Imuran and Ulcerative Colitis

[TrudieC]

My son is in the throes of an active UC attack.  His doctor is thinking of trying him on Imuran after his cycle of prednisone.  Has anyone tried this?  Was it really helpful?  Was it worth the risk?

Thanks,
Trudie

[cunninghamrgs]

And the VSL #3 works wonders. Mix one pack into a serving of yogurt. Doesn't taste the greatest, and is VERY expensive, $100 per box, that lasts about 2 weeks, but helped me wonders. I spent 4 weeks in the hospital when first diagnosed with colitis and it helped me wonders.

[cunninghamrgs]

I took Imuran, Pentasa and prednisone when i was first diagnosed with UC two years ago.  I think taking Imuran is the worst possible thing in the entire world. It did work for me and put my colitis in remission, however the side effects of it are NOT worth it.  One of the scariest side effects for me was the fact that long term use of it can cause lymphoma.  My doc said for every 1000 people on Imuran one person will get lymphoma,  That is not a statistic that I want to be.  Prednisone is also one of the worse drugs on the market that anyone could possibly take, but I hvae had to a few times. I would rather take the prednisone anyday then the Imuran.  

Currently, I am on Pentasa and it is working amazingly well. It is not as rough or harsh on your system as the Imuran or the Prenisone.  You should definetley check with your doctor. The side effects of the Imuran are wayyyy too scary. Especially with all the H1N1 going around these days....

[Marshmallow13]

I'm happy thats he's doing well :)

He got flu shots?
My doctor told me to wait to get any vaccines. (i was suppose to get the hpv vaccine.)

[TrudieC]

Thank you so much!  He has been on it for the last 4 or 5 months and is doing well.  He went for weekly testing initially, then bi-weekly and is now at monthly.  He is just thrilled that he can eat and do all the things he wants.  I do worry that he doesn't protect his immune system well enough by getting flu shots, washing hands, avoiding sick people, but so far so good.

[CalGal]

Trudie, also check out VSL#3. It doesn't work for everyone with U.C. but when it works it can really help.

[CalGal]

Trudie, it's worth a try - with one caveat - frequent testing in the beginning to make sure the optimum dosage if found. Too many docs seem to overlook that fact.

Each patient is different and the optimum dose of Imuran varies from one individual to another. There is sometimes a narrow range between the most effective dose and a toxic dose. Not only should the doc determine the best dose based on age, weight, response to treatment, he should also monitor symptoms and do early frequent blood tests.

Technology is also now available that allows for more accurate dose adjustment, since some people don't have or are deficient in the ability to metabolically breakdown the med properly. The metabolites of Imuran called 6-TG and 6-MMP can be directly measured in the blood. Higher 6-TG levels correlate with clinical response to Imuran but also the risk of bone marrow suppression. Higher 6-MMP levels correlate with liver toxicity. Special blood tests may be (and should be) requested from Prometheus Laboratories to help the doctor determine the proper dose. This is one drug you don't 'guess' at. You need to know whether or not your son can properly metabolize it.

[Marshmallow13]

idk if this is still usefull to you , but im a highschool student, an indeterminde ibd, they put me on immuran w/ the pred also.

first off: the pred iss waay moore annoying than the immuran. w/ immuran , you just have to be extra carefull  like make sure he washes his hands more often and, stay away from ppl who are very sick.

and yes , for me : it was worth it , my body accepted the pred waaay more with the immuran.

take care <3