What to do when sick and on Aza/6-mp?

[Julia S]

Hi guys,
As a newbie to AZA I just wanted to know what I should do if I get sick? For example, if I feel like I have a flu, do I just wait it out as I would have done previously to Crohns, or should I tell my GI doctor that I am sick? Or find a GP? Just wondering what I should expect and how to proceed.
Thanks!

 

[ronroush7]

Hi. I would call your GI if you feel like you are getting the flu. Once when I had the flu, it lead to a flare.

 

[Julia S]

But does one need to stop taking AZA while sick? How many days do you wait before seeing a doctor about your symptoms?

 

[ronroush7]

I am not sure.

 

[my little penguin]

What we were told
Any fever 100.4F or above you call the gi office regardless
They decide if you stop meds get bloodwork or both
Any infection which requires abx you call the gi office ASAP and they determine bloodwork and/or stopping med
Any flu like symptoms you call gi office
Always get flu shot ( ***) -and not the mist(spray) this reduces risk of flu which can be deadly since immunosuppressants make you more likely to get opportunistic infections ( i.e. Pneumonia with the flu )

I can say ds had an ear infection /cellulitis etc only held mtx /humors for 48 hours after abx was started
When he had mastoiditis - no mtx or humira for over three weeks while he switched from over iv abx to oral abx

Regular cold we do not hold mtx/humors
Ds has had to get lots of blood draws from he has a high fever but we don't know why things ( turned out to be viral and bloodwork confirmed it )

Basically you need to call your gi and they will give you a list of when to call and then you will know if you need to hold meds
Every scenerio is different

 

[Julia S]

Thank you so much for your reply, my little penguin! You are always incredibly helpful around the forum! So, if I understood you correctly, if I get a fever I should call my GI, right? Does the GI then work with you to figure out what is wrong, or do you need to call a GP at the same time? Thank you so much!

 

[my little penguin]

I call both
Gi sends ds to ped and depending on what the Dx is The gi decides what extra blood tests are needed and when to hold meds ( I aslo call his Rheumo btw since both handle the humira and mtx )
Lots of calling but the system works since the ped tend to not know how to handle the heavy duty meds