Hello @kimh

You had a question about 6MP. This is a med that was originally developed as a chemo treatment for cancer but has been found to help a lot of people with other colon related disorders. Here is some information about it on the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation website, http://www.crohnscolitisfoundation.org/resources/maintenance-therapy.html. Here is a quote about this med:

"6-mercaptopurine (6-MP, Purinethol®) and azathioprine (Imuran®) have been increasingly utilized to take IBD patients off steroids, and to keep them off. They are also beneficial in the treatment of some patients with Crohn's disease who have fistulas. Both of these drugs are effective in treating active IBD and in maintaining remission, and are relatively safe. However, patients taking these drugs must be carefully monitored for signs of a decrease in the number of blood cells, or inflammation of the liver or pancreas. Although it was initially feared that patients given these medications could be at increased risk for infections or certain types of cancers, this has not been conclusively demonstrated.

Although these drugs can be expensive, the required daily dose is low. Patients needing these medications to achieve remission will often suffer a relapse of disease when the medications are stopped; thus, many physicians recommend long-term use as maintenance therapy—in some cases even during pregnancy."

Another member of this discussion group, @guener, has also mentioned using it.