How long did it take for you to see improvement with 6MP?

[vetnurse]

Hi Everyone :sign0144:

I was just wondering how long it has taken you to see improvement or lessening of symptoms since starting 6MP?

 

[Catherine]

My understanding is takes between 3-6 months to work.

How are you today?

 

[vetnurse]

Thank you for your reply

Unfortunately I've been feeling a bit depressed lately, I went 4 weeks completely symptom free while on holiday with my nan, I got home and all my symptoms came back within 3 days :yfrown:.

How are you?

 

[Jennifer]

I believe it took a little over 3 months for me. Yet its hard to tell because I was also taking Asacol and Prednisone at the time. What dose are you taking?

 

[vetnurse]

Hi Crabby

I'm on 75mg at the moment, but last time I saw my GI he said that its affecting my bone marrow (?) so my next appointment with him is the end of November and he will decide if he needs to lower my dose or not.

 

[Jennifer]

Might want to ask them to do blood work to check your 6-TGN to see if the 6MP is in therapeutic levels or if it will even work at all.

 

[hawkeye]

Hard to say here, I was on 5-ASA and Pred at the same time.

 

[kh216]

It took me 5 months before the 6mp worked and I could get off Prednisone. Now I am trying to lower my 6mp dosage.

 

[EMohn]

I have been on Imuran for 4 1/2 weeks now with no relief and since I refuse to go back on prednisone I am still in a lot of pain. I'm hoping mine will kick in quicker than the 4-6week period they first gave me.

 

[kh216]

You are probably going to need more time. Have you considered trying Entocort for a temporary period of time while you wait for the Imuran to work? I did this and it really helped me. While Entocort is a steroid, it doesn't give people nearly the negative side effects as Prednisone because the Entocort predominantly stays in the intestines. Once the Imuran starts working, then you can wean off the Entocort.

 

[blessedwithfour]

im doing the same as mentioned in above thread, although at 6 months i still cant wean own off entocort...........

 

[kh216]

How are you feeling with your 6mp dosage, Blessed withfour? It took me awhile to wean off of the Entocort. I know I was on it for longer than 6 months. The doctors got me off of the Entocort by raising the 6mp dosage and then gradually weaning me off of Entocort. Now the doctors are gradually lowering me back to my old 6mp dosage because my white blood count was too low with the increased dosage. However, the larger dosage did work in getting me off Entocort.

 

[lizzy16]

When the dosage is increased, would it take another 3-6 months to be successful at that dosage level? I started on 100mg Azathioprine (Imuran) in May, but when I tapered off the Pred all my symptoms came back, so it was upped to 150mg in August with another 6 week round of Pred. I finished the steroids in October, but again had a flare up after a couple of weeks. I was prescribed another 6 week course of Pred, and my new GI says I will move to Humira if my symptoms come back after this taper.

However, this most recent course of Pred has me feeling the best I've ever felt since I was dignosed with Crohn's - it's put me completely in remission with no pain at all and normal bm's, something that's never happened before on previous courses. I'm wondering if the Aza is finally "kicking in" underneath the Pred, as it's been 6 months since I started, and 3 months at the maximum dosage. Any thoughts? I know steroids are good at bringing about remission but I really think something is different this time. I guess I won't know for sure until I finish the Pred taper in 2 weeks and see how it goes. Fingers crossed...

 

[muppet]

It took my daughter around 4 or 5 months to reach a therapeutic level with 6MP and see improvement from it, but it's hard to say exactly because we filled the gap with prednisone, which is a pretty common thing to do.

Are you getting the Prometheus metabolite test to measure drug levels in your system?

 

[kh216]

:ghug:lizzy16, I hope you are right. You will know for sure once you finish your Prenisone course and are then completely tapered off of it.

 

[lizzy16]

Are you getting the Prometheus metabolite test to measure drug levels in your system?

Hi Muppet, both my old and new specialists haven't mentioned this test, they've only been concerned with monitoring my liver function etc - will mention this to doc when I see him on the 18th! He was pretty sure that the Aza has failed and I'll need to go on Humira once I finish this Pred taper but I'm hoping to prove him wrong!

 

[CantRemember]

I've been on the mercaptopurine now (50 mg in AM and 50 in PM) for 6 weeks and am down to 30 mg of the Prednisdone. Just started noting improvement this past week. Reduced urgency, fewer BMs, more solid to the point where I've started taking Miralax every pm to make sure I don't wreck my fissures. Blood work this week was still all "normal range" and see my GI PA again this Wed. Fingers crossed this is the best I've been in 6 months.

 

[sneezey]

When I had my episode where I got the diagnosis and ended up in the hospital, they tried prednisone first. When that didn't work I got cyclosporine because there was no way I could wait for the 3-5 months. It's another immune suppressant like 6mp or Imuran. It worked wonders because they know whether it works within 24 hours. Only thing is you can't stay on it indefinitely, and I needed to wean off that just as with the prednisone.

But maybe that's another alternative if steroids like prednisone or entocort give you mood swings or other side effects.

 

[CantRemember]

Still doing better. Down to 25 on Pred and getting the "is it at therapeutic" metabolite bloodwork in a couple weeks if insurance will approve. Crossing fingers.