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LDN and Imuran (azathioprine)

G

ggraeff

Hello everyone - I finally convinced my Dr. to prescribe LDN and I am picking it up this evening at the compound pharmacy. I am currently on 250mg of azathioprine (generic), which has been pretty effective at maintaining digestive symptoms. However, I still have a fair number of joint-related symptoms.

I talked with my Gastro's nurse and the pharmacist on the phone yesterday, and they want me to start the LDN immediately (3mg), while going through a five week weaning process from the azathioprine. I assume they are being cautious by allowing my body to get used to the LDN while trying to avoid the digestive symptoms to return by taking me off the aza slowly.

Most places I read say that azathioprine should be stopped completely before starting LDN, so am curious what your thoughts and/or experiences are. I am the first person my Gastro has prescribed LDN to for Crohn's, so he doesn't have any experience.

I just don't want to create a reactive situation by taking both at the same time.

Thanks in advance for your insights!
 
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R

RobK

Ggraeff, I believe imuran is a immune suppressant which will conteract with LDN.

I was on prednisone when I started LDN which I believe would be a similar scenario to yours . I would suggest you taper off imuran slowly much like I did with prednisone. Try cutting down by about 5mg per week.

The impact of LDN wasn't immediate...it was very slow and suttle. In fact, I had my doubts that it was actually at first.

The fact that I've been symtom free and off prednisone for almost a year proved that it does work for me.

Good luck,
RobK
 
G

GingerCat

Low Dose Naltrexone used with Azathiprine

Hi, I hope you can shed some light on a question that I have About LDN and Azathioprine. I have been on three 50 mg tablets of Azathioprine for about 5 years, along with 1200 mg of Mesalazine, Blood pressure medication and calcium D-3. I have just finished a course of Prednisalone (about 6-8 weeks ago). I am now subsisiting on elemental liquid feeds and would like to try LDN. I live in the U.K. where LDN is taboo on the NHS so I will be getting it privately. Only problem is, the doctors over here aren't that experienced with prescribing LDN for Crohns. The private doc says that they would advise me to start LDN at an extremely low dose (0.5 mg) untill I reach the required dose i.e 4.5 mg, while at the same time continuing to take 150 mg of azathioprine. The doc doesn't seem to quite know if this will work but says that he would advise me on how to decrease my azathioprine gradually if and when the LDN starts to take effect. My GI doc would not be helpful (quite unapproachable)and my General Practitioner doesn't know anything about 'alternative' treatments for Crohns- she didn't even want me to try elemental feeds, even though they have helped to keep me out of hospital. I would appreciate any helpful advice that you can give me as I am hungry and have hardly eaten a solid meal this year.
 
K

Kev

Senior Member
Location
Halifax, NS, Canada
My experience with azathioprine/Imuran was a nightmare. Put me in the ER, gave me a bad rash that lasted the better part of a year, and crippling pains the only stopped 2 days after being taken off AZA by the ER docs cold turkey. And I may be facing some of those long term after issues they caution you about... so I'm leery (with very good reason) of Imuran (I posted a daily journal of it at the time, but that was years ago. I'm not sure if it is still on the forum or not). Jill Smith and others apparently say that LDN can be used with other immuno suppressing therapy to treat Crohns, and if I had it to do all over again I might be tempted, but I'm glad that I went the strictly just LDN route as I now know with absolute certainty that it is the LDN that fixed me, the benefit being is that... comparing the risks associated with the two, LDN is a far safer choice than AZA. Not to pick on AZA... there are other choices out there as risky or worse. If I was using both, and things improved, then there's the decision as to which one to wean off, and what if you pick the wrong one? Or, what if the LDN doesn't work? Is it because it simply doesn't work on you, or because it was used in conjunction with another drug? I know the expert say there is no logical reason it can't be, but I don't think they tested that... because if their study group was using both LDN and traditional meds, how could they know which one was causing the improvement? Personally, I would risk just LDN, then if that didn't work, try it again in conjunction with traditional drugs.. But that's just my opinion, and ask anyone.. I'm crazy.
 
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