Azathioprine: your experience between generic vs brand versions?

Hi @mmr1984, welcome to the Transplants group. A number of kidney transplant members including @guidant07 @threerrr3 @parojulie and @rosemarya have been prescribed azathioprine and may be able to share experiences between generic vs brand versions.

You may also be interested in this blog post:
- Immunosuppression: Watching For and Managing Side Effects https://connect.mayoclinic.org/page/transplant/newsfeed-post/immunosuppression-watching-for-and-managing-side-effects/

@mmer1984, have you been using Imuran post kidney transplant and are now considering using the generic form of azathioprine? When did you have your transplant?

@mmr1984, Prior to my transplant, I was prescribed azathioprine by my gastroenterologist in order to reduce the dosage of prednisone that he had also prescribed for me. I remember that when I picked up the prescription it was labeled Imuran, the generic brand which was easier to pronounce. I don't think that I ever took the brand version,.
I only took it for a short time when my GI believed that I had autoimmune hepatitis (AIH). I remember that a side effect that I began experience was that I bled easily while taking it. I never learned anymore about the bleeding or had side effects because further testing of my liver resulted in a different diagnosis with a different treatment.
What is your doctor saying about one over the other?

Thanks @colleenyoung . Happy to be here. Actually I am liver transplant done on 2017. I was taking generic but now I am trying brand Imruan.

Thanks @rosemarya My doctor still did not say anything but adviced I start Imuran. Will see how it goes. How much Aza you taking?

@mmr1984, I would trust my doctor to make the right decision. I also think that our insurance likes us to go with the generic because it is cheaper with usually the same treatment success. Your doctor will likely be ordering frequent blood labs (at least in the beginning) to monitor this medication.
I did not take Imuran for very long. I probably took prednisone for 4-5 months, and then Imuran to reduce the prednisone for a couple weeks. My situation was complicated because we were searching for a diagnosis for my rare liver disease. And AIH (autoimmune hepatitis) was a possible diagnosis. I did not have AIH so the treatment was halted.

Why does the doctor want to add the Imuran?

@mmr1984 I am not on Imuran or Azathioprine; I am post-liver transplant and on sirolimus. My transplant doctor told me that generics are fine, but to stick to the same generic all of the time. The Speciality pharmacy has that on record and I always get the same generic. I presume that the side-effects between generics are similar but obviously there must be some differences in how our bodies process them or my transplant would not have advised that.
JK

I am unable to tlerate cellcept but I really would love to go back to cellcept. I hate steroids