hi can anybody help me , my rheumy has sent me an email saying he is looking at a pathway to therapy for me

[skippy1958]

and looking at putting me on sulfasalazine ,is anyone else on this medication or can tell me what it is?. also what kind of therapy does he mean ? I would be glad of any help as this is worring me , thanks , gentle hugs to all sue xx

[jillylin]

Hi,

I don't know about the medication but therapy comes in different sizes, so to speak. It may be talking with a clinical psychologist. This sounds scary but they don't sit and delve into your childhood. They are concerned with the here and now. They ask how Fibro has affected your life, your day to day living, how you think of it, what the effect of it is one you emotionally and physically. How we think about pain can affect how we cope with it. They can help us develop ways to better cope with it and so help make life less stressful.

Hugs

Jillyxx

[skippy1958 in reply to jillylin]

thanks jilly I have looked the medication up on nhs uk and it says for people with chrones desease, I haven't got that. oh well I will find out when I go to see hi , thanks for the reply , hugs

sue xx

[jillylin]

It's worth remembering that some medications are used for other reasons other than their original purpose. Anti depressants can help nerve pain, I take a medication for Restless legs that is actually used for Parkinson's and I have another medication that is used for one thing but I take it help prevent migraines. I suspect your medication is one of those that has a duel purpose.

Hugs

Jillyxx

[gloglo]

Yes but remember if there is anything about it that you do not like ie side effects remember you have the right to refuse.

But at the same time it sometimes take a little time for the body to get use to new meds.

Good luck love.

[suzy1]

Sulfazalazine is from a group of 5 ASAs (5 -aminosalicylic acid which is anti-inflammatory in nature ) they calm down inflammation which is why they are used for Crohns an Ulcerative Colitis. It is a way of delivering their action inside the body rather than just into our blood system through the stomach (which is kinda what tabs do - but this is a very simplistic way of describing it) Arthritis/Colitis etc - the 'itis' is inflammation of (colon in the case of colitis) and in rheumatoid arthritis some same it can have disease modifying properties (slow down the progression of the disease) . Sometimes a pathway can be nothing more than a tree type treatment diagram - ie does this patient have x? If yes use product x & y...., if no go just product y .....This helps all clinicians follow best practice decided by a group of medics with certain expertise in a disease and can include physical therapy/metal wellbeing - in other words anything that helps recovery/prevention . Just some ideas - no idea if they help or not - but I promise there will be method in the seeming madness. This sounds a bit garbled when I read it back, but the best I can do really. Take care of yourself xxxxx

[skippy1958]

thanks everyone xx I will try anything so will keep you posted when I go on it. at the moment I am on celebrex, gapapentin, tramadol and co codamol, and feel I do need something to help come to terms with fibro, as some days I spend crying over the life I have lost, think im just going through a bad fase as my husband is ill with chronic depression and his mental health worker feels I need support , obviously he dosent understand my illness so home life is quite hard. sorry for going on and on , I read the posts most nights and have a chuckle to myself at some , so thank you all again xx

gentle hugs

sue xxx

[scatter]

Hi skippy I was prescribed Sulfasalazine in August and like Suzy 1 said it helps with inflammation and is to help slow the process down,for me psoriatic arthritis. I was monitored for 3 months while gradually working up to full dose. It will take a while for it to get into your system I have seen a very slight improvement but hoping as time goes it will be much better. Regards hope your sorted soon. X