Azimune 50mg Tablet
Product Info
| Prescription required | Yes |
| Marketer | Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd |
| Active Ingredient | Azathioprine (50mg) |
| Storage | Store below 30°C |
| Chemical Class | Nucleoside Analog, and Purines |
| Habit Forming | No |
| Therapeutic Class | ANTI NEOPLASTICS |
| Action Class | Immunosuppressant- Purine analogs |
| User Rating | 4.5 |
| User Reviews | 345 |
FAQ
Can cyclosporine and Azimune 50mg be taken together?
Yes, you can take cyclosporine and Azimune 50mg together as they do not interfere with each other’s working. However, you must take the two medicines strictly as per your doctor’s advice.
How long does Azimune 50mg take to start working?
It may take about 3 to 12 weeks before you see any benefits. Continue the medication even if you do not notice any benefits. Talk to your doctor if you face any issues.
How long do I need to take Azimune 50mg?
The duration varies from person to person as it is prescribed depending upon the patient’s medical condition.
What is Azimune 50mg prescribed for? How does it work?
Azimune 50mg is an immunosuppressant which means that it acts by suppressing the immune defense system of the body. Your immune defense system helps to protect you against infections. However, sometimes your immune defense system can become overactive and can cause illness. Azimune 50mg is used in combination with other medicines to treat the conditions caused due to this abnormal activity of the immune system. It is used to prevent rejection of transplanted organs, like the kidney, heart or liver. It is also used to treat chronic active hepatitis, severe rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura and acquired hemolytic anemia. It is also used to treat severe cases of specified skin diseases (pemphigus vulgaris, dermatomyositis, polyarteritis nodosa, pyoderma gangrenosa), especially when corticosteroids cannot be used.
Can Azimune 50mg cause cancer?
Azimune 50mg may increase the chance of developing certain cancers like skin cancer, cancer of the lymph system (lymphoma), cancer of soft tissues (sarcomas), and cervical cancer. To prevent the risk of skin cancer, avoid prolonged exposure to sunlight and wear protective clothing, sunglasses, and sunscreen. Tell your doctor immediately if you notice any changes in your skin or any lumps or masses anywhere on your body.
Is breastfeeding safe during Azimune 50mg treatment?
No, breastfeeding should be avoided, while on Azimune 50mg, since it may harm the baby and cause serious side effects.
Do I need any special tests while I am on Azimune 50mg?
Azimune 50mg reduces the production of blood cells making you more vulnerable to infections and can sometimes affect the liver. These side effects can be monitored by regular blood tests. Therefore, during the first 8 weeks of the treatment your doctor may recommend weekly blood tests to monitor complete blood counts, including platelet counts. The frequency can later be reduced to monthly or at least once in 3 months time.
I have just started taking Azimune 50mg. What are the long-term side effects? Is there anything I should be looking out for?
Being an immunosuppressant, Azimune 50mg can increase the chances of severe infections, decrease in blood cell counts, and malignancy. You should inform your doctor immediately if you notice any infection or fever, unexpected bruising or bleeding, black tarry stools or blood in the urine or stools. Let your doctor know if you notice any new skin sore or lump, new marks on skin or any change in the marks which were previously present.
What happens if I forget to take Azimune 50mg?
If you miss a dose of Azimune 50mg, take it as soon as you remember. However, skip the missed dose if it is time for your next dose. Do not take a double dose to compensate for the missed dose. inform your doctor if the dose is frequently missed.
What if you forget to take Azimune Tablet?
If you miss a dose of Azimune 50mg, take it as soon as possible. However, if it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular schedule. Do not double the dose.
Azimune 50mg Tablet Reviews
Azimune 50mg belongs to a group of medicines called immunosuppressants. It is used with other medicines to prevent your body from rejecting an organ (such as a kidney, heart, or liver) after a transplant. It is also used in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.
Azimune 50mg works by weakening the body’s immune system, so it does not attack the new organ. The amount of medicine to be taken and how often you need to take it will depend on the type of transplant you have. Follow your doctor’s instructions on this. You should take it along with food. Take the medicine regularly to get the most benefit and keep taking it even if you feel well. If you stop taking it, you may increase the chances of rejecting your transplanted organ.
It has many potential side effects. The most common are loss of appetite, nausea, and increased risk of bleeding. Because it suppresses your immune system, you may catch infections easily. There’s also an increased risk of developing some cancers for this reason. You should ask your doctor about side effects that may need urgent medical attention.
Azimune 50mg can cause birth defects and miscarriages so do not take it if you are pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or breastfeeding. You should talk to your doctor before taking this medicine if you have any signs of infection or if you have any unexpected bruising or bleeding. Your doctor also needs to know what other medicines you are taking as there are many which interact with this medicine and affect the way it works. You will have regular tests to check for any changes in the number of your blood cells.
Azimune 50mg works by weakening the body’s immune system, so it does not attack the new organ. The amount of medicine to be taken and how often you need to take it will depend on the type of transplant you have. Follow your doctor’s instructions on this. You should take it along with food. Take the medicine regularly to get the most benefit and keep taking it even if you feel well. If you stop taking it, you may increase the chances of rejecting your transplanted organ.
It has many potential side effects. The most common are loss of appetite, nausea, and increased risk of bleeding. Because it suppresses your immune system, you may catch infections easily. There’s also an increased risk of developing some cancers for this reason. You should ask your doctor about side effects that may need urgent medical attention.
Azimune 50mg can cause birth defects and miscarriages so do not take it if you are pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or breastfeeding. You should talk to your doctor before taking this medicine if you have any signs of infection or if you have any unexpected bruising or bleeding. Your doctor also needs to know what other medicines you are taking as there are many which interact with this medicine and affect the way it works. You will have regular tests to check for any changes in the number of your blood cells.
How Azimune 50mg Tablet Works
Azimune 50mg is an immunosuppressant. It reduces the action of body's own defense system (the immune system) and prevents rejection of the transplanted organ. It also blocks the action of certain chemical messengers that are responsible for inflammation, swelling, and redness associated with certain joint diseases.
How to Use Azimune 50mg Tablet
Take this medicine in the dose and duration as advised by your doctor. Swallow it as a whole. Do not chew, crush or break it. Azimune 50mg is to be taken with food.
Benefits of Azimune 50mg Tablet
- In Treatment of Rheumatoid arthritis: Azimune 50mg works by blocking the action of some chemicals which cause inflammation. It can help reduce pain, stiffness, and swelling in your joints and slow down the progression of bone and joint damage. This will help you do normal daily activities more easily and thus improve your quality of life. This medicine should be taken at the same time each day to get maximum benefits. Keep taking it even if you feel well because it is preventing future harm as well as improving your symptoms.
- In Prevention of organ rejection in transplant patients: Azimune 50mg is an immunosuppressive agent that lowers your immune response and reduces the chance of your body attacking the transplanted organ. Organ rejection happens when your immune system treats the new organ as an invader and attacks it. This medicine may be used in combination with other medicines to suppress the immune system and help your body accept the new organ.
Uses of Azimune 50mg Tablet
- Treatment of Rheumatoid arthritis
- Prevention of organ rejection in transplant patients
Azimune 50mg Tablet Side Effects
Safety Tips
Kidney
CAUTION
Azimune 50mg should be used with caution in patients with kidney disease. Dose adjustment of Azimune 50mg may be needed. Please consult your doctor.Use of Azimune 50mg is not recommended in patients with serious kidney disease.
Breast feeding
CONSULT YOUR DOCTOR
Azimune 50mg is probably unsafe to use during breastfeeding. Limited human data suggests that the drug may pass into the breastmilk and harm the baby.
Liver
CAUTION
Azimune 50mg should be used with caution in patients with liver disease. Dose adjustment of Azimune 50mg may be needed. Please consult your doctor.Use of Azimune 50mg is not recommended in patients with severe liver disease. Regular monitoring of liver function tests is advisable while you are taking this medicine.
Alcohol
CONSULT YOUR DOCTOR
It is not known whether it is safe to consume alcohol with Azimune 50mg. Please consult your doctor.
Driving
CONSULT YOUR DOCTOR
It is not known whether Azimune 50mg alters the ability to drive. Do not drive if you experience any symptoms that affect your ability to concentrate and react.
Pregnancy
CONSULT YOUR DOCTOR
Azimune 50mg is unsafe to use during pregnancy as there is definite evidence of risk to the developing baby. However, the doctor may rarely prescribe it in some life-threatening situations if the benefits are more than the potential risks. Please consult your doctor.
Quick Tips
- Azimune 50mg also relieves joint pain and inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis.
- Avoid contact with people who have cold, flu or other contagious illness. Notify your doctor if you have any signs of infection such as a fever or sore throat.
- Inform your doctor if you are pregnant or planning to conceive or breastfeeding.
- You may have to take additional medications along with Azimune 50mg for better relief of symptoms.
- Your doctor has prescribed Azimune 50mg to stop the body from rejecting a transplanted organ (e.g. kidney, heart or liver).
References
- Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals: NHS Trust. Azathioprine - General Information; 2012.
- Azathioprine [Product Information]. Parsippany, NJ: Ascend Laboratories, LLC; 2021.
- Briggs GG, Freeman RK, editors. A Reference Guide to Fetal and Neonatal Risk: Drugs in Pregnancy and Lactation. 10th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Wolters Kluwer Health; 2015. p. 113-15.
- Krensky AM, Bennett WM, Vincenti F. Immunosuppressants, Tolerogens, and Immunostimulants. In: Brunton LL, Chabner BA, Knollmann BC, editors. Goodman & Gilman’s: The Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics. New York, New York: McGraw-Hill Medical; 2011. pp. 1013-14.
- Mohammadi O, Kassim TA. Azathioprine. [Updated 2023 May 1]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2023.
- Chaves RG, Lamounier JA. Breastfeeding and maternal medications. J Pediatr (Rio J). 2004;80(5 Suppl):S189-S198.
- Furst DE, Ulrich RW, Varkey-Altamirano C. Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs, Disease Modifying Antirheumatic Drugs, Nonopioids Analgesics, & Drugs Used in Gout. In: Katzung BG, Masters SB, Trevor AJ, editors. Basic and Clinical Pharmacology. 11th ed. New Delhi, India: Tata McGraw Hill Education Private Limited; 2009. pp. 629-30.
- Azathioprine. San Diego, California: Prometheus Laboratories Inc.; 2014.