Sulfasalazine

mld

Hi,

I, too, have questions about this drug!

I've been to see the Rheumy today, and have picked up the Sulfa from the chemists on the way home, so I start with it tomorrow.

If all goes well, how long will it take for some reaction to show? I've been through all the small print so am hoping for no real adverse affects like on the depomedrone! Although I can see the swellings around my body have definitely diminished since my last appointment, last month.

Do I really need to take it with a full glass of water though. I take lots of meds in the morning and already drink a full glass of water getting all the tablets down. Now this one does say take with a glass of water. Do I need to check this out with the GP?

Any advice, gratefully received,

Margaret

dreamdaisy

I always swallow my sulph dry but have a small water chaser. It doesn't say how big a glass, does it? Just a small tumbler quarter-full should be sufficient in the early stages as you start with just one tablet in the morning. (I am on three morning and evening).

As to your question about how soon before a reaction, what sort of reaction do you mean? I had about six weeks of extreme bruising but over the years it's not done much for my arthritis (it does, however, keep my skin mostly psoriasis-free. I wish you well, I get on with it OK and I hope you do too. DD

mld

Hi DD,

Thank you for your reply. I suppose I would like to have known when I will see a difference in the arthritis! I don't have psoriasis, thankfully. Now I am wondering why 'she', the rheumy, has put me on it.

I would just like to get rid of the pain in my back, neck and hips!!

M.

mike26

hi mld
this was the first drug my roomy put me on and was on it for 20 days,
then got phone call from my doctor and told me to stop taking it.
i cant think of any reaction to it , prob bit tyred thro day and thats all.

but it knocked my (white blood cell count down)...
ive noticed most sufferers on this site seem to get on all right with the drug..regular blood tests will look out 4 you..
good luck mike26 :roll: :roll: ...

dreamdaisy

She's suggested it because it's one of the usual 'starter for ten'. The early meds tend usually to be tablet meth, sulph, hydroxy or a mixture of them. For some the sulph works well but make sure you keep up with the regular blood tests as that will show up any trouble that you may not be aware of within yourself. DD

Mat48

Sorry if I should know this already but I don't come here that often at present. The answer depends what type of arthritis your rheumy is trying to treat Mid? If it's RA it's one of several quite established disease modifying antirheumatic drugs you might be advised to take. If you have Psoriatic Arthritis it's one of the first line DMARDs for this I believe, and if you have a non differentiated type of inflammatory arthritis then it is sometimes used because it's a bit less potentially toxic than Methotrexate but a bit more effective for some conditions (apart from Lupus I think) than Hydroxichloraquine.

Sulphasalazine is well tolerated on the whole but I found it made me feel bad from the start and it was the first DMARD I tried for RA. When my dose was upped to 4 tablets a day after a few weeks I got swellings on my neck and ears followed by an incredibly itchy rash everywhere from the soles of my feet to my gums to my scalp. I am fine on subcutaneous Methotrexate and Hydroxichloraquine now but I wasn't allowed to go back on Sulpha again. I wasn't warned to drink a glass of water with mine - in fact the pharmacist just gave it to me with no contraindications sheet so I didn't realise that some people have a very extreme reaction to this drug but I believe this quite unusual and if I were you I'd drink an extra glass of water on the basis that you can't drink too much water when on all these drugs - it helps flush it all through properly. Also it makes your pee go orange and a bit sulpherous I recall! Tilda

DebraKelly

Ah Sulfa, where do I start on this?

I started taking sulfa in Nov last year (I also take Meth by injection 25mg) (I have RA). My dose was increased each week eventually to 6 tablets per day!

This caused a major problem with Meth and I infact got an overdose and collasped in work! I stopped taking everything for a few weeks to let my body settle itself down as advised by my RA nurse.

I am now on 3 tablets of Sulfa per day and 15mg of Meth by injection each week and this combo seems to be working.
I am also due a Steriod injection into the knee shortly.

I had some horrible side effects with the Sulfa to begin with, lose of apetite (Not a bad thing! lol) and bruising, but these have all settled down now.

The most important thing with Sulfa is too take it after food.
You should be fine if you do this.
Good luck!

rockchick

It's normally recommended you take sulfa with or after food, even just a snack, but the water is important, to help avoid upsetting your stomach, and also to help your kidneys. I agree with Mat, the more water the better really. Hopefully you have the enteric-coated tablets, which again will help your stomach. The coated tablets should always be taken whole.

It's not unusual for it to take up to 12 weeks to notice any improvement with sulfa. Any doubts or questions I would suggest you always ask your pharmacist, they are the experts.

mld

Thanks for the advice everyone. You are all brilliant!

The rheumy said she thinks I've got AS in my spine and RA in my knees, ankles and toes!! I thought it would be one or the other.

I have had flare ups when I was 18, 30 through to 40, then again now, I'm 50.

But this is the first time I've been in the UK, and my GP is a star. I thought that I was just going to get more anti-inflammatories, but no - the GP referred me to the rheumatological clinic. I wish I'd been given this treatment before

Thanks again,

Margaret

stickywicket

It's good that they're getting to the bottom of things, mld. Having two sorts of arthritis is not brilliant but many of us manage and better the devil you know....

Mumof1

Hi Margaret,

I have been on Sulfasalazine for the past 2 and a half weeks now, but I have mine in a liquid form, so far I have been okay, but since yesterday I have been feeling a bit sick and don't have much of an appetite, but I also have a cold which could be the reason for this.

So far, no bruising or rashes.

Good luck x

fruitloop

Hi everyone

I have been on sulphasalazine for four months now. I am currently taking six a day at present. I was taking only four a day before christmas but as my crp hasnt improved at all and has been upto fourty, I have had to increase it. I have suffered with the nausea and servere bruising and have been prescriped metaclopramide which certainly helps. I now also have omeprazole.
I have been diagnosed with having undifferenciated inflammatory arthritis which is not improving with the sulfasalazine . I tend to take my sulf with a pint of water but I do take numerous other meds. I also suffered with itching but not sure if this was linked.

Hope this is of some help x

Mumof1

Hi Fruitloop, did you have side affects early on or just after you increased to six a day?

barbara12

Hello Margaret
Sorry I cant offer any advice, but I just want to wish you well with meds, you take care x

brightlinda

Hi Mid, you will be pleased to know I have been on sulphasalazine for the last 33 years, started when I was seventeen. I was originally taking it with indomethacin which was changed for naproxen. I also take metho which I started 18 months ago, I can honestly say the metho has made no difference at all. All the best Linda