.

I hope that all goes well for you and that you don't have any nasty side effects. Both my kids take their doses at dinner and that seems to work well for them.

My daughter was just diagnosed exactly one week before you!
Posted 11/6/2007 1:29 AM (GMT 0)
Hey. I take my Imuran after dinner. It did cause me some nausea at the beginning but I was taking it w/ my morning meds. I feel like the combo of dinner and going to bed relatively early helps w/ the nausea.

I had to taper pred. while I was waiting for Imuran to kick in. I will be honest....it took several months to kick in. Keep us posted and remember to keep up w/ your bloodwork!
Posted 11/10/2007 7:40 AM (GMT 0)
i started taking imuran 3 weeks ago while in the hospital. this forum and all of your posts are what made me agree to taking it in the first place. so many people have had good results that i said ok...

BUT... i just saw my doctor this thursday and got off of them. i decided that i want to have a baby this coming year and i will not do it on imuran. too many chances of malformation and other really bad problems for baby. not gonna take the risk.

i figured since i was only on it for 3 weeks and it takes about 3 months to start working, i better just get off it now and see how my health goes. my flare seems to be clearing up pretty quick on the 50mg of prednisone at the moment. (and the 200mg of hydrocortisone injections a day in the hospital)

i figure, if i stay healthy and get better then great. i dont need the imuran and i can get pregnant. if my health declines in the next month (birth control shot wears off in middle of dec) then i will get back on the imuran and wait a few years to have a baby.

so that is where im at. im not against imuran and if i didnt want to get preggers, then i would stay on it..

Can you alter your signature to 10 lines or less per forum rules, please :-)   Thank you!

Post Edited By Moderator (Red_34) : 11/10/2007 5:28:18 AM (GMT-7)

Posted 11/13/2007 5:37 AM (GMT 0)

Well....its been 1 week now since I started IMURAN and honestly.....I really feel like garbage.  I am always tired, the last 2 days I have had sharp stabbing pains up the left side of my abdomin, nausia, hair loss, peeing like a race horse and racing/pounding heart.  Im going in for my weekly blood work tomorrow.  I sure hope that this levels out soon.  Im also havent had a good poop in 5 days, but I have been eating like a horse.  I have now tappered down to 30mg of Pred. and the "moonface" and "pred. zits" have really kicked in.

Anyways, so far first week has kinda bit. 


Posted 11/13/2007 12:58 PM (GMT 0)
If your bloodwork comes out ok then yes what you are experiencing can be "normal" for the adjustment period of Imuran. The first week for me was rough too. The racing heart can be from the pred taper. I know when I was on steroid enemas (for almost a year), my heart would race on occasion too but please keep an eye on this and you might want to bring this up with your doc. Are you taking it at night? Or broken up thru out the day?
Posted 11/13/2007 2:19 PM (GMT 0)
DON'T GIVE UP!

Many medications have side effects that very much calm down or even disappear after the breaking-in period of adjustment by your body. Of course, if your blood work numbers raise red flags, you'll have to maybe get off, but if your numbers are okay, hang in there.

Mitz
Posted 11/13/2007 3:22 PM (GMT 0)

Red_34 said...

Are you taking it at night? Or broken up thru out the day?

I take mine 3 times a day.  50mg Breakfast, 50mg Lunch, 50mg Dinner.
Posted 11/13/2007 3:28 PM (GMT 0)
I take mine all at once at nighttime and that has helped me w/the fatigue. Though I am still not my normal self (probably the pred too!). I am on the generic Imuran, azathioprine, don't know if that makes any difference. I haven't really had much for side effects and have been on it for a few weeks. My leg hair isn't really growing, that's about it.......haven't noticed any hair loss (I am praying!).
Posted 11/13/2007 3:36 PM (GMT 0)
I've been on Imuran for a while, but it still hasn't done anything, probably not at the right dose yet.  Prednisone seems to be the only thing that has helped.

Posted 11/13/2007 5:26 PM (GMT 0)
I've been on Imuran for about three weeks now while tapering off of Prednisone and so far, so good. I know that it takes awhile for Imuran to kick in but so far I haven't noticed anything out of the ordinary. A little fatigued but that's about it. Also, from reading this board I take my dose at night which helps.

I hope it works out well for you FosterDad.....
Posted 11/13/2007 5:29 PM (GMT 0)
I heard it takes 3 months for it to kick in. A week probably won't do much if that's true. I hope your body gets over being sick from it soon. Ugh. I hate that the meds make us so sick. :(
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