Azathioprine is a medication used to treat certain diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis or organ transplant rejection. It works by reducing the activity of the immune system to prevent it from attacking the body's own tissues or transplanted organs.
Full definition
Anaplastic Large - Cell Lymphoma T Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase - Positive Associated With Crohn's Disease Undergoing Treatment
With Azathioprine: A Case Report
This means steroids in high doses and other drugs such
as azathioprine, cytarabine, mycophenolate, cyclosporin, and cyclophosphamide.
Symptoms
of azathioprine overdose include bleeding, bruising, loss of appetite, and vomiting.
Drugs
include azathioprine (Imuran, Azasan), mycophenolate (CellCept), leflunomide (Arava) and methotrexate (Trexall).
As a consequence
unconverted azathioprine builds up in their bone marrow, killing developing white blood cells and leaving the individual vulnerable to infection.
Some variants of the gene encoding TPMT mean individuals can not do this conversion, and this is when the unconverted
azathioprine builds up in their bone marrow.
The conversion of
azathioprine into its active form is catalysed by an enzyme called thiopurine S - methyltransferase (TPMT).
You can try tolower the prednisone dosage by
adding azathioprine (Imuran Rx) as asecondary agent, or you might find that there is some success usingsulfasalazine (Azulfidine Rx) or tylosin (Tylan Rx), although I am underthe impression that the latter two medications are not as effective ineosinophilic inflammatory bowel disease as in other forms.
Elion also
discovered azathioprine, an immunosuppressant that made it possible for people with weak immune systems to receive organ transplants.
The actvity of my Crohn «s disease has turned to zero, currently I am still
on Azathioprine, but I will also try to stop taking it soon.
People with rheumatoid arthritis can have a genetic test to see
if azathioprine will be an effective treatment for them.
The known predisposing causes are obesity, high fat diets, ingestion of large amounts of fats as a novel event (like a dog getting into a bag of chocolate candy), hyperlipidemia (common problem in schnauzers), long term use of corticosteroids, Cushing's disease, drug reactions (
azathioprine sometimes triggers pancreatitis), blood clotting disorders and trauma.
When these drugs are used,
usually azathioprine as a last resort, they may only have a 50 percent chance of success.
My dog korkie receives 2 ml (10MG) of
azathioprine liquid every other day as treatment for a immunosuppresive disorder.
In
dogs azathioprine can be used to treat inflammatory bowel disease, immune mediated anemia, colitis, immune mediated skin disease, certain types of kidney disease, lupus, and rheumatoid arthritis.
Azathioprine needs to be tapered off over several months according to your veterinarian's directions.
Most dogs can be started on an immunosuppressive dose of prednisone (2 mg / kg / day); when the infectious disease testing is confirmed negative, add
oral Azathioprine (2 mg / kg / day).
For patients with Crohn's disease, researchers found a significantly higher risk of cervical neoplasia in patients diagnosed at a young age and in patients treated
with azathioprine.
These might include drugs such
as azathioprine and / or cyclophosphamide, and new medications may be brought on the market as well.
The addition of anti-inflammatory drugs like, sulfasalizine or
azathioprine into the canine colitis prescription diet helps to promote rapid recovery from clinical signs.
Tell your veterinarian if your pet is being
given azathioprine, COX 2 inhibitors (Deramaxx or Previcox), cyclosporine (Atopica), diuretics (furosemide, Salix), beta blockers (atenolol), and other blood pressure medications, insulin, NSAIDS (Rimadyl or Novox), Potassium salts, aspirin (Vetrin), and sulfonamides (SMZ / TMP).
The medications most suspected of causing pancreatitis
include azathioprine (Imuran Rx), potassium bromide (used for seizure control), l - asparaginase (a chemotherapeutic agent) and zinc used as a dietary supplement.
The usual dose
of azathioprine can vary and is dependent on the type of condition being treated.
Research on antimetabolites of nucleic acid purines led to drugs for the treatment of acute leukemia (6 - mercaptopurine and thioguanine), gout and hyperuricemia (allopurinol), and herpesvirus infections (acyclovir), and for the prevention of organ transplant rejection (
azathioprine).
Subsequent research, performed in both Crohn's disease and rheumatoid arthritis, indicated that TNF antagonists work best when: 1) used in combination with antimetabolites (e.g.,
azathioprine, methotrexate) and 2) introduced early in the course of the disease.
Before being given the drug
azathioprine, people with rheumatoid arthritis can now be tested to find out which variant of the TPMT gene they possess and whether azathioprine will be an effective treatment for them.
Azathioprine is an immunosuppressant, which means that it dampens the activity of the body's immune system.
• NSAIDs such as ibuprofen (Advil and Motrin) and naproxen (Aleve) • Corticosteroids • DMARDs such as methotrexate (Trexall) and leflunomide (Arava) • Biologic therapies (TNF - alpha blockers) such as adalimumab (Humira), etanercept (Enbrel), and infliximab (Remicade • Immunosuppressants such as cyclosporine (Neoral, Gengraf, Sandimmune) and
azathioprine (Imuran)
Do not take Alfalfa without first talking to your doctor if you are taking:
Azathioprine (examples: Imuran), Cyclosporine (examples: Sandimmune, Neoral, Sang Cya), blood - thinning medicines (examples: warfarin (Coumadin) and Prednisone.
Corticosteroids and
azathioprine have been prospectively evaluated and found to have little effect.
They are cyclosporine and
azathioprine, two powerful anti-cancer medications.
If none of these medications successfully controls the symptoms of IBD, more potent immunosuppressive drugs, such as chlorambucil or
azathioprine, may be necessary.
Azathioprine can be absorbed through the skin.
Azathioprine may be given with food or without food.