Azathioprine brands

[domton]

Hi. I'm wondering if anyone who takes azathioprine has noticed any difference inn effectiveness with different brands?

I take them for lupus, and have been on them for about 4 months. The first three months they were amazing. Pain free. I had 3 months from the hospital, unsure about brand.

Refilled my second prescription on June 28th, and yesterday the pain started. It could just be a flare that the azathioprine can't counter, and it will happen from time to time. But the timing did make me wonder.

Any experiences? Thanks.

[choirmumoftwo]

Apologies if this is a silly question but were you given a steroid injection at the same time as you started your azathioprine? If so, that's why you've felt better for 3 months. It can take that long for azathioprine to even start working. Having said that, some people are definitely sensitive to brand changes and you could be one of them!

[domton]

Thanks for replying.

I know!! I was surprised, and thought it was a coincidence, but when I continued to be pain free, I assumed that I was just lucky, and it worked for me really well. :/ Naive I suspect.

I had just finished yet another course of pred, which is why I gave up and accepted the azathioprine. So no steroid injection no.

Maybe it was a huge coincidence, that I was pain free for the first time in about 3 years. :/ I don't know. I definitely struggle with certain brands of Hydroxychloriquine, but that's fairly common.

Don't know what to think at the moment, just hoping it's a blip.

[AutumnCrow]

I have auto-immune issues.

I am sensitive to brand changes to a ridiculous degree. Finally tracked it down to the inclusion of acacia - makes me feel ill. Just a thought.

[domton]

Thanks @Autumncrow I'll have a look. I don't feel ill per se, but just a return of symptoms. Worth looking into though. Thanks.

[AutumnCrow]

If you want to compare excipients / additives in various medications, they're usually listed in Section 6 on the leaflet.

That's how I found my Common Denominator of Doom.

I'm presuming the strengths are supposed to be the same? Could something be blocking the absorption rate of the brand that isn't working, either an added ingredient in the medication itself, or a dietary factor that sits with you (e.g. you've started drinking coffee or grapefruit juice)?