Hiya im new

[minky23]

Hello im new here and was diagnose with Crohn's Disease not too long ago and the GI doc put me on 40mg of Predisone i am now on 10mg of it, one more wk too go. and i had the GI doctor's appointment almost 2wks ago and he put me on Imuran 100mg. Has anyone had good results from this drug? cuz it really scares me i know it can cause cancer and think thats what scares me the most but ive been reading up on it and read a lot of peoples bad side effects while on it etc and right now i just want to quit this drug all together =( and the fact dont like it killing my immune system. Is there anyother mild drug other then this Imuran?? my doc said if it dont help hes going to put me on Remicade. I dont like Predisone and dont plan on taking it again. My symptoms while on Crohn's hasnt been too bad wasnt in any pain just really mild cramps when i had to use the washroom that was about it. my GI doctor told me i dont have to be on no sort of diets cuz its not a proven fact that its different kinds of foods that trigger it. i never had any problems with food no foods caused me to run to the washroom nor put me in any pain. Any help on meds would really be appreciated thanx a lot *hugs*


PS. should i be stoppin this drug??

 

[Jennjenn]

Welcome I have not taken Imuran but I am currently on Remicade. Possibly someone will be able to help you on this forum with your questions and Imuran.

 

[Rob]

Welcome aboard

I'm on immuran salafalk and pred
with out it I'd be in trouble
the immuran for me kept my cd stable for approx 2.5yrs
only now I hav a really bad flare up so I struggling but without the immuran I'd be worse
from what i was told with immuran you jus mainly need too avoid too much sunlight an becareful with colds etc
if u don't feel well or get a cut infected etc see ya gp as u will prob need antibiotics (so I found anyway)

good luck

ps I trialed remicade but after the first 3 doses I'm back off - if anything for me it made things worse - if that makes sense
I'd feel horrible for the following week or two after my infussion so stopped the trial
attempting too get onto vedolizumab trial now

 

[kenny]

I have been on Imuran a few weeks now and have had no issues with it so far. I started off with some prescrening blood work and went directly to 175 mg/day. It is supposed to be a long term maintenance drug and they say it takes a few months for it to get your white blood cell count down to where they want to hold it. Each of us has to get the dose custom tweaked through regular bloodwork and also to watch for the rare case of our liver rejecting it.

I was like a scared kid starting it but people here came to the rescue and all has gone well. I read about the increased risk of cancer with Imuran and found it so insignificant when compared to the over risk of cancer in IBD patients that I don't consider it worthy of notice. If anything it probably reduces the overall risk of cancer if it successfully limits inflamation in the colon.

My GI team sees this as nothing more than wishful thinking on my part, but I feel as if my overall allergy load is reduced. I have a lifelong history of pesky allergies that made my eyes red, under my chin itch and my nose runny. I swear this is much less already. But they tell me it is only a couple of weeks so far and I am probably imagining it. The arthritic inflammation in my knees, ankles and feet has stopped and to that I am eternally grateful to whatever Deity of choice might be listening!

 

[RAW]

I was on 40mg of prednisone when I started 50mg of Imuran and then was increased to 100mg after a couple of months. I had lab work once a week for several months to be sure my system was accepting the drug. I have been on 100mg of Imuran for 2 years and now I have blood work once a month. Yes it affects your immune system, lowers your white count but as long as you practice proper hygiene you should be fine. I work in a hospital and though we think of them as a clean place this is the one place that sickness congregates and so far I have not had any adverse affects from being on Imuran, I am very cautious! If you are sick stay away from me! If another physician prescribes a medication be sure that it can be taken with Imuran, no live vaccines for you either!

The cancer side affect scares me as well, I actually was sent to a surgical oncologist in December because they saw something on a CT and that’s when I wanted to stop Imuran but turns out everything is ok and they are watching the spot they found. Be sure to have regular check ups with your PCP, watch for changes on your skin and have regular blood work. For me I have been feeling decent for over a year and while this is a very intense medication it is working for me. Your dose should be based on your weight, if you gain or lose a lot of weight be sure to let your md know as it will need to be adjusted, 100mg is a relatively a low dose. Stay actively involved in your healthcare and don't be afraid to ask for blood work or anything else.

 

[pain in the butt]

Welcome !

 

[Nyx]

Welcome! I was on Imuran for about 3 months, and then my sigmoid colon decided to blow up on me....lol. Up until my surgery I was having luck with the drug, felt much better, and had no side effects. I was also having regular blood work done (once a week). I'm not currently on it, but might go back to it (I'll find out this week).

Good luck to you!

Cindy

 

[Nyx]

OOooops...I forgot to mention that I also have biopsies done with every colonscopy to check for cancer as well. It's a bit of a pain in the arse (ha ha) but it definitely gives peace of mind on the cancer front.

 

[Samantha]

Welcome Minky, I have never taken Imuran, but I'm sure there are plenty on the forum who have and can advise you.

 

[minky23]

thank you all for answering =) im glad i found this forum such nice people here :ybiggrin:


So far i still have no pain while on Imuran and im down to 5mg of Predisone :ybiggrin: i go for my first blood work this Thursday(been two wks since i started Imuran) and again in another two weeks so im hoping my body is coping with the Imuran. Still would like another drug tho..........but thank you for takin the time to answer my question u all were a big help *hugs*

 

[shazamataz]

Welcome Minky, glad you are feeling well!

 

[Zudi]

I also took a lot of Prednisone & felt much better when I was finally weaned off it. I looked like the Pillsbury Doughboy for months. I hardly recognize myself in photos taken about 18 months ago. There are adjustment periods with any drug, I've found.