Imuran side effects?

[katarzena]

I've decided to make a new topic about side effects of this drug, maybe some fresh informations?
My doc told me I'll be probably put on imuran within 2 months (when I'm done with IV cyclo)

Please tell me there is no hair loss with this drug!

[Luce]

I think hair loss is a very rare side effect, not nearly as likely as with cyclo. I'm surprised you're not going on to oral cyclo before Imuran though.
Some people tolerate it just fine although it did not work for me. I became severely anaemic and flared within 6 weeks of being on it.

[elephant]

Imuran did not work for me, but everyone is different. I had a drug reaction to Imuran. I was only on it for 2 1/2 weeks.

[Jack]

Agree with Lucy. It is more usual to stabilise on oral ctx before moving to the more benign Imuran.

[stikker]

I had a symptom I had not read about anywhere. I started having headaches and spiking fevers after 2 weeks. They took me off aza to let me fight whatever I had. I didn't see my Wegeners guy, just my nephrologist. They worked me up for all kinds of infectious diseases. After 2 weeks I seemed better so they put me back on half dose of aza/imuran. Two weeks later I happened to have a quarterly appointment with my Wegeners specialist and he immmediatly said I had aseptic meningitis. Azathioprene is know to cause this. My nephrologist didn't know this fact and put me through a lot crap for nothing. Since I seem to be handling the half dose we are going to try increasing slowly and see if I can get back up to close to full dose. This was my choice to try because I don't feel like half dose is enough. It may come back and I may need another drug. He said this is not uncommon. I was not his first patient that day to have had this. If I or my doctor had know of this side effect I may have been treated differently. Now I feel like I need to spread the word.
Stikker1

[julia]

[Please tell me there is no hair loss with this drug![/QUOTE]

When I was on cytoxon I lost about half of my hair. I had very thin hair to begin with. After I stopped cytoxon and was put on Imuran the hair began to grow back.

My hair is fuller than it has ever been.

[katarzena]

Is it just me or it seems that people have more trouble (bad reactions etc) to Imuran then methotrexate? It seems to me like imuran is more gentle so doctors want to prescribe it over methotxate but still..

[Terri]

Hi katarzena,
I started off with cytoxin, then Imuran and now on methotexate. I didn't have any problems with the Imuran and actually think I felt better with it but of the 3 choices, I guess mthx is the least toxic??
Good luck with whatever they put you on.

[Sangye]

I had a symptom I had not read about anywhere. I started having headaches and spiking fevers after 2 weeks. They took me off aza to let me fight whatever I had. I didn't see my Wegeners guy, just my nephrologist. They worked me up for all kinds of infectious diseases. After 2 weeks I seemed better so they put me back on half dose of aza/imuran. Two weeks later I happened to have a quarterly appointment with my Wegeners specialist and he immmediatly said I had aseptic meningitis. Azathioprene is know to cause this. My nephrologist didn't know this fact and put me through a lot crap for nothing. Since I seem to be handling the half dose we are going to try increasing slowly and see if I can get back up to close to full dose. This was my choice to try because I don't feel like half dose is enough. It may come back and I may need another drug. He said this is not uncommon. I was not his first patient that day to have had this. If I or my doctor had know of this side effect I may have been treated differently. Now I feel like I need to spread the word.
Stikker1

Thank you so much for informing everyone. I had not heard of this-- no personal experience with imuran.

This is a classic example of why a Wegs rheumy should be overseeing all care for each of us. The other specialists do not often know the drugs as well, even if they're outstanding docs and even if they've saved your life. Thank goodness you're okay, Stikker.

[Palmyra]

One more to add on a list of potential side effects w/ taking imuran. My daughter was prescribed it when her sole issue was with Crohn's disease (essentially Weg confined to the gut, with some of the annoying arthritic issues) and within a week or two she developed acute pancreatitis. Recovery from that is not quick or easy. No longer on her list of potential drugs to combat Weg :-(

Watch for upper abdominal pain, increasing daily, one to two hours after eating.