Azathioprine for Rheumatoid Arthritis User Reviews
Brand names: Imuran, Azasan
Azathioprine has an average rating of 4.1 out of 10 from a total of 10 reviews for the treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis. 30% of reviewers reported a positive experience, while 60% reported a negative experience.
Reviews for Azathioprine
- Anonymous
- Taken for 1 to 2 years
- November 7, 2012
Imuran (azathioprine) "I was on a steroid previously however due to the fact that I was constantly getting bacterial & viral infections and putting on a lot of weight, the doctor took me off the steroid and prescribed Imuran. So far it is working out better than the steroid."
- Soho
- Taken for less than 1 month
- May 24, 2018
Imuran (azathioprine) "I was put on Imuran for RA and RA-ILD ( Rheumatoid arthritis, Interstitial lung disease). As another mentioned, this drug is not widely used for RA nor is it widely accepted as a treatment for ILD caused by RA. My docs are hoping to cover both bases with one drug. So far the side effects are monstrous. Willing to go back on a 'regularly prescribed' RA med and hope for the best in the lung flare ups."
- Lucky
- Taken for 1 to 6 months
- July 22, 2019
"Started on low dose of Imuran ... 50 mg. Was breathing much better after a 3 weeks of blood tests, Dr thought it was okay to increase dose. Went to 100 mg ... couple weeks later joint and muscle pain worsened, shortness of breath, just miserable. Dr said it would take time needed 6 - 8 weeks for medication to work. Increased dose to 150 mg a week ago. I feel horrible. I have described side effects to Dr. No luck ... what to do? I'm very tempted to just stop taking this medication. I feel horrible!"
- BKano
- Taken for 1 to 6 months
- October 12, 2016
"I started taking this medicine to help with my breathing issues caused by RA. The first thing I notices was a mild headache, joint pain had increased and both hands and feet were swollen, but I was told to give it a couple of weeks to adjust to the medicine. During week 2/3 my breathing got worse and I had a hard time lying on my back without chest pain, I had a stronger headache than in the beginning and it got increasing worse over the weeks, and nausea and stomach craps. This medicine did nothing for me and made me feel worse, so I had to stop. good luck."
Are you taking this medicine?
- Anonymous
- Taken for 1 to 6 months
- October 19, 2012
"Doctor put me on azathioprine because I got sick from taking methotrexate for my rheumatoid arthritis. Good news is it didn't make me sick and I had no noticeable side effects / Bad news is it didn't make pain/stiffness any better than taking nothing at all. Now going to try injectable methotrexate to see if that will work without the nausea/stomach side effects?"
- Brave...
- Taken for 2 to 5 years
- December 28, 2023
"I've been taking Azathioprine for at least two years, and it has made a world of difference. I have Mixed Connective Tissue Disease and severe joint pain. This medicine started working within two weeks and if I miss more than 3 days, the pain comes back full force. I've had absolutely no side effects. Highly recommend."
- Don...
- February 25, 2021
"Took methotrexate for 7 weeks and had to stop because of extreme fatigue and stomach issues. Doctor started me on azathioprine and I took my first 50 mg. dose about an hour before I went to bed. I refused to take it again! My sinus passages started burning after about an hour of taking it and I developed a headache that last for about 18 hours. I was extremely nauseous when I woke up and felt real lightheaded. Then there were the brutal stomach issues. I'll spare you the details:) Never again!"
- Camilla
- Taken for less than 1 month
- January 6, 2022
Imuran (azathioprine) "I've been taking Imuran for 2 weeks now to treat my inflammatory arthritis since no other drug seemed to help. I haven't noticed any improvement yet, but the nausea is unbearable. I'm not able to eat anything and I'm constantly hungry. Reminds me of my pregnancy morning sickness, though it's not as bad as methotrexate was. I've already lost a bit of weight due to this. Yesterday, started taking anti-nausea medication to be able to cope. I hope the side effects end soon and the drug helps treat my symptoms."
- TJano
- Taken for 5 to 10 years
- August 16, 2018
"Imuran has very effectively controlled my RA for the past five years. It is great to find a med other than a biologic that keeps me in remission."
Reviews may be edited to correct grammar/spelling or to remove inappropriate language and content. Reviews that appear to be created by parties with a vested interest are not published. This information is not intended to endorse any particular medication. While these reviews may be helpful, they are not a substitute for the expertise, knowledge, and judgement of healthcare professionals.
Learn more about Rheumatoid Arthritis
Care guides
Symptoms and treatments
Medicine.com guides (external)
More about azathioprine
- Check interactions
- Compare alternatives
- Pricing & coupons
- Reviews (127)
- Drug images
- Latest FDA alerts (4)
- Side effects
- Dosage information
- During pregnancy
- Drug class: antirheumatics
- Breastfeeding
- En español
Patient resources
- Azathioprine drug information
- Azathioprine (Intravenous) (Advanced Reading)
- Azathioprine (Oral) (Advanced Reading)
- Azathioprine Tablets
- Azathioprine Injection
Imuran (azathioprine) "The first two-three weeks were fine. Then I started experiencing a bad headache, the next two days fever and chills. The next evening, severe chills, weakness, dizziness, raging fever (up to 104.3) and began throwing up. It was the worst I've ever felt in my life (and that includes a hospitalization in ICU when first diagnosed). I was on the verge of calling 911. However, it eventually passed (as the medicine worked its way out of my system) and the fever subsided. My Rheumatologist ran a complete series of blood work and she said that I had an allergic reaction. Prior to starting Imuran, I had been tested for liver compatibility and the results showed that I would have no issues so I proceeded. Proceed w/extreme caution."