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Starting 6-MP and kinda scared!
- Thread starter Colt45m
- Start date
Colt, My son started 6mp 7 months ago and I can completely relate to your feelings. They should monitor you very closely with blood work. They will do a blood test before you start to make sure you have an enzyme that will break down they drug in your system. Once you start it they will do another blood test a week or two later that will check liver enzymes, among other things. The 6 mp effected my sons liver so they cut the dose in half and added allopurinol which helps him break it down. He had no physical side effects from this, it just showed up in the blood work. He is doing great now and is in remission. Just make sure your doctor is doing regular blood work. Once you are stable it should be checked every 3 months. I hope everything goes well for you. 6mp has worked great so far for us. 
Do you mind sharing how you find it better than Aza? I have an appointment with my GI on Friday and he is talking about putting me on Aza so it would be good to be prepared with the options!Hello colt, I started 6mp a week ago, had my first blood test and so far it's a lot better then azathiroprine. I hope it goes well for you, and if their doing regular bloodtests, then you should be fine. Best wishes
Hi Bid, I personally HATED aza, from the first week. I wasn't throwing up like some, but I had nausea, and within a day of taking it, I just felt 'unwell'. My specialist kept saying it takes 6 months to fully begin to work for the crohns, so after starting and stopping several times, I began to have colitis issues as well as the crohns last year, and after my second hosp visit, I thought id try and stay on it long term.
Within 5 min of being in the sun, I felt like I was burning, like hours with no sunscreen on a 40c day. My crohns didn't improve on it, and during the summer I stopped taking aza, but it takes 6 months to fully leave your system, and even now I don't feel well out in the sun.
I realize 6mp is used for cancer, but so far, I can honestly say I don't feel half as unwell on it, as on aza.
Best wishes...and don't let me put you off, there are many taking aza for crohns, and prob not 200mg, so if you start on 50-100, and feel unwell, you can always stop and try something else. Im really looking foward to humira at the end of this month, though there may be side effects, I would love to not go through 2rolls of toilet paper a day. Lol.
Let me know how you go. Xoxo
i have been on 6MP for over a year, my hair has thinned but that is the only side affect iv had, sometimes i feel really sick but not sure whether thats just the crohns of the med. It put me in remission!!! the first month was hard, i felt very very sick all of the time, constantly!! but that eased. its worth seeing it through, its tough, but if its the drug for you (like it is for me) and it puts you in remission, then the few weeks of nausea is sooo worth it! good luck!!!
My son's G.I. gave us instructions to have him not eat for 2 hours before he takes the 6mp and one hour after he takes it. The only time he had nausea was when we made a mistake and gave it to him an hour after eating. I was also told that it helps with the absorption of the drug. I know not everyone is given these instructions when taking 6mp, and I am not sure why but it might help with nausea.
I have taken 6mp and have not had good effects nor bad effects..knock on wood...still on it..have been for about 8 months.