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Azathioprine (Imuran) - Morning or Night and some info questions.

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Ulcerative Colitis
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Posted 1/28/2012 2:43 PM (GMT -5)
For those of you taking Azathioprine (Imuran) to control your UC, do you take your pills in the morning or at night?

Why do you do so?

Also how quickly did the Azathioprine begin to improve you UC issues, days, weeks or months?

What has been your most significant side effect you can contribute to the drug itself.

On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate the effectiveness to control your UC with this drug, with 1 being not so much and 10 being couldn't live without it.

Thanks so much
Posted 1/28/2012 3:40 PM (GMT -5)
I take my pills in the morning with food. Imuran made me a bit nauseous at first, but taking with food fixed that.

Imuran helped me greatly within a month.

I have had no side effects at all in over 8 years.

I'd rate it a 10, I was getting desperate before going on Imuran, it calmed my UC down to pre-UC levels and gave me my life back, I wouldn't want to live without it.
Posted 1/28/2012 5:00 PM (GMT -5)
I'm on 6mp which is like Imuran (Imuran breaks down into 6mp in the liver - 6mp is the purer form). I started taking mine at night to help ease side effects. I was taking it in the morning but someone on here suggested I start taking it at night. I was getting nauseas, headaches, fatigue and some mild hair loss. Once my body got used to it, the side effects went away. It took about 7 weeks before I started seeing an improvement. Unfortunately I can not metabolize 6mp correctly so I would have to rate it about a 6 or 7 - it HAS kept the more severe flares at bay but I would still flare.

Some people do really well on these meds btw :)
Posted 1/28/2012 5:22 PM (GMT -5)
I am similar to Red. I never metabolized it well so it hasn't been as effective for me as it is for others. It also took a LONG time for me to get into the range where it was helpful. I take mine at night to avoid fatigue. I have been feeling much more stable since being on 6mp but I am not 100% convinced it's the 6mp that helps me because I was on it for such a long time without any results and suddenly, out of no where, I improved. I had problems with my WBC dropping too low and eventually, I had to stop the medication temporarily to wait for the counts to elevate. Eventually they did and I went back on it and now I am having similar problems. I am hoping things stay stable while my blood recovers. The most important thing is to get your blood checked regularly while you're on 6mp/Imuran.
Posted 1/28/2012 7:51 PM (GMT -5)
I take it in the morning with breakfast. Like beatUC I feel ill if I take it without food, and taking it before I leave home means I don't have to worry about forgetting it if I'm out in the evening.
Posted 1/29/2012 6:12 AM (GMT -5)
I split it into 2 doses (and always have, even when I was starting it up). I don't recall why I did so but thats how my GI practiced. Now that I am on 200, its 100 in the morning and 100 at bedtime. I never felt ill as Malkavian and beatUC mentioned. I can not really eat anything before 9am so I would pop all pills at 7am empty stomach and had no issues (but thats really not recommended).

I never had any side effect of this medication. My liver function tests have always been ok, little up and down but never far off. It started acting pretty fast and the rating for its efficacy, would rate 10.

If you are starting now, ramp up the dose SLOWLY and ask your GI to run liver function test before you up dose to next step, yes, thats EVERY WEEK till you reach the desired dose and then every 2weeks for a month and then every 3rd month. Once settled on the effective dose, once in 6 months is OK. This is how it was done with me, some GI's may practice it differently. No harm in pushing for it though (for your liver's health sake).
Posted 1/29/2012 2:35 PM (GMT -5)
I love Imuran! It's definitely not perfect, and took a while to get right, but it definitely has helped!

When I first started to take it, I took it in the morning but I started to feel sick, so I took it at night and that solved that problem!

It took me a while to get onto my 150mg dose, I was on 100mg for a while as I was still feeling a bit sick, but I have been on 150mg for a few years now and my bloods have all been fine so far! A little low on white blood cells but that's normal aparently!

I would rate Imuran 8/10, I couldn't live without it!
Posted 1/30/2012 2:36 PM (GMT -5)
I take it at night right before bed - no reason other than I would forget to take it in the morning because it is so hectic getting the kids out the door...

I saw some improvement after about 6 weeks.  I was in remission after about 10 weeks

No side effects at all for me and my blood tests look better than before I started Imuran.  I've been on it for over a year.


10 - it is the only thing that put me in remission and now it is all I take

Posted 1/30/2012 11:46 PM (GMT -5)
So far so good on the Imuran.  I have been on it for over 3 years and it has served me well.   I take it at night to avoid any fatigue.  I never really felt any tiredness but my gi doc suggested at night so that's when I take it.  It took about 4 weeks for it to kick in.  I could tell because my blood counts corrected.  They were extremely elevated when I got on it and week after week it normalized.  I have no real issues while on it and it put me into a real solid remission.  My last colonoscopy was clear from top to bottom.  I rate it a 9/10.  I just don't taking any meds and it is the only one i take at present along with an occasional canasa.

 

MyUC

Posted 1/31/2012 10:02 PM (GMT -5)
I take it at night.  I've only been on it for about 6 weeks.  No side effects until around the 4 week point.  Tired, nauseous occasionally, liver enzymes up a little - not much. 

I haven't really been on it long enough to rate it - but it allowed me to get off prednisone. 

If you're just starting it, or considering, make sure you keep up with the labs.  It's a pain, but important.  Mine were also weekly, then 2x/month, etc.

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