Azathioprine is indicated for the treatment of moderate to severe inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) (Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis) in patients in whom corticosteroid therapy is required, in patients who cannot tolerate corticosteroid therapy, or in patients whose disease is refractory to other standard first line therapy. the possible blockade of-SH groups by alkylation.3. It can also potentiate the neuromuscular block that is produced by depolarising agents such as succinylcholine (Patients with rare hereditary problems of galactose intolerance, the Lapp lactose deficiency or glucose-galactose malabsorption should not take this medicine.The administration of azathioprine with food may decrease systemic exposure slightly but this is unlikely to be of clinical significance (see Section 4.8). Therefore, given the abnormal metabolism in these patients, it is not prudent to recommend that these patients should receive azathioprine.Chromosomal abnormalities have been demonstrated in both male and female patients treated with azathioprine. It also reduces the corticosteroid requirements of renal transplant recipients. Film-coated azathioprine tablets should not be divided and, provided the coating is intact, no additional precautions are required when handling them.Azathioprine tablets should be disposed of in a manner appropriate to the prevailing local regulatory requirements for the destruction of dangerous substances.3016 Lake Drive, Citywest Business Campus, Dublin 24, IrelandTo bookmark a medicine you must sign up and log in.To view the changes to a medicine you must sign up and log in. We comply with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information - Recovery was uneventful.As there is no specific antidote, blood counts should be closely monitored and general supportive measures, together with appropriate blood transfusion, instituted if necessary. We’ve made all possible efforts to ensure that the information provided here is accurate, up-to-date and complete, however, it should not be treated as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. It is used for treating schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Give your health care providers a list of all the medicines, herbs, non-prescription drugs, or dietary supplements you use. Approximately 10% of patients have one TPMT non-functional allele (heterozygous) leading to low or intermediate TPMT activity and 90% of individuals have normal TPMT activity with two functional alleles. Individuals with TPMT deficiency develop very high cytotoxic thioguanine nucleotide concentrations. The mean AUC (0-∞) of 6-mercaptopurine in the group above the 75th percentile was 2.4 times lower than that for the group below the 75th percentile. It is used to treat schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, also known as manic-depression.They need to know if you have any of these conditions:Take this medicine by mouth. The dose should not be taken with milk or dairy products (see Section 4.5). Do not take in larger amounts than advised. Limited long-term follow-up of infants exposed to this drug during breastfeeding have shown generally normal development. It is recommended that coagulation tests are closely monitored when anticoagulants are concurrently administered with azathioprine.The specific effect of azathioprine therapy on human fertility is unknown..Substantial transplacental and transamniotic transmission of azathioprine and its metabolites from the mother to the foetus have been shown to occur.Azathioprine should not be given to patients who are pregnant or likely to become pregnant in the near future without careful assessment of risk versus benefit.Evidence of the teratogenicity of azathioprine in man is equivocal. Except in extremely rare cases, no overt physical evidence of abnormality has been observed in the off-spring of patients treated with Imuran. Patients should be monitored for dose related adverse effects (see Section 4.4 and section 5.2).Patients with inherited little or no thiopurine S-methyltransferase (TPMT) activity are at increased risk for severe azathioprine toxicity from conventional doses of azathioprine and generally require substantial dose reduction. Approximately 0.3% (1:300) of patients have two non-functional alleles (homozygous-deficient) of the TPMT gene and have little or no detectable enzyme activity. Continue typing to refine. Megaloblastic bone marrow changes have also been observed but severe megaloblastic anaemia and erythroid hypoplasia are rare.Several different clinical syndromes, which appear to be idiosyncratic manifestations of hypersensitivity, have been described occasionally following administration of azathioprine tablets and injection.