Azathioprine and infections

[Susan248]

My dose of azathioprine was increased from 150mg to 200mg at the end of September 2010 - and since then I have had more infections than I care to remember - boils in my ears, 3 'sore throats' - in between the sore throats I have had mouth ulcers (ie, one week sore throat next week mouth ulcers)

and now I have got a chest infection - when I was taking the 150mg azathioprine alone I had no infections to speak of. (Allergic to penicillin) I am on the last day of erythromycin for chest infection - and coughing more than ever - I feel lousy and have a docs appointment Friday

I wonder if I should ring my consultant and ask if I should call it a day with the aza, it has however 'done its job' in bringing inflammation under control but I've been under the weather ever since !

[bobbin]

My dose of azathioprine was increased from 150mg to 200mg at the end of September 2010 - and since then I have had more infections than I care to remember - boils in my ears, 3 'sore throats' - in between the sore throats I have had mouth ulcers (ie, one week sore throat next week mouth ulcers)

and now I have got a chest infection - when I was taking the 150mg azathioprine alone I had no infections to speak of. (Allergic to penicillin) I am on the last day of erythromycin for chest infection - and coughing more than ever - I feel lousy and have a docs appointment Friday

I wonder if I should ring my consultant and ask if I should call it a day with the aza, it has however 'done its job' in bringing inflammation under control but I've been under the weather ever since !

What condition are you taking azathioprine for? And wasn't 150mg helping?

[crit care]

since azathioprine can cause immunosuppression, im guessing that the increase in dose is weakening your immune system, so making you more susceptible to infections...its a balance in controlling the inflammation and remaining infecton free!

[Susan248]

What condition are you taking azathioprine for? And wasn't 150mg helping?

Ulcerative Colitis/crohn's disease

the 150mg wasn't really helping - the increased dose is (I've been told not to reduce it)

[bobbin]

Ulcerative Colitis/crohn's disease

the 150mg wasn't really helping - the increased dose is (I've been told not to reduce it)

I see. I think you should discuss the matter with your consultant. Could be a difficult decision to make.

[crit care]

risks v benefits really! sometimes i've seen people been put on prophylactic antibiotics to prevent such infections

[sparkybw]

I also have Crohn's and I'm on Aza and Prednisolone as well. My Aza dose has just been doubled and a mouth ulcer has popped up! I find that if I'm run down physically then I get mouth ulcers. Perhaps this is what is happening to you? How are you generally, rather than simply how is your Crohns?

I take a multivitamin supplement everyday - just a bog standard Asda thing, nothing expensive! I'm also on Ferrous Sulphate. I think that both of these help. It's probably a waste of time seeing your GP as if he's anything like mine he won't do anything other than tell you to see your consultant! But you could try the vitamin/iron thing and see if that helps.

[Susan248]

chest infection is worse now

I generally feel tired and run down, GP won't touch any meds I have for inflammatory bowel disease

after the week on erythromycin - I was given a week on doxycycline - then went back and been given another week on doxycycline and an inhalor (sambutol)

no improvement at all - the coughing is making me feel faint - as soon as I cough something up - you can 'hear' it coming back - I do not have a runny nose, and now have no voice - I wonder if I should be in hospital on intravenous antibiotics?

I have another doctors appointment on Tuesday (a barium follow through on Wednesday) and a consultants appointment Thursday

I need a barium meal like a hole in the head at the minute