Any experience with 6-mp purinethol?

Hi all,

Was wanting to know if anyone has any experience with the chemo drug 6-mp or purinethol? My son is 4 and going on 9 months of ITP. IVIG works beautifully but obviously not a long term treatment option.
They are wanting to try this 6-mp and I was hoping for any experience stories with this drug?

Thanks!

Julie

I take a very closely related drug, azathioprene (imuran) for psoriasis (my ITP is currently in remission from a splenectomy). It is an immunosupressant, not really a chemotherapeutic. For me it has no side effects, and seems to work well.

There are three closely related drugs in this family: azathioprene, 6-thioguanine (6-tg) and 6-mercaptopurine (6-mp). I started on 6-tg, which worked but was very expensive. Azathioprene cost about 1/5 as much, and works just as well. I know other ITP people have had success with azathioprene for ITP. You might ask your doctor why 6-mp vs. azathioprene (not in hostile way... there may be a very good reason), and also check the relative prices. It is often true that doctors have no clue about the pricing of drugs they prescribe, and with no particular reason prescribe a more expensive but essentially equivalent drug.

Were you more prone to infections while taking this?

No, I have had no sign of excess susceptibility to infections. In the few years I have been on it, I have caught two mild colds.