Azathioprine for Crohn's Disease User Reviews

• Sue...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 16, 2019

Azathioprine "Was prescribed Imuran as part of combination therapy with Inflectra after a bad flare of Crohn's that landed me in the hospital for 2 weeks. I started taking 1 tablet a day, increased to 2 after a week, then 2 1/2 after another week. Once I got to the full dose, I started to notice some stomach upset, and after a week, I started vomiting profusely and was bedridden for 3 days. Also experienced hair loss. My GI told me to stop taking it for now. Sure hope he has another idea, as clearly I can’t tolerate Imuran. I felt immediately better after stopping the drug. Good luck to anyone battling this horrible disease!"

• joe...
• February 20, 2012

Azathioprine "This pill works for me, but I'm sure everyone is different. You just have to go get blood work every 3 months while on it. I've been taking it for 5 years, and I'm doing great, just make sure you eat a small meal before you take Azasan, it can make you sick for an hour if you don't. I do recommend this pill if you have Crohn's. Ask your doctor about it and see if it is right for you."

• Fil...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• November 29, 2019

"I have been taking azathioprine for about 9 years, and 5 years ago began experiencing joint pain, intense itching, and hair loss. My doctor dismisses all these problems as not being related to medication. I'm starting to think that it's time to seek another opinion. Just wondering if anyone else had the same symptoms?"

• sco...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• March 28, 2015

Azathioprine "I've been on Imuran for about 9 years now. After trying the medicine Pentasa, where I was taking 4000 mg a day, and it still didn't control my flare-ups. This medicine has its side effects too, but I haven't experienced many other than pain in my joints recently, which is good since I've been taking Imuran for 9 years!"

• Imu...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 24, 2016

Azathioprine "Imuran seemed fine for the first couple weeks, until I got a fever of 103 degrees. My doctor instructed me to stop taking the Imuran if my temperature reached 103 degrees, so I stopped for a week or so. My temperature returned to normal, so my doctor instructed me to start Imuran again. After one day's dosage, I experienced the worst imaginable pain in my whole torso. It turns out the Imuran gave me pancreatitis. I had to spend 3 days on an IV drip in the hospital and an all-liquid diet for a week after."

• Kan...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• September 21, 2018

"Azathioprine was given to me for my Crohn's colitis after Pentasa failed to do the job at all. At first, it was horrible. Lack of energy and severe nausea after taking it. This led me to become pretty depressed, and the doctor was going to take me off of it because my blood work wasn't showing up good. However, after 2-3 months, the side effects went away, and I haven't had a problem with Crohn's at all for about 4 years! Please give this medicine a shot even if you feel awful. It will hopefully pass, and you will get relief like I did. I'd give it a 10 if it wasn't for the side effects and blood tests you'll need to take for the rest of your time on it. Oh, here's a tip that helped me too: If you get bad nausea, then try taking it with a mouthful of food. Mix it in with the food in your mouth. That helped me not get as sick."

• Jod...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 20, 2021

Azathioprine "I took Imuran many years ago. After 2 weeks on it, it gave me pancreatitis. Five days in the hospital, 4 days with nothing by mouth! It was awful! Because I was only on Imuran for two weeks (and it really was so long ago), I don't honestly remember if the medication itself helped my Crohn's. All I know is that my doctor shared with me that the Imuran could cause pancreatitis, although rare, he wanted me to be aware of the possibility. I even joked with him. I said if it's rare, it'll probably happen to me, lol, and 2 weeks to the day, it did!"

• Anonymous
• Taken for 10 years or more
• January 8, 2023

"I was experiencing a persistent bleeding issue and tried a range of medications, including high doses of prednisone. I was prescribed azathioprine, 1-50 mg twice a day, and sulfasalazine, 2-500 mg twice a day, which was in the form of easy-to-consume oral medications. Within a month, I noticed that the bleeding stopped, and my diarrhea gradually improved. However, my energy level took almost a year to fully recover. The side effects of the medication included insomnia, mild depression, and a weakened immune system due to azathioprine. Skipping doses of azathioprine is not recommended, but occasional forgetfulness shouldn't be a problem. I was advised to get recommended vaccines. Taking azathioprine with food is recommended to avoid stomach discomfort. Most of my symptoms were a result of my disease rather than the medication. I have been in control of my condition for 11 years now and attribute my recovery to dietary changes and taking a good liquid multivitamin. About five years later, after a colonoscopy, a new gastroenterologist told me that I no longer had Crohn's, but he did not have access to my previous diagnostic images."

• Nic...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 27, 2020

"I was prescribed azathioprine for my Crohn's disease. During the first month of taking this drug, I felt mildly nauseated upon taking the tablet and generally unwell. In hindsight, I think this feeling was subtly getting worse over the period to the extent that it became extreme nausea to the point where I had no appetite, and after eating a few mouthfuls, I would be sick. I read the side effects of the drug and reported this to my consultant. One evening I became very ill, however, vomiting and ultimately collapsing and having a seizure. In the hospital, they determined that my liver function was severely affected, with some residual kidney issues also evident. After a 4-day stay in the hospital and 6 weeks at home, the liver function returned. Diagnosis was toxic hepatitis caused as a side effect of this drug. I have never had any allergic reaction to anything, this drug did not suit me."

• Arr...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• May 29, 2024

"This is the only medication I have had. I had a resection and was on it for 3 years. It took 3 months to work. Unfortunately, it did make me unwell and I felt sickly at about the 2-year point. I tried to persevere but had to stop. I tried another immunosuppressant but again for only 2 weeks as this made me sick too. The side effects are the taste of chemicals."

• amb...
• January 29, 2016

Azathioprine "Took Imuran for several months. Not only did it NOT help my Crohn's disease, I developed pancreatitis and was hospitalized for three days."

• Mrs...
• June 8, 2015

Azathioprine "I have been on this medicine for over a year, and it worked really well at first. Now my hair is thinning, and I'm having joint pain."

• MrG...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• February 13, 2017

"This medicine kept my Crohn's disease in remission for almost 15 years."

• Mon...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• September 14, 2018

"High liver count! On so much medication, now I have extremely high blood pressure."