Sulfasasalinze sickness, can anyone help?

Thelaststarfighter

Hi all,


I have been on sulf for four weeks now, I have had bouts of bad sickness before which I put down to the concoction of painkillers.
However I feel sick nearly all the time now and I feel it's something to do with sulf.

Is there anything I can do to ease the sickness other than cycliezine? Or does it pass through time?

dreamdaisy

How many sulph are you taking per day now, and are you splitting the dose between morning and evening? The reason I ask this is that a while ago someone was experiencing awful sickness and it turned out she was taking all six tablets at once in the morning. She sorted that out and the sickness eased. It may also help to take the pills with or after food - not a lot of food is required, even a couple of digestives would be enough. DD

barbara12

Hello and I dont think we have met...so welcome
Sorry I cant offer much help, but I see DD has..I suppose its like most meds if you take them on an empty stomach it makes matters worse....ginger helps me...not just the biscuits but ginger tea...I do hope you get something to help very soon x

stickywicket

I've no experience of sulph but I do take meth and have had many stomach problems caused by years of anti-inflamms. I now take a stomach protecting med daily and never take any meds without at least a plain biscuit.

lizzy100

you should be able to get antisickness tablets from gp. and hopefully it would wear off in a couple of weeks?

dreamdaisy

Isn't cyclizine an anti-sickness med? DD

villier

dreamdaisy wrote:

Isn't cyclizine an anti-sickness med? DD

Yes you are correct DD although it didn't work for me so got Metoclopramide xx

mixednuts

Hi, did you do the slow build up? When I first went on them my rhem had me take 1 am and pm for the first two weeks then 1 am and 2 pm for the next two weeks and then 2 am and 2 pm thereafter. I always take them with food and a very large glass of water - I tried it once without the food and it wasn't very nice at all :roll:

Thelaststarfighter

Thanks all for helping on this one!

My dosage at the mo is 4sulf per day, next week it will be 5 and the week after 6. The doc has told me that 6 is the right amount.

I have coincidently since posting this question have been very sick indeed. Got to see the doc today and she has changed something's around.

She still thinks that I have an inflammatory bowel condition which did not show up on the tests.

Now please understand I don't want to be seen as being a person who gloats over their meds, I just want to know if anyone is or has been on something similar.

As of today have been put on the following meds:

Buscopan 10mg (for abdominal spasm) 2 tablet 4 times a day
Omeprazole (needs no introduction) 1 tablet 2 times a day
Maxitram sr 100mg(tramadol) 1tablet 2 times a day
Co codamol 30/500 (depending on what my arthy wants to do up to 6 a day)
Arcoxia 90mg 1 a day
Sulfasasline (at the mo 4 per day)
Cycliezine 1 three times a day
Kolanticon (a strong galviscon)

Is it just me or is that a lot of drugs?

If so is it any wonder I sleep a lot and when not sleeping feel sick?

Is the doc just firing pills at me to see what works?

Also if that's what it is taking to keep me working should I quit?

What help would I get from the state if I did quit or just couldn't do it anymore!

Are the above drugs the reason why I cry for no reason and feel so useless to man or beast. I say that as I used to be so physically strong, mountains of stamina nothing bothered me, and here I am literally sick, sore and tired!

Perhaps I am a bit paranoid but currently you folks are the only place I get answers. My wife and family all just pity me but I DON'T want pity!

stickywicket

No pity, I promise. Just a spot of empathy.

Let’s look at those meds. Oddly enough, it’s not an unusual shedload. I take meth, folic acid and hydroxy for my RA, cocos for pain, omep to prevent any further stomach problems, Gaviscon Advance for when that doesn’t work and domperidone for when I get a cold and all the RA neck, throat and stomach problems combine to mess things up further. (Plus a couple of asthma inhalers.)

It’s probably the pain relief that’s making you sleep a lot. We all have to find a balance between dulling the pain but falling asleep versus putting up with the pain but being alert. Once your DMARDS start working you’ll probably be able to reduce the dullers and will feel better in yourself. The new sickness is probably the sulph and, for some, it does seem to wear off if they can persevere with it but I’ve never taken it.

Is the doc just firing pills at you? I guess, in a sense, yes. That’s what they have to do at first because different meds work for different people. It’s trial and error.

I can’t answer your question about work because (a)it’s such an individual thing and (b)you might feel differently once your arthritis is under control and (c)I've been out of the work force for years.

You don’t ‘cry for no reason’. You cry for the very good reason that everything has suddenly gone pear-shaped, you’re in a lot of pain and you’re naturally worried. You probably repress it as much as possible and then it breaks out at unexpected times. It might help, for a time, to add an anti-depressant to the meds list. Many do.

Of course you don’t want pity: you want help. The doc’s trying to help but sometimes it just takes time. Your wife and family are suffering from your arthritis too but in a different way. They are sad, bewildered, wanting to take your pain away but unable to. It’s tough for them as well. Hang on in there. It will get better.

dreamdaisy

Here's my list.

Humira (fortnightly injection)
Methotrexate (weekly injection)
Folic acid (weekly tablet)

Daily meds:
sulph
ramopril and bendro for BP
citalopram (anti-dep)
cocos (30/500 four per day)
omeprazole (stomach protector)
diclofenac (anti-inlflammatory)

Occasional meds:
docusate (a laxative, taken when required)
slow-release tramadol (taken when required)
50mg tramadol (ditto)
Pulvinal beclamethasone (an inhaler, ditto)
Pulvinal salbutamol (ditto)

That's less than I've had before and may be more than I'll have in the future (though somehow I doubt it! )

People without arthritis go to the doctors when they're poorly, take some pillls and get better. We go to the doctors because we're poorly, we take pills and we don't. It's not easy. Pity is not necessary (this is what it is and it will be as it will be) - what is necessary is care, support and understanding but finding out how to supply those things is a learning curve for all concerned.

Your arthritis affects you plus everyone in your family and social circle, it can cause anger, frustration, upsets and can ruin far more than it should. We have to guard against that by being open and honest about how we are feeling, doing what we can when we can but, when it all gets too much we have to say so, ask for help and accept that help with a smile. That's a very high hurdle in itself. DD

ruby2

Interesting to see you can get anti sickness with this... I have been on it since about 1996.... and can never up it to prescribed dose without severe sickness.... I will book in to ask (simple solution really) had anti sickness tabs for other things but never thought it an option with sulpha.

mike26

hi thelaststarfighter
pleased to meet you..
have you had your blood test checked.
I was on sulfasalazine tbs about 4 weeks
no sickness but doctor phoned me and told me to
stop takeing them.
my blood count droped to danger level,
now on methotrexate..
hope you sort out problem quick..
mike26... :roll:

Thelaststarfighter

Nice to meet you mike26

I get my blood checked monthly and that's due tomorrow.

The sickness hasn't been to bad lately which I am thankful but the pain has not been good at all!

The GP is still thinking that I have IBD and that means a pile more tests, and after what I have went through since Jan I am not really looking forward to them.

Bioluminescence

Wow, really shocked by all the tablets you take. I thought taking 4 different one was a lot..... As I'm new to the DMARDs so presumably thats why I'm not on a whole lot. How long do they tend to give on say sulf. not doing much before they introduce a new drug? Also if the inflammation number on the bloods is very slowly going down does that mean it is working despite still feeling bad?

When you are on all this medication are you still getting regular blood tests (mine are fortnightly atm)? I only ask because my Granny has PMR and was given steroids and they missed a couple of blood tests and she ended up in hospital with it all.

DebraKelly

I was put on Sulpha last year (as well as taking Meth by injection), I had a horrible experience with Sulpha, not eatting, not sleeping, mood swings, tiredness and feeling sick most of the time.

Eventually I was taken off the Sulpha and am now much better for it.

I would speak to your Rhuemy Nurse in the first instance to get some advise, they may reduce your dose or give you some anti sickness tablets, but it sounds like you are on quite a lot of meds, so maybe putting Sulpha into the mix has upset you a bit.

Remember it takes up to 3 months for any new med to get into the system properly so give it time too. Try a mint or ginger nuts to help with the sickness in the meantime.

Hope this helps.