Re: Is anyone on Imuran and has it helped?

[Guest guest]

: I'm familiar with Imuran only because my niece has taken it for

ulcerative colitis, which she's had since she was 17 and she's about 34 now.

She did develop some skin cancers on her head and scalp and that is one of the

side effects. She has only recently switched to Humira - she has 3 small

children and refused to take a biologic for a long time because of what she

perceived as the serious side effects; but since going on it, her UC is under

better control than it ever has been.

So, I think your doc is correct in that it probably will not help much if the

other biologics have not. Have you tried them with MTX? As I understand it,

there seems to be kind of a multiplier effect when you take MTX with a biologic

- together they work way better than either alone.

Joanna Hoelscher

[Guest guest]

Joanna,

I did take MTX with Enbrel and Humira and it didn't help the effectiveness of

either for me. I was only able to take 7.5 mg of MTX because of excessive

nausea and fatigue and eventually he just stopped it as he felt it wasn't enough

to get the benefit needed. I tried Arava and it did a number on my liver and had

to be stopped. Remicade made my joints worse and made me sick and feel faint.

Early on I was put on Sulfasalazine and found out I was highly allergic. So far

I just haven't found success with any of the meds and it's really discouraging.

This is my 2nd day of the Imuran and I have to say I feel exhausted all the

time. No nausea like the MTX, thank goodness, but definitely wiped out. I hate

to feel this will be another waste of time that will take another 3 months of my

life and leave me no better...but what else can I do?

Thanks for listening :-)

[Guest guest]

: I'm just so sorry you're having so much trouble getting relief. I

either was mis-diagnosed or Enbrel put me into what appears to be at least for

now a complete remission. I don't know which it is and there seems to be a bit

of a difference of opinion between my rheumy and my internist. But I know how I

felt when whatever was going on with me began. Within just a very short period

of time, I was having trouble walking, getting up out of a chair, and sometimes

at night would literally crawl up the stairs in order to get to bed. My sed

rate was high and my x-rays showed that I had sacroillitis - which was what

finally got my insurance company to approve Enbrel. The first 24 hours I was on

it, the swelling in my feet and legs was significantly reduced and within three

months I was back to my " normal " - which is just plain old osteoarthritis in my

other affected joints. I stayed on it for a year - went off for six months with

my rheumy's

grudging OK, then went on MTX for six months to appease her but at that point,

even she realized that I wasn't having any symptoms and my sed rate and all

other tests were normal. So, she approved my stopping all PA meds but keeps

watch over me and has me get regular testing so if something shows up, we can -

hopefully - catch it before it gets too bad.

I realize I was terribly lucky, because I can't even imagine going thru that

pain day after day with no relief in sight and every medicine I was trying

making me just feel sicker!!!! New biologics are being developed every day -

literally; that segment of the pharmaceutical industry is growing by leaps and

bounds so there is help in sight even if the current meds in some combination

don't help. I don't think Imuran is typically used for PA, though I might be

wrong; but maybe it will help you since the other " typically " used drugs

haven't. Keep posting and letting us know how it's going. There's lots of

wisdom in this group - and lots of caring.

P.S. For those extreme cases that don't respond to any of the known treatments,

there are doctors - including one here in Chicago who was one of Chicago

Magazine's Top Docs several years ago - who are beginning to get some positive

results using stem cells to treat immune system diseases. So, there are new

developments going on in several areas. Don't ever give up hope. Keep

breathing and try practicing quiet meditation for a few minutes each day. It

helps almost anything!

Joanna Hoelscher