Purinethol/Mercaptopurine

[Aliciab]

Is there anyone else taking this? I started two weeks ago and while I haven't had any real bad side effects I'm wondering if it is effective as a treatment option. I'm taking a 50mg dosage once a day.

 

[Patricia56]

Around the world there are hundreds of thousands of people with Crohn's taking various versions of this medication (mercaptopurine AKA 6-MP, Azathioprine, Imuran, Purinethol, etc) and a whole bunch of them are on this board. I am sure several will show up and reply soon.

My son was on 6-MP for a couple years until we switched him to Methotrexate. He is still on that.

It takes up to 4 months on Mercaptopurine before you can tell if it will help your Crohn's but side effects and problems can occur sooner.

You should be getting frequent blood tests at first so your doctor can check for side effects.

Hope you feel well soon.

 

[cosmic dave]

I am starting this next week after trying pentaza and it not really working, back on prednisolone while i wait to get it. the dr says its better tolerated than aza so i will have to wait and see.

 

[alaskagrown]

I have been on 6mp now for over a year and am doing very well on it. After the first couple of months, I had a lot of hair loss and got very emotional, but my doctor reassured me that it would stop and grow back and he was right. My dose has varied between 50mg a day up to 150mg a day. Right now I am very healthy and taking only 50mg. It seems to have worked very well for me and the only side effects I notice seem to be low energy level (but I'm also a Kindergarten teacher, so that might be why as well ). My doctor said that he has a lot of patients on 6mp who have been on it for many years and are all doing quite well, so as long as it keeps working for me, I'll stay on it. As far as side effect go for this one, I think they are pretty low. I hope it works as well for you as it has for me.

 

[jami]

I have been on the 6MP for several years, when I was first diagnosed with CD they had me on this along with pentasa and the combo of those made me lose my hair also. So, I went off all meds cuz the crown of my head was completely bald, but just being on the 6MP, I havent lost any hair. I use this and getting ready to start the cimzia shot tomorrow, was on humira and started having a flare up for about the past month. On prednisone till the shot kicks in. I have had no side effects with the 6mp by itself....labs need to be checked at least every 3 months...hope it works for ya!!