PURINETHOL Reviews (MERCAPTOPURINE)Average Rating: 3.5 (315 Ratings)Filter ResultsCompare PURINETHOL with similar:
Type: Rx Drug
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Results are sorted by Date added. Key to Ratings: 1=LOW (I would not recommend taking this medicine.) |
More on PURINETHOL: Reviews Summary | Drug Safety Information
| RATING | REASON | SIDE EFFECTS FOR PURINETHOL | COMMENTS | SEX | AGE | DURATION/ DOSAGE | DATE ADDED |
| 5 | crohn's disease | My son experienced no side effects in the last two years. He has gained thirty pounds and has grown considerably,. | our concern right now are the long term effects of this medication. We want to know how long is it safe to be on 6mp. I'd like to hear from someone else who's child has been on this medication and what they are being told. | M | 13 | 2 years | 10/24/2003 | 4 | crohn's | Occasional dizzy medicated feeling. Tired at times, with some ringing of the ears. | I was introduced to this drug after Asacol and Prednisone had little or no effect on flares. I have been flare free for 4 months now. It took a couple of months to reach full remmision. Currently taking 50MG daily along with 2400MG of Asacol and folic acid. Blood is drawn monthly to watch the white count. A small price to pay for being normal. The only reason I did not rate it as 5 is due to the side effects of tiredness and the medicated or dizzy feeling I occasionly have. | M | 43 | 6 months | 10/22/2003 | 4 | Crohn's | I have only suffered from fatigue as a result of taking this. Colds or viruses also last longer. | I have suffered with Crohn's since I was 16, but the doctors misdiagnosed me with IBS. I suffered for 11 years before I developed a fistula between my small intestine and bladder. They then discovered that I had Crohn's and that over a foot of my small intestine was diseased. I had surgery and they removed the bad part of my intestine along with the valve inbetween the large and small intestine. Before the surgery, life was terrible and I couldn't eat anything that wouldn't bring on rediculously bad bloating and cramps. Since the surgery, I have been great and have been able to eat almost anything. The only down side to this drug is that I always feel tired and colds last a couple weeks longer. Overall, I recommend it so far. I take 125 mg a day. | M | 27 | 6 months | 10/21/2003 | 5 | Ulcerative Colitis | The only side effects I have noticed are some small rashes that disappeared after using topical cortisone, joint pain and possible weight gain. The weight gain may be due to increased appetite after losing weight from the flare up that I had for six months. It's amazing that I take 1 and 1/2 pills every morning instead of 3 asacol, predisone and flagyl. I keep waiting for a flare-up. This seems to work for me, at least for now. | I really would like to know more about this drug. My only concern is that it is a strong medicine given to cancer patients. I trust my doctor completely, I just like to educate myself. | F | 55 | 3.5 days | 10/15/2003 | 1 | CROHNS | None, I am not going to take this medication, and hope I will never feel the need to start taking it. | I was diagnosed with Crohn's at fourteen after having stomach discomfort which I had ignored for a year and a half. I think being diagnosed this early is what has saved me from some of the horror stories I have read here. I've been on prednisone, zantac, prilosec, entocort and pentasa. My doctor suggested I start taking purinethol. He told me a few of the side effects and I hesitated to take this medication and after reading the comments here there is no way I am taking this. I will go back to taking 12 capsules of Pentasa. I have a young child and cannot not afford to have these problems, that to me seems like it would be worse then the pain and the nausea associated with my crohns. | F | 23 | 0 days | 10/14/2003 | 2 | Crohn's | haven't started taking it yet, doing research before I say yes. | I have had Crohn's for about 17 years, never any flare ups until now. I have been on sulfasalizine since I was diagnosed. Now on Asacol, prednisone (supposed to getting off of that) and folic acid. I just got out of the hospital with my first one. No surgeries, no fistulas, etc. I have been very lucky. The doctor now wants to put me on this and I am not sure. Is there anyone out there whose case might be similar to mine that is one this drug that would be willing to talk? | F | 39 | | 10/11/2003 | 5 | CROHNS | NONE | Diagnosed @ age 35 with crohn's. After suffering for 17 years with fitulas and fisures and taking prednisone and asacol I got so bad that I had 2 courses of Remicade then bowel resection. I started taking 50 mg of purinethol daily about 5 years ago. I have been totally synpton free since. I only know I have Crohn's because I have to have my blood tests while on the drug. I have not been on any other drugs since. | F | 57 | 5 years | 10/3/2003 | 4 | arthritis | I HAD BEEN TAKIN REMACADE FOR AROUND A YEAR AND I HAD MY TREATMENT ABOUT 2 WEEKS AGO. I RAN INTO PROBLEMS. MY HEART STARTED BEATING IRREGULAR AND I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO PASS OUT. IT HAPPENED ABOUT 10 MIN, AFTER I WAS OUT OF THE HOSPITAL. IT WAS A HORRIBLE FEELING. I DO NOT KNOW IF I CAN TAKE IT ANYMORE DUE TO HAVING HEART PROBLEMS. THEY ARE CHECKING ON IT FOR ME, | M | 70 | 2 years | 9/27/2003 | 5 | ulcerative colitis | can't lose weight | No other side effects, I was amazed at the results and no real side effects other than weight loss issues, which could be something else. Wish I'd been put on it sooner, my mother is on it now for the same thing. HATED prednisone, so this is a REAL life saver! Taking it x 9 months | F | 42 | | 9/22/2003 | 4 | chrons | very very tired low blood lost weight | it helped my chrons but i can not continue to take it because of how weak and tired it makes me feel when i work 40 hrs a week. so right now the choice of taking the drug or not taking it has to do with the side effects and while working i can not handle it. | F | 43 | 3 months | 9/12/2003 | 4 | chrons | very very tired low blood lost weight | it helped my chrons but i can not continue to take it because of how weak and tired it makes me feel when i work 40 hrs a week. so right now the choice of taking the drug or not taking it has to do with the side effects and while working i can not handle it. | F | 43 | 3 months | 9/12/2003 | 4 | Chrone's Disease | 6-MP was very effective in controlling my wife's severe case of Chrone's Disease. But, she had extremely serious complications due to our not having her blood levels monitored closely enough. If you use this effective drug, PLEASE HAVE YOUR BLOOD COUNTS MONITORED CLOSELY BY YOUR DOCTORS!!! We made the mistake of failing to do so and almost paid with Robin's life. Her immune system shut down and blood production in her marrow ceased while she developed endocharditis, antibiotic resistent staff and fungal infections and | PLEASE, HAVE YOUR BLOOD LEVELS MONITORED CLOSELY!!!! | 37 | 6 years | 8/31/2003 | 4 | crohn's | my seasonal allergies or possibly a cold flared up. I had a cough that took weeks to get rid of. | F | 43 | 8 weeks | 8/30/2003 | 3 | Crohn's | Headaches and leg cramps at night. I assume these are from the 6MP. I am on 20 pills a day. The Dr. had me start the other meds for a week before I started the 6MP so we could tell what side effects are from which drug. | I have only been on it for a week. | F | 35 | 7 days | 8/16/2003 | 1 | Ulcerative Colitis | Acute Pancreatitis 6 hours after taking one dose! | I've had Ulcerative Colitis for over ten years. I've never been able to control it using Asacol or Rowasa. Prednisone treatment would always get a flare-up under control but I would rebound worse each time. My GI suggested I try Azathioprine. After a few days on Azathioprine I woke up in the middle of the night with the worst flu-like symptoms I've ever experienced. Severed muscle and joint pain. I made it through the night and in the morning my Dr. told me I'd had an allergic reation to the medication. About a month later we decided to try Purinethol. I took one pill at 7pm. By 10pm I was having pretty bad stomach cramps. By 12:30am I was litteraly doubled over in pain. I drove myself to the hospital (really stupid). And was admitted with Severe Accute Pancreatitis. | M | 40 | 1 days | 8/9/2003 | 5 | Ulcerative Colitis | funny metallic taste and dry mouth | I'm just getting over the worst flare I've had in 12 years of UC. I was up to 80mg pred and it didn't do a thing. I started taking Purinethol 100mg and to my surprise (I thought I was going to die I felt so lousy) it has started working after just 7 weeks. I'm down from 12+ stools to 3 and no blood. The doc said it takes up to 6 mos to work, but sometimes it starts working in as little as a 6 weeks, as was the case for me... I assume it's the 6mp and not just going away naturally. I'll post again after 6 mos to say whether or not it's completely gone. | M | 34 | 7 weeks | 7/25/2003 | 4 | Ulcerative Colitus | Hot flashes, trouble sleeping, some hair loss, tired all the time. Weight gain possibly | Not sure about it as of yet. | F | 34 | 1 months | 7/23/2003 | 3 | Ulcerative colitis | Constantly getting bad chest colds and flu-type illnesses, tired all the time, achy, very prone to infections especially in the mouth and gum areas, mouth and eyes always dry, always seem to not be feeling well and catch illnesses from others very easily. | I started a special diet to help alleviate UC symptoms after a major flare-up 6 months ago. The diet has helped tremendously. It basically eliminates all starches, grains, breads, flour, sugars. I am very concerned about having been on this drug for so long (6 + years) but my doctor wants me to not only stay on it but to increase my dosage from 100 mg. /day to 150! I refused to increase the dosage and went on this diet instead! It has really helped! If anyone is interested it is called the Specific Carbohydrate Diet. | F | 54 | 6 years | 7/21/2003 | 3 | Crohn's disease | Possible muscle weakness and joint pain. | I was first diagnosed with Chron's disease when I was about 19 years old; however, I had symptoms since I was 13. In those | M | 44 | 1 months | 7/13/2003 | 5 | ulcerative colitis | Very few side effects. More bruising this past year than previously. | I've had ulcerative colitis for 20 years. The only times I've been in remission were when I was going through a very difficult divorce and when I went through chemo for breast cancer. In discussions about this with me doctor we decided to try Purinethol @50mg/day. It's worked wonders. I can eat most foods, feel very good, lots of energy. The only flare ups I've had were when I had the flu 2 years ago. I also take 400 mg of Asacol three times a day and biotin to help remedy hair loss. | F | 57 | 3 years | 7/5/2003 |