Patient Information Leaflet

Imuran® tablets

azathioprine

Please read this carefully before you start to take your medicine. Keep it safe as you may want to read it again. This leaflet contains important information about your Imuran tablets. If you want to know more about your illness or your medicine, ask your pharmacist or doctor.

What is in Imuran tablets?

Imuran tablets are covered by a thin coating and come in two strengths and colours.

The yellow tablets contain 50 mg of the active ingredient azathioprine and are marked with 'GX CH1'.

The orange tablets contain 25 mg of azathioprine and are marked with 'GX EL5'.

There are also some inactive ingredients in Imuran tablets. These are lactose, pregelatinised starch, maize starch, stearic acid, magnesium stearate, methylhydroxypropyl cellulose and polyethylene glycol 400.

There are no colourings in the yellow tablets. The colourings in the orange tablets are titanium dioxide (E171), iron oxide yellow (E172) and iron oxide red (E172).

Your Imuran tablets come in blister packs of 100 tablets. Your doctor will prescribe an appropriate amount for you.

What is Imuran for?

Imuran belongs to a group of medicines called immunosuppressives. This means that it reduces the strength of your immune system.

Immunosuppressive medicines are sometimes necessary to help your body accept an organ transplant, or to treat some diseases where your immune system is reacting against your own body (autoimmune diseases).

Who can take Imuran tablets?

This medicine suits most people but there are a few people who should not take it. Ask yourself these questions to check whether Imuran is right for you:

• have you ever had an allergy or bad reaction to Imuran, azathioprine, mercaptopurine or any of the other ingredients found in Imuran tablets listed above?
• are you pregnant or breast-feeding?
• are you planning to have a baby? (This question is for both men and women.)
• are you taking or likely to be taking any of the following medicines? (Please check with your doctor if you are not sure):
  • allopurinol (used mainly to treat gout)
  • tubocurarine, succinylcholine (used mainly during surgical operations)
  • penicillamine (used mainly in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis)
  • captopril, furosemide (used mainly to treat high blood pressure)
  • warfarin (used to prevent blood clots)
  • cimetidine (used to treat stomach ulcers and indigestion)
  • indometacin (used as a pain killer and anti-inflammatory)
  • cytostatic drugs (includes some antibiotics and also drugs used to treat various types of cancer)
  • balsalazide, mesalazine, olsalazine or sulfasalazine (used mainly to treat ulcerative colitis)
• do you need, or are going to have, a vaccination while you are on Imuran tablets?
• do you suffer from liver or kidney disease?
• do you have a condition where your body produces too little of a natural chemical called thiopurine methyltransferase (TPMT)?
• do you suffer from the condition known as Lesch-Nyhan Syndrome?

If you answer "yes" to any of these questions, check with your doctor first, before you take any tablets.

How do you take Imuran tablets?

• It is important to take your medicine at the right times. You must take it in the way your doctor has told you to. The label on your pack will tell you how many tablets to take and how often to take them. If the label doesn't say, or if you are not sure, ask your doctor or pharmacist
• The amount of Imuran people take can be very different. Your doctor may change your dose from time to time. The usual daily dose of Imuran is, for adults, 1 - 5 mg per kilogram body weight per day and for children, 1 - 3 mg per kilogram of body weight per day. The usual dosage for elderly patients should be at the lower end of the dosage range for adults. If you are not sure how many tablets to take, or if the dose on the label has changed for no reason, ask your doctor
• You should swallow your tablets with some water
• If you forget to take a dose tell your doctor. Do not double your next dose
• From time to time, while you are taking Imuran, your doctor will want you to have a blood test. This is to check your blood cell count and to change your dose if necessary
• If you take too much Imuran, or if someone else takes your medicine by mistake, tell your doctor immediately.

Do Imuran tablets have side effects?

As with all medicines, Imuran may cause side effects in some people.

Patients receiving immunosuppressives such as Imuran may be more likely to develop different types of cancers including skin cancers. You should take care to avoid too much sun and wear protective clothing and sunscreen.

 

A few people may be allergic to Imuran. See your doctor immediately if you develop any of the following symptoms:

• feeling sick and/or being sick
• diarrhoea
• fever, shivering/chill and skin rash
• muscle and bone pain
• kidney problems (symptoms may include changes in the amount of urine passed and changes in the colour of the urine)
• tiredness, dizziness.

Tell your doctor immediately if any of the following happen to you while you are taking Imuran:

• you start to notice any signs of a fever or an infection
• you have any unexpected bruising or bleeding
• you develop bad diarrhoea and/or abdominal pain
• you develop jaundice (skin or whites of the eyes turn yellow)
• you develop a serious skin reaction (blistering and/or peeling)
• you develop a chest infection (pneumonitis)
• if you develop lumps on the body or patches on the skin.

You may notice some hair loss while taking Imuran. This is a rare side effect of Imuran that could happen in less than 1 in 1,000 patients. Often hair does grow again, even if you carry on taking Imuran. If you are worried ask your doctor.

Tell your pharmacist or doctor if you notice any other side effects from your medicine which are not mentioned here.

Look after your Imuran tablets

• Keep your Imuran tablets in a safe place where children cannot see or reach them. Store below 25°C and protect from light
• Do not take any tablets after the expiry date shown on the pack
• If your doctor tells you to stop taking the tablets, please return any which are left over to your pharmacist. Only keep them if your doctor tells you to.

Remember: This medicine is for you. Only a doctor can prescribe it. Never give it to anyone else. It may harm them even if their symptoms are the same as yours.