New to Imuran

[Paislee]

Hi,
I was to see my GI today and he has decided that I should give Imuran a chance to help manage my Crohn's as I have been flaring for a while now. I am actually a little worried about this drug and it's side effects. I have been reading all the posts here on the drug and it helped a little but I'm just so unsure. Maybe its just the fear of trying something new again and it failing. Also the main side effect seems to be nausea and tiredness, not what I need when I am officially starting my career on Monday. (yay for me) Is there any advice anyone can give to make me feel better about this? Is there anything that you can take to counteract the tiredness? Nausea is not really something I worry too much about as I feel that way all the time with no success in finding a way to manage it unfortunately, so I just live with it. I know it lowers your blood counts so does anyone take any supplements to try to help with this? Any advice would be helpful, thanks

 

[kath_ee]

Hi
I have been on imuran since 2006 when i was dignosed and personally have had no side effects and dont take any supplements either, when i first started the drugs they did regular blood tests to keep and eye on my blood count. A flare up of crohns makes most people nasueas and tired anyways so i think its worth the risk.
Good luck!

 

[Robert747]

Two months in and no side effects either - hope you are ok with it.

 

[CLynn]

About a month in this time, and no real side effects so far, not sure if my tiredness is from the Aza (the generic Imuran) or just from the flare. But working 40 hours every week, plus the hours I put in at home, lol! Even mowed the grass last weekend with my daughter. Good luck, and try not to let the "if's" of the medicine worry you. The last time I took it, it got me in remission much faster than any other medicine had, it lasted years as well!

 

[Robert747]

Even mowed the grass last weekend with my daughter.

A lawn mower would have been faster :ybiggrin:

 

[CLynn]

A lawn mower would have been faster :ybiggrin:

LOL! Smart ars!

 

[DMS]

My son has been on aza since April 2011, he had no side affects, but it did take a full 6 months to get him into remission, we knew by about July that things were heading in the right direction (blood test markers were looking good).

He has been in full remission since September 2011, has just finished 1st yr university and has a part time job. Hoping this lasts a long, long time!

 

[MissBG]

It makes me very tired as well and that with the prednisone hyping me up was making me feel all kinds of weird. I started taking it at dinner time. Taking it with food helped with the nausea and it was bedtime anyway when it started making me sleepy.

 

[Justme:)]

I was on imuran for a week. During that time I had terrible anxiety and panic attacks and mood swings, to the point that life became unbearable. My liver didn't react well to the drug so they took me off it after that short time. Don't worry about the side effects, because is theres any that are very bad you can just let your doctor know and they will take you off them and try something else, good luck!

 

[hawkeye]

been on it for about 20 years - no side effects - if you are at a higher dosage, splitting the dose into 2 smaller doses may help