Nervous on azathioprine

[Akcat]

I started aza about two and a half weeks ago. I stopped for 4 days about a week in at my doctor's suggestion to wait for test results because I was getting pretty bad nausea. When the tests came back fine, I started it back up again. I am still getting the nausea, but if I eat a big breakfast, it is semi bearable. I'm starting to get some other concerns though. A common Crohn's symptom for me has been upper right quadrant pain, which has actually subsided somewhat over the past few days. Today though I'm getting URQ pain which is higher than it has been in the past. There is pain, but also a sort of pressure/burning type feeling and it increases when I use my right arm. I don't want to be over paranoid, but I'm a little concerned that maybe this is not a Crohn's pain and is an aza side effect? I've also come down with a cold over the past few days, and seem to be getting a rash on face. Plus I'm having a horrible time sleeping. I'm getting these intense dreams all night long and when I wake up I feel like I spent all night doing whatever I was doing in my dream instead of sleeping. (for example, I spent one entire night butchering moose). Am I going crazy? Maybe is all just a coincidence and I just came down with a cold, rash and change in URQ pain and am worrying myself out of sleep?

 

[Slim Johnson]

The rash, nausea and burning sound like an allergic reaction. You should call your Dr in the morning and inform them of these issues. AZA almost killed me.. However I had no symptoms until it was too late to avoid the damage done. I made a full recovery, so I chalk it up as a learning experience.

 

[Lydia]

Call your doctor. Rashes can be a sign of an allergic reaction.

As far as the other side effects, some people find if they take their Aza in the evening with supper or a bedtime snack they can sleep through the side effects.

 

[chrisnsteph1022]

I take mine with dinner because I know it can cause nausea. I didn't want to even risk it. As for the rash, definitely call the doc.

 

[Akcat]

When I got up the next day after posting this my rash had subsided a bit. I decided to wait it out as I have an appointment next Tuesday. It is major weather changing season here, so I was chalking it up to that. It didn't go away completely though and is now coming back and is itchy enough to concern me again, so I just put a call into my dr. It probably has something to do with the lack of benadryl today. I should have listened to all of you a few days ago! I think I worry too much about being over paranoid or wasting someones time. This is all pretty new to me. I think I need to get over those fears because I suspect there will be lots of necessary doctor calls in my future!
The good news is the nausea is now bearable most of the time. Nights are as rough as ever though. I wake up feeling like I've been run over by a train!

 

[Slim Johnson]

IMO, all of the medications for CD are terrible. Some of them work, at a cost... Please don't procrastinate calling the doctor. If you have an allergy to the medication, there are serious risks to your health. It's not something to neglect. *toetap*

I hate to deal with doctors, I have terrible anxiety attacks whenever I have to go. It's like living a bad dream. I still go to the doctor...

 

[Akcat]

I know . Not the smartest move on my part. I left a message this evening and will be calling again tomorrow morning if I haven't heard back yet.
Yeah, so far my experiences with Crohn's meds is they either make me sick (aza & antibiotics), crazy (pred), or are astronomically expensive and do absolutely nothing (entocort and asacol.). Hopefully something will start helping here soon.

 

[beth]

The 'cold' may not be, but a sign of a bacterial infection giving you fever. As others have said: go to the doc's!

Crohn's drugs are evil, but you need to find the right one that your body doesn't reject as poison, or wrecks you too much. It's not easy. Aza is a good drug if it suits you. Asacol is much milder and may not target the correct part of the bowel.

 

[Grumbletum]

I used to be the same - avoiding going to the doctor til I felt really ill - but I'm a bit more vigilant since I got Crohn's. I used to take my Aza with my evening meal, but was waking up at night with severe headaches and feeling very sick in the mornings. Friends on here advised me to split the dose, so I have 50g with my teabreak snack around 11am ( Pred etc in the morning - but not for long, yippppppeee! :yoshijumpjoy: ) then the rest in the evening, and it's been fine since.

 

[Akcat]

Update: Last night my cold moved into my chest and I started getting shortness of breath. I was pretty nervous that the difficulty breathing was an allergic reaction. I was also super itchy. Luckily I still have an inhaler laying around (haven't needed since gallbladder removal in May.). I took lots of benadryl and the inhaler and stayed up 4 hours past my bedtime thinking "do I drive myself to the hospital now? What about now?". Luckily it all calmed down and the benadryl on the tounge eventually knocked me out. The dr office called me back at 8:05 and saw me at 9:00 this morning. She said the rash and itchiness is not a medication reaction, so new mystery as to what that might be. They took a lot of blood to see how I'm handling the medication. Got a call this afternoon that my white cell count is high enough to fight the cold and I got a prescription for antibiotics in case things get messy over the weekend. The rest of the the results should be in on Monday. So, for now, I'm just a girl on immune suppresors with a chest cold and an itchy face! It takes some weight off to know that. I'm glad I went in. Oh, and I've been keeping a close eye on my temperature, and no fever.

 

[hannaho]

i was aza for a while about 6 months ago but had to be taken of as i had side effects the worst was to do with my liver everyone is different s my cosin was on it and didnt have any bad side effects. When i was on it i had a blood test every week which was a bit incnvienent but oh well! As u said just tell ur doc as it sounds like ur going through it ..hope u feel better soon.x

 

[Slim Johnson]

Thanks for the update Akcat!

I was beginning to think you were going to pull a Slim Johnson, and end up in the ER...

Glad you are smarter than me!