Imuran / azathioprine
Some commonly used brand names
are:
In the U.S.—
In
Canada—
Generic
name product may be available in the U.S.
Azathioprine
(ay-za-THYE-oh-preen) belongs to the group of medicines known as
immunosuppressive agents. It is used to reduce the body's natural immunity in patients
who receive organ transplants. It is also used to treat rheumatoid arthritis.
Azathioprine may also be used for other conditions as determined by your
doctor.
Azathioprine
is a very strong medicine. You and your doctor should talk about the need for
this medicine and its risks. Even though azathioprine may cause side effects
that could be very serious, remember that it may be required to treat your
medical problem.
Azathioprine
is available only with your doctor's prescription, in the following dosage
forms:
In
deciding to use a medicine, the risks of taking the medicine must be weighed
against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make.
For azathioprine, the following should be considered:
Allergies—Tell your doctor if you have ever had any
unusual or allergic reaction to azathioprine. Also tell your health care
professional if you are allergic to any other substances, such as foods,
preservatives, or dyes.
Pregnancy—Use of azathioprine is not recommended
during pregnancy. It may cause birth defects if either the male or the female
is using it at the time of conception. The use of birth control methods is
recommended. If you have any questions about this, check with your doctor.
Breast-feeding—Azathioprine passes into breast milk.
Because this medicine may cause serious side effects, breast-feeding is
generally not recommended while you are using it.
Children—This medicine has been tested in children
and, in effective doses, has not been shown to cause different side effects or
problems than it does in adults.
Older
adults—Many medicines
have not been studied specifically in older people. Therefore, it may not be
known whether they work exactly the same way they do in younger adults.
Although there is no specific information comparing use of azathioprine in the
elderly with use in other age groups, this medicine is not expected to cause
different side effects or problems in older people than it does in younger
adults.
Dental—The effects of azathioprine may cause
increased infections and delayed healing. Dental work, whenever possible,
should be completed prior to beginning this medicine.
Other
medicines—Although
certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two
different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In
these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may
be necessary. When you are taking or receiving azathioprine it is especially
important that your health care professional know if you are taking any of the
following:
Other
medical problems—The
presence of other medical problems may affect the use of azathioprine. Make
sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:
Use
this medicine only as directed by your doctor . Do not use more or less of it, and do not use it more
often than your doctor ordered. The exact amount of medicine you need has been
carefully worked out. Taking too much may increase the chance of side effects,
while taking too little may not properly treat your condition.
This
medicine is sometimes given together with certain other medicines. If you are
using a combination of medicines, make sure that you take each one at the
proper time and do not mix them up. Ask your health care professional to help
you plan a way to remember to take your medicines at the right times.
Do
not stop taking this medicine without first checking with your doctor .
Azathioprine
sometimes causes nausea or vomiting. Taking this medicine after meals or at
bedtime may lessen stomach upset. Ask your health care professional for other
ways to lessen these effects.
If
you vomit shortly after taking a dose of azathioprine, check with your doctor.
You will be told whether to take the dose again or to wait until the next
scheduled dose.
Dosing—The dose of azathioprine will be
different for different patients. Follow your doctor's orders or the directions
on the label. The following information includes only the average doses of
azathioprine. If your dose is different, do not change it unless your
doctor tells you to do so.
The
number of doses you take each day, the time allowed between doses, and the
length of time you take the medicine depend on the medical problem for which
you are taking azathioprine
.
Missed
dose—If you miss a dose
of this medicine and your dosing schedule is:
Storage—To store this medicine:
It
is very important that your doctor check your progress at regular visits to make sure that this medicine is
working properly and to check for unwanted effects.
While
you are being treated with azathioprine, and after you stop treatment with it, it
is important to see your doctor about the immunizations (vaccinations) you
should receive. Do not get any immunizations without your doctor's approval
. Azathioprine lowers your body's resistance to infections. For some
immunizations, there is a chance you might get the infection the immunization
is meant to prevent. For other immunizations, it may be especially important to
receive the immunization to prevent a disease. In addition, other persons
living in your household should not take oral polio vaccine since there is a
chance they could pass the polio virus on to you. Also, avoid persons who have
recently taken oral polio vaccine. Do not get close to them, and do not stay in
the same room with them for very long. If you cannot take these precautions,
you should consider wearing a protective face mask that covers the nose and
mouth.
Azathioprine
can temporarily lower the number of white blood cells in your blood, increasing
the chance of getting an infection. It can also lower the number of platelets,
which are necessary for proper blood clotting. If this occurs, there are
certain precautions you can take, especially when your blood count is low, to
reduce the risk of infection or bleeding:
Along
with its needed effects, a medicine may cause some unwanted effects. Some side
effects will have signs or symptoms that you can see or feel. Your doctor will
watch for others by doing certain tests.
Also,
because of the way this medicine acts on the body, there is a chance that it
might cause other unwanted effects that may not occur until months or years
after the medicine is used. These delayed effects may include certain types of
cancer, such as leukemia, lymphoma, or skin cancer. However, the risk of cancer
seems to be lower in people taking azathioprine for arthritis. Discuss these
possible effects with your doctor.
Check with
your doctor as soon as possible if any of the following side effects occur:
More
common
Cough or
hoarseness; fever or chills; lower back or side pain; painful or difficult
urination; unusual tiredness or weakness
Less
common
Black, tarry
stools; blood in urine or stools; pinpoint red spots on skin; unusual bleeding
or bruising
Rare
Fast
heartbeat; fever (sudden); muscle or joint pain; nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea
(severe); redness or blisters on skin; shortness of breath; sores in mouth and
on lips; stomach pain; swelling of feet or lower legs; unusual feeling of
discomfort or illness (sudden)
This
medicine may also cause the following side effect that your doctor will watch
for:
Less
common
Liver
problems
For patients
taking this medicine for rheumatoid arthritis :
Other
side effects may occur that usually do not need medical attention. These side
effects may go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine.
However, check with your doctor if any of the following side effects continue
or are bothersome:
More
common
Loss of
appetite; nausea or vomiting
Less
common
Skin rash
After
you stop using this medicine, it may still produce some side effects that need
attention. During this period of time check with your doctor as soon as
possible if you notice any of the following:
Black,
tarry stools; blood in urine; cough or hoarseness; fever or chills; lower back
or side pain; painful or difficult urination; pinpoint red spots on skin;
unusual bleeding or bruising
Other
side effects not listed above may also occur in some patients. If you notice
any other effects, check with your doctor.
Once
a medicine has been approved for marketing for a certain use, experience may
show that it is also useful for other medical problems. Although these uses are
not included in product labeling, azathioprine is used in certain patients with
the following medical conditions:
Other
than the above information, there is no additional information relating to
proper use, precautions, or side effects for these uses.
Revised:
12/03/98
Note: The information contained herein has
been devised without reference to cultural, dietary, societal, language,
prescribing or dispensing conditions (including those imposed by law), other
than those of the United States, which might affect the information provided.
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