Sulfasalazine | Arthritis Information

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Is there anyone here that is on Sulfasalazine that is getting relief from it?  On a recent consultation visit with a new rheumatologist he suggested that maybe I might want to give this drug a try sometime.  He says it has been beneficial for many people.  I know of at least one person here that is taking it. 

 
The reason I'm asking about it is that because of the fact that I'm on high dose pred I'm starting to have LOTS of problems with sinus infections.  I'm still on 50mg daily but have made up my mind to start cutting more until I can't take the pain then stop reducing until the doc can find something that will give me some relief.  Right now, the only real relief that pred is giving me is I don't have a lot of inflammation.  The pain is there and the stiffness is REALLY there so it sounds as if pred is not doing enough to justify staying at this dose.
 
Bob

bob,

I know nothing about Sulfasalinze, but I am concerned for you. When is your Doctors appointment?

Do you have a family physician?

I've thought it may be offered to me in the near future as a secondary DMARD? I have no knowledge.. sorry...
I truly hope you find something that works soon.
I've been taking sulfasalazine for a while now.  I really didn't notice that it did much for me...although I still take it.  Since everyone's different, it just might help...who knows.Hi Bob, am on 1,500mg. of Sulfasalazine.  I started it about a month or so before restarting Humira.  I'm actually in the process of tapering off it.  I started on 2000 mg. and next week I'll taper down to 1,000 mg.  So far no difference, am still in clinical remission.  LindyHey Bob - so sorry to hear you're having so much trouble. I haven't tried sulfa. so I can't offer any advice. I think there are several members here who have tried it though. I'm currently on naproxen and Imuran with decent results. Has your doc mentioned trying naproxen? My RD said it was used to treat the symptoms of RA back in the day. I don't think it does anything for the progression though, but at least it makes life liveable. I'm hoping you find a combo that works for you soon. You definitely need to get off the roids. They're the devil imho.
Hope you're having a superfantastic and as comfortable as possible day that only gets better for you. I tried it -- and all it did for me was make the ringing in my ears worse. But I'd say, it's worth a shot with proper follow-up.I started taking it the day I was diagnosed. It did give me a metal taste in my mouth for a bit. Dr. said if I drank Coke, it would help. She was right. I took it for a number of years so it must have been helpful. This was awhile back, sorry not too helpful.Bob, I have been on 2000mgs sulfasalazine since Dx last April and apparently I am in remission. I say apparently only because I still have some symptoms but certainly not at all like where I was nearly a year ago!
The sulfa is combined with plaquinel and pred, at the moment Im down to 5mg daily. So something worked for me and it is the combo most likely.
When I started this regime, my rheumy had me take 500mg sulfa each morning for a week, then increased to 500mg also in evening for a week. Then 1000mg mornings for a week then 1000 mgs evenings. Thats where I am now, 2000mgs daily and have had no side effects apart from increased gas
Otherwise I am getting on well but today I had trouble getting my arms up to hang out some washing so this is when I have a problem with the word ' remission'. lolol
 
Hope all works out for you. Actually, Id best go back and read your post again, I think Ive forgotten something. IO, I think all of my problems are stemming from the pred.  I've never in my life been on a dose higher than 60mg daily for one week, then cut to 40mg, then 30mg etc, until done with the prescription.  I was on about 20 or 30mg daily that was given to me by my PCP that had to do me until I saw a rheumatologist.  When I saw her, she gave me Kineret and put me on the wait list for Enbrel.  (this was back in 2001 or 2002 when it was in short supply)  
 
Kineret didn't do squat.  But enbrel did and I was able to reduce the pred to 5mg.  As I said, I believe that my problems are all from the pred.  The MTX and Enbrel don't help when I take them either.  I'm going to have to suck it up and reduce the dose until my immune system can start to bounce back a bit.  Until then, it looks like I'm SOL.
 
By the way, thanks everyone about the Sulfa advice.
Bob
hi Bob,
I wanted to say I too, was allergic to sulfa. Found out the hard way. Also to mtx, plaqenil didn't work, did humira 8 months and didn't work. Tried pred. I hated it. (I thought my heart was gonna pop out and my eyes, my head throbbed and I threw up. I now have been taking enbrel for a year and feel pretty good unless it's a bad weather day and everything is throbbing and hurting. I had to go off enbrel twice. Once for cyst surgery and once for tooth extraction. This second time the enbrel isn't helping like it used too and the ra is migrating again. They say the first few years are the worst. How long have you had it?
Going on 4 years in Sept.
I wish you well.  I hope you find your right mix soon.
take care
24 years this past December.  It was bad in the beginning, I went for a long time where nothing helped.  Looks like I'm getting it again as this flare is going on six months soon.Geez, that's a long time. I'm so sorry about your flare. I hope it goes away soon and you feel better. i took sulfa drugs along time ago.  i guess they helped some.  i believe i was on them for a few years.   wow i have had RA for 22 years this month and i am having a difficult time too.  when i first got it i could not walk to the bathroom at night then it seems i got some relief after many years of suffering with enbrel then it quit working then i got some more relief with remicade.   i have been on it 5 years i think it has quit working and twice now i have had severe reactions yet my doctor does not want to stop it yet.?.   please wean yourself  to a more reasonable dose with the steriods.  i have taken steriods for 18 years and now again but never to the magnitude you do.  best wishes.  i hope you get some help soon and some relief.  wonderwomanJust FYI, when my RD was going over options other than MTX before going to biologics, he mentioned sulfa as a possibility, and said that he isn't sure why, but it's used more in Europe that the US. 
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