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anti-nausea meds for Imuran

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MizBee
Regular Member
Joined : Jul 2013
Posts : 25
Posted 7/10/2013 12:55 PM (GMT -7)
Hae anyone treid anti-nausea meds for Imuran? I am nauseous most of the day. No vomiting and able to eat, but really have to force myself to face food. Suggestions? confused confused
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Red_34
Forum Moderator
Joined : Apr 2004
Posts : 23581
Posted 7/10/2013 5:52 PM (GMT -7)
If you want to go OTC you can try ginger, Emetrol or Cola Syrup.

Or you can call your GI and ask for prescription Zofran. But that makes you sleepy and it has a constipating effect.
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Andrina
Veteran Member
Joined : Aug 2011
Posts : 3693
Posted 7/10/2013 6:13 PM (GMT -7)
I tried phenergan and zofran and both didn't work for me. Zofran still made me vomit and phenergan made me sleepy which I can't afford while at work. I don't eat very well either. I just keep myself up with saltine crackers and lots of fluids.
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Valvenus
New Member
Joined : Feb 2013
Posts : 12
Posted 7/10/2013 7:46 PM (GMT -7)
Imuran made me super sick to my stomach too. I chewed on ginger root. Someone suggested I take it at night. I started taking it after dinner, before bed. No More Nausea!!! Try changing your dose time.
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Andrina
Veteran Member
Joined : Aug 2011
Posts : 3693
Posted 7/10/2013 7:52 PM (GMT -7)
It doesn't make a difference at what time I take it I'm always nauseous.
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Sara14
Veteran Member
Joined : Mar 2007
Posts : 6235
Posted 12/4/2019 7:50 AM (GMT -7)
I'm thinking about stopping taking this med. I am over feeling like crap constantly. I've only been on it 2.5 weeks. But I feel mildly nauseous every day for most of the day. I take it with food and at night, doesn't matter. Would cutting my dose down help? He started me at 150 mg. Now I'm scared to take Zofran since I've been on the constipated side (not sure if it's related to Zofran or not).
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CCinPA
Veteran Member
Joined : Dec 2014
Posts : 1572
Posted 12/4/2019 11:09 AM (GMT -7)
When I was on it I was told that the nausea would eventually go away. I never got to that point since my LFTs went sky high after about 6 weeks and I had to stop taking it
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Sara14
Veteran Member
Joined : Mar 2007
Posts : 6235
Posted 12/4/2019 12:15 PM (GMT -7)
I ended up taking Zofran this morning and it helped (doesn't always seem to work). What does LFT stand for? Trying to wait for nausea to go away for 6 weeks would be a long time!
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Sara14
Veteran Member
Joined : Mar 2007
Posts : 6235
Posted 12/4/2019 12:36 PM (GMT -7)
I just called to get a refill of my Zofran and CVS just informed me my insurance will only pay for 36 pills in a 60-day period and I can't get anymore until Jan. 10. They mostly gave me the ones you have to swallow last time so that's what I have at home mostly because I used most of the sublingual ones, which are the ones that I want because when you feel like you're going to puke, who wants to wait over an hour for a pill to kick in? Why would my insurance pay thousands of dollars for biologics but limit me on freaking Zofran?
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Sara14
Veteran Member
Joined : Mar 2007
Posts : 6235
Posted 12/4/2019 12:52 PM (GMT -7)
Talked to BCBS. Have to get a prior approval for Zofran now if I want more. :/
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CCinPA
Veteran Member
Joined : Dec 2014
Posts : 1572
Posted 12/4/2019 6:13 PM (GMT -7)
Insurance ... love it and hate. They are such a pain to work with, but I am sooooo thankful to have it. What would any of us do without it? Die most likely :/

LFT = Liver Function Tests
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/liver_function_tests
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Andrina
Veteran Member
Joined : Aug 2011
Posts : 3693
Posted 12/5/2019 4:01 AM (GMT -7)
I know I already made comments here. But what really helped me during that time back then and now since I restarted the imuran is ginger. I get the one that's already in a tube and eat it by the spoons. Really good ginger ale helps too. It's my go to instant relief when I'm nauseous. I hope you get it all sorted out with your insurance Sara.
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Sara14
Veteran Member
Joined : Mar 2007
Posts : 6235
Posted 12/5/2019 7:21 AM (GMT -7)
Ah, liver function tests. Thanks. So far, I have just had CBC checked weekly.

My doctor said to give it another week or two and if I still feel crappy, we can decrease the dosage or switch to something else.

I really doubt ginger would help me but thank you for the suggestion! I had mild nausea for about a year that would only last about 20 minutes every day after first getting diagnosed and I tried ginger chews back then and they didn't do anything.
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CCinPA
Veteran Member
Joined : Dec 2014
Posts : 1572
Posted 12/5/2019 10:15 AM (GMT -7)
I am surprised your doc isn't checking the LFTs along with the CBC. My CBC was normal when the LFTs jumped really high. High LFTs can happen with Imuran and if it happens you have to stop taking them. I even had the test to see if I would be able to take Imuran before I started and that test said all was well. But apparently my body had other ideas once it got the drug.
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Sara14
Veteran Member
Joined : Mar 2007
Posts : 6235
Posted 12/5/2019 10:51 AM (GMT -7)
It surprised me too. I got a CMP done prior to starting on it. Maybe it's something he will be checking less often. Another question for him. Lol.
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Sara14
Veteran Member
Joined : Mar 2007
Posts : 6235
Posted 12/6/2019 9:11 AM (GMT -7)
BlueCross just denied my prior approval request for Zofran. They said I can only get it if I'm on radiation. I just screamed at the lady on the phone because I got so mad. I am freaking out
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Sara14
Veteran Member
Joined : Mar 2007
Posts : 6235
Posted 12/6/2019 9:16 AM (GMT -7)
I told her you guys can either pay for some zofran or for me to get my colon removed. She told me I can file some letter and fill out all these forms and submit all my medical records to try to get it covered but I don't even understand what I'm supposed to write in the letter. my nausea was so bad this morning that I didn't know if I was going to make it to my appointment for my stress fracture because I had to drive 45 minutes away.
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Sara14
Veteran Member
Joined : Mar 2007
Posts : 6235
Posted 12/6/2019 9:38 AM (GMT -7)
I stopped into my doctor's office and I guess he is already on top of it! I like him even more now. Insurance was telling me I'm the one who has to fill out this letter, but I guess he is doing it so that's cool. BCBS is really freaking unhelpful and unempathetic.
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momto2boys
Veteran Member
Joined : Jun 2013
Posts : 2358
Posted 12/6/2019 12:05 PM (GMT -7)
I found it made me feel crappy for about 3 weeks and then slowly went away. I would make sure you get a CMP and a CBC regularly to check liver and kidneys as well as white blood cell count. I started on a really low dose and after 4 weeks with good blood work, we doubled it. I had nausea with the increased dose as well at first.
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Sara14
Veteran Member
Joined : Mar 2007
Posts : 6235
Posted 12/6/2019 12:25 PM (GMT -7)
Thank you, that is reassuring. I'm almost at the 3-week mark on it (tomorrow). He started me at the full dose (150 mg). He has me getting CBC drawn every week for the first month, then once monthly for 3 months, then every 3 months. I'll have to ask him about the CMP, but I looked it up online and the only thing it says to monitor in the medication leaflet is CBC. Not saying you guys are wrong because obviously a lot of people also get their liver function monitored, but maybe he was going to do that less often? I'll ask, regardless.

My WBC is steadily going down every week. It was 8.4 today. Still well within normal range. MCV steadily going up every week. It's at 100 this week. It's really kind of neat to see my numbers every week. Not looking forward to my hospital bills though...
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Sara14
Veteran Member
Joined : Mar 2007
Posts : 6235
Posted 12/16/2019 6:44 AM (GMT -7)
I can't decide if I should keep taking Imuran or not. It's now been a month of being miserable daily, not from my UC, but mostly from nausea/queasiness (I've had that every single day except ONE in the past month) to the point where i can't exercise or really do anything. Yeah, it doesn't last all day, it comes and goes, but it's making me depressed to think this is my life now? This isn't a life. I'm debating not filling the refill. I don't even know if it is or will do anything helpful and has a potential deadly side effects of cancer, so it's hard to keep wanting to take this. There have been a few nights where I sat bawling looking at the pill bottle because i felt like I was poisoning myself and I didn't want to take it.

How soon after stopping would nausea go away? I'm not 100% sure it's the Imuran causing this but fairly certain.
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iPoop
Forum Moderator
Joined : Aug 2012
Posts : 16194
Posted 12/16/2019 7:18 AM (GMT -7)
If you experience initial-nausea from taking Imuran it might last 2-4 weeks or so from the first pill. It varies.

Not sure what to tell you, depends how bad the nausea is and whether you want to soldier-through or are just not dealing with it and have to stop. Certainly, do mention this to your doctor and talk with him/her about what you are experiencing. Some try prescription Zofran to take care of the initial nausea when experiencing it. For some the nausea is so bad they stop the med.

Are you taking the Imuran just before bed with a light snack?
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Sara14
Veteran Member
Joined : Mar 2007
Posts : 6235
Posted 12/16/2019 7:23 AM (GMT -7)
Yeah, it's been a month already. Yep, I am taking it before bed with food. That does nothing. I cannot take this anymore.
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Sara14
Veteran Member
Joined : Mar 2007
Posts : 6235
Posted 12/16/2019 7:26 AM (GMT -7)
And yeah, I've already been taking Zofran. I believe that to be the cause of my constipation (so now I am dependent on Miralax to have a semi-decent BM) and my insurance won't pay for more than 35 pills for 90 days so I have to pay full price (which is insanely expensive...it's $250 for 10 pills) or go without. Plus, it helps sometimes but it doesn't completely help.

This is affecting my mood big-time. And I'm starting to forget what it's even like to feel normal. I did tell my doctor a week ago. He said try to hold on for another week or two and if it doesn't stop we can reduce the dose or try something else. Aren't I just going to feel like crap on 6-mp too? I'm literally crying thinking about having to take another dose of Imuran. I've never been non-compliant with any of my UC meds before. I always take what is prescribed. :/ But I just feel so awful.
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iPoop
Forum Moderator
Joined : Aug 2012
Posts : 16194
Posted 12/16/2019 7:38 AM (GMT -7)
Well Imuran metabolizes into 6MP within your body. Taking 6MP saves a step. Unlikely the results would be any different.

Two options:
1.) Try lowering the dose for a day or two, if you can stand it. See if that helps.
2.) Just stop taking it and see if it improves.
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