Treatment

Hi i have had crohns for ten years now and going through a rough patch at the moment. It all flared up in February have had mri scan endless trips to hospital. I have now been put on Azathioprine just wondered if anyone else is on these and what experience have they had on them as they seem quite a strong drug. I am now going for a colonoscopy and biopsy never had this done before so quite nervous about this so any advice from anyone. One thing i have to say is all the wonderful care i have had from the nurses, doctors and all i have had contact with at the hospital and doctors.

Hi cat and :welcome:

Lots of people here have had the tests you will be going for and also many are or have been on Imuran, so heaps of first hand experience.

My daughter has been on a maintenance dose of Imuran for 4 years now and it has kept her in remission with no apparent side effects.

Welcome aboard and glad you could join us.

All the best,
Dusty

Welcome to the forum Cat, I'm amazed you were ever dxed w/o ever having a colonoscopy. You'll find a great deal of info on here and people who know exactly what you are going through. Good luck!!

Hi Cat. I am still undiagnosed and only on Asacol at the moment so cant advise about the drugs. I did have a colonoscopy a couple of months ago though. I too was so worried about it (and it was before I'd found this site so had no idea what to expect!). I think the prep before hand was the hardest thing. I was on something called klean-prep. It had me running to the toilet pretty much all the time. I found adding some squash to it made it easier to drink. I'm not very good with medical things so when I went for my colonoscopy I was really nervous. Then the nurse explained exactly what they were going to do and I nearly fainted! However the actual test was not that bad at all! (I swear!) I was given an injection that makes you feel a bit fuzzy but you're still awake kind of like being drunk I guess. Due to this its hard to remember the procedure but I did watch it all on the big screen, even the biopsies. This is something I'd never do with out the aid of the drugs. So please try not to worry too much and ask the nurse/doctor anything. Hope it all goes ok for you.
Sam

I have been on aza for six months now. No problems so far. Just stay on top of your blood work.

My first colonoscopy was a little stressful, but after it was over, I was very relieved and it wasn't as bad as I thought. They will take lots of biopsies while they are doing this and you should get some better answers.

Welcome cat! Sorry to hear the recent troubles but you will find many people have gone through similar procedures and taken azathioprine.

The colonoscopy may seem to be a scary procedure but it is very common and quite painless (especially if u take medication that might allow you to sleep through the whole thing). As this will give the specialist a good view of your bowel, it will likely help a lot in their understanding of your condition.


Good luck withe the procedure and please keep us updated.

Hi Cat
and welcome

I can't really remember my scope, only that I was relaxed and chilled, it didn't hurt and I watched it on the big screen which was fab!
I was put on Azathioprine 5 years ago, but was allergic to it within 3 months, it brought me out in hives!
so good luck with the scope and the Aza, glad you found us, lots of friends here for you and support too!
lotsa luv
Joan xxx

Hi Cat,

I've been on Imuran for nearly a year now and I love it, except for the weight gain. I asked my doc about the weight gain and he says when you feel better you tend to eat...too simple right!

Do the blood work religiously!

Good luck.

Hi Cat and welcome.

I had a colonoscopy and a gastroscopy in the same session just a couple of months ago and I was quite anxious about it. I was given a nice sedative that kept me awake but relaxed and floaty and I watched the procedure on the screen. It was interesting but I wasn't aware enough to remember much about it, not even when they took biopsies. But what I do remember is that it wasn't the terrible procedure I had imagined and if I have to do it again I won't be so nervous.

I'm not sure if everyone's experience is the same but I hope it helps to ease any anxiety you may have.