Your Experience With Imuran

[TOBEY32]

I'm to start a low dose (50mg/day) soon. Some of the possible side-effects/occurences concern me (tumors, etc.!).

[Al]

This is a pretty low dose, David, so you shouldn't have too much trouble. Some people have digestive issues while on AZA (Imuran). If this happens to you, you should report it. Also, everyone on Imuran should have a liver panel periodically included with their tests. Imuran does not appreciably increase the risk of tumor development, though all immuno-suppressive drugs need to be watched in this regard.

Al

[HeatherR]

Hi
I've been taking 150mg of Imuran daily and after a few weeks of my body getting used to the drug I'm doing ok. Most of the side effects were hard to distinguish as to which drug was causing the side effects. I asked when I can stop taking all these meds as was told "if you want to die stop taking them but if you want to live then let's keep taking them" I want to live so I take them - I love my doctors and their bluntness because it means that if I see them on a bad day for me they have to cop what they get.

[Psyborg]

I too am on 150 mg a day. I'm wondering if some issues I've been having with ye olde gut lately might be related. Not sure...it took a while to happen if that is the cause.

[Al]

My dose is also 150 mg, like Bob's. So 50 mg may be a kind of "starter" dose, to test how it goes down sort of thing before ramping up to a higher amount.

Al

[drz]

I started at 50 too about a year ago and gradually went up to 150 with a 50 mg boost during a flare. After flare subsided I went back down to 175. Biggest issue is getting elevated liver enzymes at higher dosage but manage to stay in high end of normal with current dosage and no flare since March.

Compared to Cytoxan azathioprine is very gentle drug at least for me.

[Trudy]

I started with 50 mg for one month, then 100mg. I am ending my second month at that dose. I was having stomach problems for awhile, but I switched taking my Imuran to lunchtime when I take no other meds. I eat a little, take the Imuran, then finish eating. This works great for me.....no more stomach cramps. My symptoms are not disappearing yet, so it is interesting what dose everyone else is taking. Does anyone know if there is a criteria for deciding the dose?

[drz]

I started with 50 mg for one month, then 100mg. I am ending my second month at that dose. I was having stomach problems for awhile, but I switched taking my Imuran to lunchtime when I take no other meds. I eat a little, take the Imuran, then finish eating. This works great for me.....no more stomach cramps. My symptoms are not disappearing yet, so it is interesting what dose everyone else is taking. Does anyone know if there is a criteria for deciding the dose?

My doctor looked at liver enzymes to see how well I was tolerating it and inflammation markers to see how well azathioprine was controlling the GPA. My adjustments were made on those two factors.

[Al]

I started with 50 mg for one month, then 100mg. I am ending my second month at that dose. I was having stomach problems for awhile, but I switched taking my Imuran to lunchtime when I take no other meds. I eat a little, take the Imuran, then finish eating. This works great for me.....no more stomach cramps. My symptoms are not disappearing yet, so it is interesting what dose everyone else is taking. Does anyone know if there is a criteria for deciding the dose?

Criteria vary, Trudy. For RA, it is about 1 mg/kg of body mass. For transplant patients, it is 3-5 mg/kg. WG patients usually come in at 1.5-2 mg/kg.

Al

[Twice]

Hi Tobey,

I took Aza for about 11 years in doses from 200 down to 75mg (for most of that time as a maintenance drug). I thought it was great, and it did work extremely well fo me during that time, when I was relatively clear of symptoms. I also didn't notice much in the way of side effects. Overall, my experience of the drug was very positive.