Azasan (azathioprine) Drug Information: Overdosage and Contraindications

Pill Identifier Search

May 25, 2012

Azasan

Rheumatoid Arthritis »

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) facts

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease that can cause chronic inflammation of the joints and other areas of the body.
Rheumatoid arthritis can affect people of all ages.
The cause of rheumatoid arthritis is not known.
Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic disease, characterized by periods of disease flares and remissions.
In rheumatoid arthritis, multiple joints are usually, but not always, affected in a symmetrical pattern.
Chronic inflammation of rheumatoid arthritis can cause permanent joint destruction and deformity.
Damage to joints can occur early and does not correlate with the severity of symptoms.
The "rheumatoid factor" is an antibody that can be found in the blood of 80% of people with rheumatoid arthritis.
There is no known cure for rheumatoid arthritis.
The treatment of rheumato...

Read the Rheumatoid Arthritis article »

« Previous
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
Next »

Azasan User Reviews >>

Azasan

Rheumatoid Arthritis Slideshow Pictures

Take the RA Quiz

Rheumatoid Arthritis Exercises Slideshow Pictures

font size

OVERDOSE

The oral LD₅₀s for single doses of AZASAN® (azathioprine) in mice and rats are 2500 mg/kg and 400 mg/kg, respectively. Very large doses of this antimetabolite may lead to marrow hypoplasia, bleeding, infection, and death. About 30% of AZASAN® (azathioprine) is bound to serum proteins, but approximately 45% is removed during an 8-hour hemodialysis.²⁴ A single case has been reported of a renal transplant patient who ingested a single dose of 7500 mg azathioprine. The immediate toxic reactions were nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, followed by mild leukopenia and mild abnormalities in liver function. The white blood cell count, SGOT, and bilirubin returned to normal 6 days after the overdose.

CONTRAINDICATIONS

AZASAN® (azathioprine) should not be given to patients who have shown hypersensitivity to the drug.

AZASAN® (azathioprine) should not be used for treating rheumatoid arthritis in pregnant women.

Patients with rheumatoid arthritis previously treated with alkylating agents (cyclophosphamide, chlorambucil, melphalan, or others) may have a prohibitive risk of neoplasia if treated with AZASAN® (azathioprine) .

REFERENCES

24. Schusziarra V, Ziekursch V, Schlamp R, et al. Pharmacokinetics of azathioprine under haemodialysis. Int J Clin Pharmacol Biopharm. 1976; 14:298-302.

Last reviewed on RxList: 9/14/2009
This monograph has been modified to include the generic and brand name in many instances.