Adult & childn 2.5 mg/kg body wt/day or 50-75 mg/m2 BSA/day.
Administration
Should be taken on an empty stomach: Take 1 hr before or 2 hr after meals. Ensure adequate fluid intake.
Contraindications
Pregnancy (1st trimester) & lactation.
Special Precautions
Immunisation using a live organism vaccine has the potential to cause infection in immunocompromised host. Monitor FBC daily during remission induction. Monitor liver function tests wkly during treatment. Monitor uric acid levels in blood & urine during remission induction. Inherited deficiency of thiopurine methyltransferase (TPMT) enzyme. Renal & hepatic impairment. Ensure adequate contraceptive precautions.
Adverse Reactions
Secondary leukaemia & myelodysplasia, hepatosplenic T-cell lymphoma in patients w/ IBD when used in combination w/ anti-TNF agents, bone marrow suppression, leucopenia, thrombocytopenia, nausea, vomiting, pancreatitis in IBD population, biliary stasis, hepatotoxicity, arthralgia, skin rash, drug fever, facial oedema. Hepatic necrosis, alopecia, transient oligospermia.
Live organism vaccines. Allopurinol decreases rate of catabolism of mercaptopurine. Inhibition of anticoagulant effect of warfarin. Aminosalicylate derivatives eg, olsalazine, mesalazine, sulfasalazine.
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