Azathioprine Side Effects

The drug is essentially an immunosuppressive medication which can result in serious azathioprine side effects in the body in the event of any failure. The failure is caused by the rejection of the transplanted organs in spite of the medication. The very function of the drug is to suppress the overall immune system such that the transplanted organ which is otherwise foreign to the body will not be subject to attacks from within the body system.

The drug is powerful as it changes the condition of the immune system a great deal and thus alters it so that the implanted organ would remain safe. It may take several months for the transplanted organ to get accustomed to the body system.

Several uses of azathioprine

Azathioprine is administered into the body after the patient has undergone an organ transplant. It belongs to a class of medication which is known as immunosuppressant. It can cause moderate to severe side effects in the body. It is also used for other purposes such as arthritis.

The medication has several uses as it is seen to be quite effective in the treatment of severe conditions of rheumatoid arthritis. In this condition the body itself attacks its own joints which in due course cause pain and swelling. The medication is thus taken when other medications have proved to be of little relief to the patient or have failed.

Azathioprine side effects can be really serious if the medication doesn’t bring in the desired result as in the above case. The doctor should be contacted immediately and the patient should be kept under observance. In case of rheumatoid arthritis the medicine can control the disease yet it can never cure it. This means that the disease might again reappear after the medication is stopped.

Azathioprine comes in the form of a tablet and is taken by mouth. The dosage may vary as per the doctor’s prescription and it depends upon the patient’s body condition. In most cases the daily dose is one or two tablets generally after meals.

Advantages of azathioprine during kidney transplant

The medication is not to be used on patients who though are willing to undergo organ transplant yet their body system does not yield to the alterations as demanded by the drug. If the drug doesn’t get to work smoothly the whole process of replacing an old organ with that of a new one brought from another body of another person would be jeopardized. The process is mainly for the kidney transplants although it is similar for other organ transplants too.

However, the rate of kidney failure is more among the masses in general in the world when compared to other organ failures. Again, it is relatively easier to transplant the kidney as the drug is very effective in altering the immune system. Azathioprine side effects in such delicate stage is quite likely to occur for which both the patient and the physician must be alert.

It is also to be noted that the medication can complicate things if another surgery has to be performed on the patient. In such cases the doctor usually advises the patient to refrain from taking the medication. This is mainly because for other surgeries not involving any foreign body there is no need for the body’s immune system to undergo any changes. As the body’s own system is continuously fighting the small and large microbes and toxic agents it should be quite strong enough to withstand any general surgery.

The reverse is true for a transplant where the system is made compatible to the foreign organ of considerable size. This by itself shows the degree of seriousness involved in the operation and the power of the drug.

It is therefore imperative to report about his or her allergic reaction to the drug or other drugs that are likely to be used along with this medication. The medicine is also used for treating the pain of the intestine and diarrhea.

What are the Azathioprine side effects

In one of my previous posts, I have discussed the corticosteroids side effects. One of the most serious conditions that could develop by taking the azathioprine medication is that the drug inhibits the growth of white blood cells in the body which is essential for fighting the foreign bodies and other agents. With the suppression of these white blood cells the body becomes weak to fight the usual foreign body although for the organ transplant it might have become a success.

This results in mild to serious side effects and may cause vomiting, nausea, pain in the muscles if it is a mild one. In case the side effects are of a serious nature then the patient develops mouth sores, pain in the stomach, and blurred vision with loss of energy added with loss of appetite.

Since, the medication is used for treating special cases where the central nervous system and the brain and spinal chord degenerates and is known in the medical circles as multiple sclerosis. This could lead to several side effects including psychological problems and other symptoms. Some of these are disturbances in vision, muscle spasms and an uncontrollable urge to go on weeping or go on laughing. Apart from these the patient experiences physical weakness and dizziness. There is little doubt that azathioprine side effects have to be monitored by the doctor if the symptoms cause immense difficulties to the patient.

Next, we will discuss the dexilant side effects.