Reply To: Inmuran

I was started on Inmuran/Azathioprine after my discharge from Seattle Swedish Cherry Hill in mid April (CIDP). The daily dosages started at 50mg’s, ramped up to 100mg’s after 2 1/2 weeks, with dosage planning on ramping up 50mg’s every 2 1/2 weeks. That’s when I had my replapse and was admitted to OMC Hospital in Port Angeles. Immediately my daily steriods on admittance went sky high plus the Inmuran went to 150 mg’s. Also I was administered 5 days of IVIg. I was stablized and transferred to a local Nursing & Rehab center when I eventualy and on schedule ramped up to the daily dosage of 200 mg’s of Inmuran. What my GP Doc & my Swedish Cherry Hill doc made note of was I rehab twice as fast as thye time before. They believe (and well as I do in this crap shoot of medical planning for CIDP’ers) that my “Crash/Relapse Cycles” were very consistent 30 day cycle, coupled with coming up on max daily dosages of Inmuran contributed to the rapid rehabb’ing. I Think that InMuran which suppresses the bad Immune responses is good but not good enough at the end of my crash cycles, so a “Prophalatic (sp.) Treatment” at the end of my crash cycle floods my immune system (with other folks’ Good Immune IVIg) helps me over the hump. I am almost afraid to talk about it and superstisusly (sp.) jink it. The bottom line is that “The InMuran/IVIg (Inmuran every 30 days for 2 days) has gotten me past two crash cycles (knock on wood and pray a lot). Also my step son who had/has a very serious case of Crohn’s has been managing it via Inmuran for 16 plus years with no adverse side effects. He also told me that the max therapudic effect/value does not really occur until you have been at 200mg’s/day for at least 3 months. I just passed month 2 at 200mg’s/day last week. I now seem to have HOPE again and that is wonderful after a long road out of the rehab hole (since 2/1/13 when I was diagnoised).

I am in outpatient rehab now locally and have NOT touched my wheelchair or push walker in 3 1/2 weeks, primarily get around my house with a wheeled walker (balance mostly) supporting my weight with my legs, and the best part, started using a quad cane very well. As I said — HOPE.