Sulfasalazine, increased anxiety and noticeable heart palpitations

Caleb1981

Hi Everyone,

Has anyone experienced anything like this whilst on Sulfasalazine?

I recently switched from Methotrexate to Sulfasalazine and after the first couple of weeks, I was getting very obvious signs of anxiety - racing heart, sweating, burning up and that feeling of impending doom. My GP insisted I stopped but rheumatology insisted I didn’t stop. I stopped the medication for 10 days and restarted but remained at 500mg per day - fast forward 3 weeks and the anxiety symptoms are back. So bad this time I had to be Medevac’d from the middle of the North Sea.

On both occasions the extreme symptoms stopped within 4 days and to date have never reoccurred.

I’m prone to feeling a bit anxious at times but this was different. I can normally talk my self out of my anxiety but not with these episodes.

currently waiting to see rheumatology to discuss the next move.

thanks,

Cal

noddingtonpete

Hi @Caleb1981 have a look at the following

https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/treatments/drugs/sulfasalazine/

Peter