Info on Sulfasalazine and Nabumetone

[alicem0208]

Has any one any Info on the above medication, iv been taking them for 2 Months and my symptems seem to be getting worse

[Scottishlad]

Most of the Disease modifying anti rheumatoid drugs (DMARD) take a while to take effect. When I started on sulphasalazine my dose was increased over time until I reached 6 tablets a day.

I would expect that should have a review appointment soon. At this your dose should be reviewed and any side effects discussed. The doctors will want to be sure there are no problems and they always want you to be on the lowest dose that works for you.

Sulphasalazine was my first DMARD and was effective for a couple of years before other drugs were added into the mix.

To sum up your dose may be increased other drugs added or alternatives prescribed. We all respond differently to treatment some people like me have few side effects others have big problems. 3 - 6 months is often needed to see if any treatment is working.

Hope this helps

[alicem0208 in reply to Scottishlad]

Thanks so much, at the moment I'm on 2 a day which will be increased to 3 a day in 2weeks time then 4 tabs hopefully by then the pain will ease up.

[Scottishlad in reply to alicem0208]

It is all about side effects and lowest dose. Controlling RA usually is about damping down the immune response so baby steps are best. You will read a lot of post comments about reactions and side effects. The people who have problems are much more likely to post comments than those who don't. I worked up through sulphasalazine adding hydroxy chloroquine and finally methotrexate as a triple therapy this took 8 years. I am now on the biologic Cimzia plus reduced methotrexate. Apart from sun sensitivity the only side effect was mouth ulcers at high doses of methotrexate.

One way to think about it is that you are on journey. You may take some wrong turnings, go up blind alleys. The speed and direction depends on how you respond to the treatment and how your disease develops.

Good luck on your journey hopefully you will find the support you need here and on the NRAS website.

[alicem0208 in reply to Scottishlad]

Thanks

[cathie in reply to Scottishlad]

This is great advice!

[emma36]

Hi there

I have taken Sulfasalazine for a number of years and it has always worked really well for me until recently, I am now due to start methotrexate next week. I think the previous post was spot on, it is all about keeping going until you find what works for you. These drugs usually take about three months to kick in and even then you may not get amazing results immediately. Stick with it though. I can remember when I was at my absolute worst and felt like I was never going to get out of the hole I had fallen into. With a lot of help and a lot of determination I did and although I am not at my best right now, I can now always see the light at the end of the tunnel.

I really hope you start to feel some positive effects soon, will keep my fingers crossed for you xxxx

[alicem0208 in reply to emma36]

Thank u so much, I already feel happier

[allanah]

Hi I has sulpha, I increased doses and had no side effects. Unfortunately OT just wasn't effective enough for me personally but they put me straight onto Arava. So don't give up hope, this could be the one for you, if not there are many others! Good luck xx

[helixhelix]

Like scottishlad I think this is a journey, and one of the uncomfortable things about RA is that it is a very slow journey. So 2 months is not a very long time, especially as you're just starting to build up the dose. All in all it took me well over a year to get this disease under control, and the doses were slowly increased and more drugs added in until I got to 5 tabs of sulphasalazine, plus Hydroxy and MTX and all he added extras to cope with the side effects. So hang in there and you should find it starting to have an effect soon'ish.

The Nabumetone is a non steroidal anti inflammatory (NSAID) and there are loads of different ones. Some people find one works much better for them than another, so you could always ask your GP if you could try a different one.

Polly

[alicem0208 in reply to helixhelix]

I will defo speak to my Doctor. I did try Meth but was so sick I was taken off them.

[lynn-bel]

Sulfa. didnt suit me at all, had a violent and immediate reaction to it so was put on mtx (been 13 yrs now) which suits me very well and hardly any side effects.

I take Naproxen as and when - only if I am feeling "flared" or very inflamed. Seems to work okay for me.

As has been said, you have to be patient and give diff. meds a go, and yes, it is a long journey. Write everythign down you are feeling whilst on the meds so you can go through it with the dr. - we sometimes forget the details when we're sitting in the office face to face with the dr.

When I started mtx I was told to give it a good 12 weeks to feel the benefit, so you may have to wait a little longer. Take painkillers and I use Voltarol to rub into painful areas sometimes, just to give my tummy a rest from the pills! Use ice and heat to relieve pain and inflammation. Hopefully the meds will kick in and you'll start feeling better.

Lynn x