How do you take your Imuran?

I just started taking 100mg of Imuran last week. Getting off the Prednisone was just not working and this was the next step. My GI actually gave the choice of Imuran or Remicade, but suggested Imuran because it's easier to take and the logical next step in her opinion.

Anyways, I am taking it at night because I was worried about drowsiness/nausea. The first day I felt sick to my stomach, the next couple days I was better, but still drowsy. I am having some gas in the evening, I also stopped my Asacol as per my GI's rec. My joints are a little hurty.

How do you guys recommend I take this? Should I break up the dose over the day? What about gas and such? I haven't had that for a while. I am still on 20 mg Pred, tapering to 10 mg next week and hopefully off when this Imuran kicks in! I could use some advice. I get my bloodwork done Friday.

thanks!!!

Hey superdeejayanna,

I take 100 mg in the morning and 50 mg in the evening, when I started taking it I would vomit pretty bad for a few months but it wore off, and I got my life back.

Hope it works for you.

Take care.

Dave

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My GI says there's no medical reason to divide the dose, that you can take it all at once. So I'd say just take it whichever way works best for you.

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I take it after dinner. Did you stop the asacol cold turkey or taper?

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Tabitha (Tab)

100mg Azathioprine, 2 Fibercon, Colazal-6 a day, Acidopholis Pearls, Prilosec OTC

http://www.healingwell.com/donate
Co-Moderator UC Forum

I take mine all at once, right after dinner.  The drowsy effects of it help me get to sleep at night, though it sometimes carries on to the next day.  That's about the only side effect I've had with Imuran so far.

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same as Nathan, I take it all at night and I think it does help me sleep. Other than that no side effects........so far (knock on wood!)

one thing the hair on my legs has pretty much stopped growing.....as long as that does not happen to my head but I need to get my color touched up so I can tell it's still growing there.

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Beth, 32

I was taking it in the morning but seemed to be suffering profound drowsiness late morning. I tried taking it in the evening for a week or so, but then kind of started flaring. This was probably only due to prednisone tapering, but I went back to the morning (don't mess with something that is working!) I can handle the drowsiness. I take all 125 mg at once.

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Dx Left-sided UC Dec. 2006
Currently:
Azathioprine (Imuran) 125mg/day
Prednisone 2.5mg/day (trying to taper-started at 60 6/1)
Lialda 4/day
Multivitamin, B complex vit., fish oil, calcium, fiber supplement, probiotic

I started taking mine in the morning but like others, I would be ready to pass out in the middle of the day so i switched to taking mine at night and have had no problems. I do get headaches occasionally though...other than that I haven't noticed anyting..still waiting to see an improvement.

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Kelly, 29

Left sided UC diagnosed 1/98 age 19, Pan colitis diagnosed 1/07
Currently on 4x3 Asacol, Rowasa every other night, 15 mg pred. until immuran kicks in...
75mg Imuran starting 8/23/07---bumped to 100mg 10/8/07
Prontonix once daily for acid reflux, zofran twice daily for nausea

I did quit my Asacol cold turkey, my GI said there was no reason to continue it if I was starting the Imuran- does that seem normal?
I plan to taper my Pred down to 10mg in a week- wish me luck. This is where I always get messed up, going from 20 to 10.

I am sleeping pretty well, at least I don't have to take my sleeping pill, Imuran is taking care of that, so I think I will keep taking it at night for now.

I just started last night, and I'm only on one pill (50mg), so I probably don't apply to the orginal message. My doc did keep me on the Lialda though until I get better. The imuran takes so long to start working that it seems like you shouldn't stop stuff till it's been a few months. I plan on stopping mine ASAP, but I stopped it cold turkey a while back and got sicker. I had done some other stuff too, most likely that since I didn't get better when I started the lialda, but... My doc said you don't have to taper it, but I'm just worried about stopping it before the imuran kicks in.

Good luck with the pred taper.

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dx 4/05 with pancolitis UC after birth of my second child...