New cancer drugs could help in autoimmune disease: Scientific American

October 11, 2007

This isn’t much of a surprise for me, considering the fact that I already take cancer drugs for my Crohn’s. But these are new cancer drugs and they sound very promising.

Using cancer meds to treat Crohn’s is nothing new. I was put on 6-MP (mercaptopurine, which is listed as a treatment for cancer on WebMD’s Cancer Health Center) almost ten years ago, and I was one of the first Crohn’s patients to be treated with 6-MP. I had bombed out on every other form of treatment, and I refused to spend my life on steroids, so my wonderful pediatric GI recommended 6-MP and it’s the only med (besides steroids) that has truly helped my Crohn’s.

It’s still not prescribed for Crohn’s (and ulcerative colitis) patients very often because it can have damaging effects on the liver. Luckily, the dosage used for Crohn’s patients is far less than the dosage used for cancer patients. Which is why the following quote from WebMD doesn’t make me feel sick with worry.

“You may not be able to become pregnant or father a child after taking mercaptopurine. Talk about this with your doctor before starting treatment. Mercaptopurine can cause birth defects. Do not use this drug if you are pregnant or wish to become pregnant or to father a child while you are taking it.”

As I said, my dosage of 6-MP is fairly low. It started out a bit high (for Crohn’s patients) but once I got into remission, it was quickly tapered down. I am still on a small, maintenance dose but we’re probably going to take me off it soon. My doc is fairly certain that my low dose won’t affect my ability to get pregnant, or the health of the fetus, but “fairly certain” isn’t good enough for me.

Although, of course, it’s a double-edged sword. My Crohn’s is severe enough that it only reacts to a few drugs, and 6-MP has always affected my Crohn’s in a positive way. But continuing to take it while trying to get pregnant isn’t really an option, but if my Crohn’s flares and becomes active while I’m pregnant, I’ll have to choose between treating my Crohn’s with a drug that isn’t healthy for a fetus, or risking a preterm birth.

So here’s hoping that I never have to make that choice.

Category Posted in Crohns