Azathioprine

[elliejo2103]

Is anybody taking azathioprine? Should be starting it on Wednesday but how bad are the side affects??x

[PMRpro]

Everyone is a bit different, some people take it and have no side effects at all or only mild ones. Don't go into this EXPECTING to be unwell because of the side effects - wait and see!

[elliejo2103 in reply to PMRpro]

thanks x

[Fg27]

I personally could not tolerate Azathioprine. It brought on horrendous vomiting and lead to extreme weight loss. But we are all different, go into it with an open mind.

Hope it works for you xx

[elliejo2103 in reply to Fg27]

oh dear, what are you taking now? thank you xx

[Fg27 in reply to elliejo2103]

Currently on prednisone 20mg, hydroxychloroquine mycophenalate and cyclosporin which still isn't stopping the flares so am die to start Mtx next week hopefully that will work. Good luck with Aza hopefully it will work for you. Lots of people do tolerate it well. Xx

[elliejo2103 in reply to Fg27]

I was on hydroxycloroquine but it wasn't helping that is why they have changed my treatment xx

[Fg27 in reply to elliejo2103]

Well think positive, hopefully Aza will be much better for you! 😊xx

[happytulip]

Azathioprine was brilliant for my Lupus but sadly attacked my gallbladder and pancreas (a rare complication).

When I first started aza I felt sick and developed a headache within an hour of taking it but this only lasted a few days then it went away.

I would recommend taking it with your evening meal and a big glass of water, that way if you do feel a bit grotty, and there is every chance that you won't, you can go to bed and sleep it off. It really did work for my Lupus, dropped my ESR to 1!!!!

Good luck!

[elliejo2103 in reply to happytulip]

thank you and i hope you are okay now x

[Wenwen]

I took azathioprine for more than few weeks and had bad reaction. My white blood cell was very low and have to stop use it.

[elliejo2103 in reply to Wenwen]

oh god i hope you are okay now x

[Wenwen in reply to elliejo2103]

I had peumonia and went ER. I'm ok now

[juneybells]

Hi I take aza and initially was very tired but that wore off quickly now have no side effects. Everyone is different give it a go good luck

June

[elliejo2103 in reply to juneybells]

thank you

[Joy_1]

Hi,

I am on Methotrexate, but started on Azathioprine.

Aza was a walk in the park compared to MTX for me. No side effects at all. And when you look at the PIL (patient info leaflet) the list of side effects are much shorter and less nastier than MTX.

Go in with a positive attitude and fingers crossed it will do the trick for you.

I came off Aza not because of any side effects but because it did not suppress my immune system.

good luck!

[elliejo2103 in reply to Joy_1]

I was suppose to be going on Methotrexate but the hospital changed there minds as they thought that Azathioprine would be better for me x

[Joy_1 in reply to elliejo2103]

As I say I hope the Aza does the trick.

I wish the Aza had worked for me as MTX came with nausea, headaches, hair loss and mouth ulcers - boo hoo. However, nausea stopped when I started taking folic acid, headaches stopped when folk on this Forum recommended lots of water on the day you take MTX, mouth ulcers stopped when I used saline and hair loss stopped of its own accord.

So even if you have some side effects from the Aza which I hope you don't then come back to the Forum and ask as there's often a solution. My Consultant did not have a solution for the mouth ulcers but my Pharmacist did.

Joy x

[Scout68]

My daughter started out on Methotrexate which was not successful for her. She now takes Azathioprine with no major ill effects. Everyone is unique and as we have discovered, finding the right medication for you can take a while...I hope it works well for you too! X

[elliejo2103 in reply to Scout68]

Thank you very much!x