Azathioprine for Rheumatoid Arthritis User Reviews

• MI ...
• February 18, 2016

Azathioprine "The first two to three weeks were fine. Then I started experiencing a bad headache, the next two days fever and chills. The next evening, severe chills, weakness, dizziness, raging fever (up to 104.3), and began throwing up. It was the worst I've ever felt in my life (and that includes a hospitalization in ICU when first diagnosed). I was on the verge of calling 911. However, it eventually passed (as the medicine worked its way out of my system) and the fever subsided. My rheumatologist ran a complete series of blood work and she said that I had an allergic reaction. Prior to starting Imuran, I had been tested for liver compatibility and the results showed that I would have no issues, so I proceeded. Proceed with extreme caution."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• November 7, 2012

Azathioprine "I was on a steroid previously, however, due to the fact that I was constantly getting bacterial and viral infections and gaining a lot of weight, the doctor took me off the steroid and prescribed Imuran. So far, it is working out better than the steroid."

• Soh...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 24, 2018

Azathioprine "I was put on Imuran for RA and RA-ILD (Rheumatoid arthritis, interstitial lung disease). As another mentioned, this drug is not widely used for RA, nor is it widely accepted as a treatment for ILD caused by RA. My docs are hoping to cover both bases with one drug. So far, the side effects are monstrous. Willing to go back on a 'regularly prescribed' RA med and hope for the best in the lung flare-ups."

• Luc...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 22, 2019

"Started on a low dose of Imuran... 50 mg. Was breathing much better after 3 weeks of blood tests, Dr. thought it was okay to increase the dose. Went to 100 mg... a couple weeks later, joint and muscle pain worsened, shortness of breath, just miserable. Dr. said it would take time, needed 6 - 8 weeks for medication to work. Increased dose to 150 mg a week ago. I feel horrible. I have described side effects to Dr. No luck... what to do? I'm very tempted to just stop taking this medication. I feel horrible!"

• Bra...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• December 28, 2023

"I've been taking Azathioprine for at least two years, and it has made a world of difference. I have Mixed Connective Tissue Disease and severe joint pain. This medicine started working within two weeks and if I miss more than 3 days, the pain comes back full force. I've had absolutely no side effects. Highly recommend."

• BKa...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 12, 2016

"I started taking this medicine to help with my breathing issues caused by RA. The first thing I noticed was a mild headache, joint pain had increased, and both hands and feet were swollen, but I was told to give it a couple of weeks to adjust to the medicine. During weeks 2 and 3, my breathing got worse, and I had a hard time lying on my back without chest pain. I had a stronger headache than in the beginning, and it got increasingly worse over the weeks, along with nausea and stomach cramps. This medicine did nothing for me and made me feel worse, so I had to stop. Good luck."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 19, 2012

"Doctor put me on azathioprine because I got sick from taking methotrexate for my rheumatoid arthritis. Good news is it didn't make me sick, and I had no noticeable side effects. Bad news is it didn't make pain or stiffness any better than taking nothing at all. Now going to try injectable methotrexate to see if that will work without the nausea or stomach side effects?"

• Don...
• February 25, 2021

"Took methotrexate for 7 weeks and had to stop because of extreme fatigue and stomach issues. Doctor started me on azathioprine, and I took my first 50 mg dose about an hour before I went to bed. I refused to take it again! My sinus passages started burning after about an hour of taking it, and I developed a headache that lasted for about 18 hours. I was extremely nauseous when I woke up and felt really lightheaded. Then there were the brutal stomach issues. I'll spare you the details :) Never again!"

• Cam...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 6, 2022

Azathioprine "I've been taking Imuran for 2 weeks now to treat my inflammatory arthritis, since no other drug seemed to help. I haven't noticed any improvement yet, but the nausea is unbearable. I'm not able to eat anything, and I'm constantly hungry. Reminds me of my pregnancy morning sickness, though it's not as bad as methotrexate was. I've already lost a bit of weight due to this. Yesterday, I started taking anti-nausea medication to be able to cope. I hope the side effects end soon and the drug helps treat my symptoms."

• TJa...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• August 16, 2018

"Imuran has very effectively controlled my RA for the past five years. It is great to find a med other than a biologic that keeps me in remission."