Seeking advice...Daughter recently diagnosed with Crohns...had sizable flare up...now dr's want to try Imuran...help

[turnermp]

Hi All

my 10 yr old daughter has recently been diagnosed with Crohn's and was controlled on salofalk for a period... but recently had a flare up which required hospitalisation.

Now the Dr's want to try Imuran. We are worried as there seems to be a number of adverse side affects

has anyone had similar experiences?

thanks

M

 

[krika]

imuran

Hi

I use Imuran for my Crohns. My doctor say that this is the best way to go and to stay away from cortisone, when it has a bigger risk of flares and complications. I do believe it is worth a shot, when she will be monitored and it might make her live a more normal life.
I do not know how much pain she is in or how her life is affected, but from my experience, i havent had any complications this far with this medicine and it is considered safe, when people with severe exema and other conditions also use this medicine.

Best of luck

 

[CrohnsKidMom]

Welcome to the forum! My 8 yr old son was dx'd in March this yr. We were given the choice of prednisone or EEN as first treatment and Imuran as the maintenance med, which is a common choice. I'm sure your GI will closely monitor your daughter as they did with my son. Unfortunately, my son had a bad reaction (high fevers and elevated liver enzymes), so he was switched to Methotrexate injections. He is now doing well. The side affects are scary, I know, but achieving remission is the goal. Take care!

 

[Mehita]

My son has been on it for 6 months now with no side effects. She will be monitored closely.

I just wanted to add, we kept saying no to Imuran because it scared us. Big mistake! My son was under treated and ended up having to have a small bowel resection and lost 10" of bowel. I completely regret not starting the Imuran sooner.

Best of luck to you. Let us know what you decide to do.

 

[Jmrogers4]

My son was on Imuran (azathioprine) for many years with no side effects and saw a tremendous difference in his symptoms and quality of life. My husband has been on it for about 9 years now.
There are so many things that have potential bad side effects. Have you ever read the warnings for tylenol, cold medicine? Even walking out the door there is a risk of an accident yet we do those things every day. The risk is very minor and you have to weigh it against the benefits. Untreated or undertreated Crohn's carries its own risk of complications and getting inflammation under control to allow our kids to grow and develop like their peers is important.
That being said you have to do what is right for your daughter and your family and we are here to support and answer any questions you have. Hang in there Mom. We all wish we had that crystal ball to be able to look into the future and know we are making the right decision.

 

[my little penguin]

Same here DS was on the sister drug 6-mp for eight months.
They monitor the blood closely so they can adjust meds before you see any side effects.
For DS we couldn't get a good balance of symptoms versus elevated liver numbers ( by changing the dose ). In the end the drug wasn't strong enough for him.
He started to take it at age 7.
Very easy to take and nothing major to deal with .

 

[Twiggy930]

My son has been on Imuran (azathioprine) for almost 2 years. He started taking it when he was diagnosed at the age of 10. He has had no issues with it thus far. My big gripe with it was that it takes sooooo long to work initially (about 3 months). The scary list of side effects gets easier to deal with when you see a drug working and making life better for your child.

:hang:

 

[DustyKat]

Hi turnermp and :welcome:

I am sorry to hear about your daughter and the set back she is having. :ghug:

I have two children with Crohn's and they both take Imuran. My daughter has been on it for 7 years and my son for nearly 3 years. Neither has had any problems with it and they continue to have regular blood tests to ensure all stays well.

Dusty. xxx