Sulphazine

[Jaadee]

Been on this for 7 weeks now and if anything I have found I feel worse has anyone else found this?

[Alisontucker]

Found it really helped with morning stiffness but caused Fibro symptoms which were worse than the RA itself so stopped taking

[Mark_67]

I'm assuming you mean Sulfasalazine and this can take up to 12 weeks to work. If it still isn't working then you will need to contact your Rheumatologist to get the dose increased. Good luck.

[nomoreheels]

Hiya Jaadee. I replied last week(ish) to your post saying how you were struggling, did you see that & the others who replied? If you did & none of the replies helped you how about seeing if you could contact your Rheumy or nurse specialist to see if your appointment could be brought forward? Alternatively if that's not feasible you could ask your GP if he/she can suggest some additional anti inflammatory or pain relief whilst waiting.

Please don't struggle on & do let us know how you're doing now. I guess not too well if you're saying you feel worse but without your input or reply it's difficult to know if we can help in any way.

[Jaadee]

I will be phoning my Rheumy nurse tomorrow will let you know how I get on.

[nomoreheels in reply to Jaadee]

Oh, good! Please do, it is awful when nothing seems to work.

[binlid]

yes i do i keep telling my consultant that it feels as though someone giving me chinese burns on my legs but just says carry on with them though did reduce to two a day and not so bad now

[earthwitch]

I was fine for a couple of months, but then developed a hypersensitivity reaction the last time I tried to increase the dose. It felt like the worst case of flu out, and was really horrible. My GP didn't seem to think it was the SSZ and just told me to keep taking it, but I couldn't handle it any longer and stopped, and rather miraculously all the awful aches and flu-like stuff disappeared. I think its worth asking whether you might be reacting to it, especially if you felt significantly worse after a dose increase. If that was the case its then worth asking whether you should drop back to the dose that you felt OK on for a while until you get used to it properly before increasing again.

[allanah]

Hi did you get onto the hospital. Sounds like you need a bit more help to let the drugs start to take effect xxx A

[orchidcass77]

I'm week 3-4 on sulfasalazine. No benefits felt yet but now I'm wondering if that's why I'm down with terrible cold today, also my right ankles swollen up massively...much more than my normal every day swollen joints. Good luck getting onto the hospital today

[Lyndalah]

I was on sulfasalazine earlier this year and had no relief at all. It made me feel very low and my head felt fuzzy all the time. On the advice of my rheumatology I came off it and I feel completely different. My joints have been easier and mentally I feel like my old self again.

[Hidden]

Hi Jaadee,

sorry to hear that you are feeling worse. We do sometimes get calls from people who initially feel worse before they get better. As has already been mentioned, it can take up to 12 weeks to feel the full benefits of your DMARD. In the meantime it may be worth contacting your GP to get help with the pain. You can also try ringing your rheumatology helpline if you have one or trying to get your appointment brought forward. I don't know if this is the first DMARD that you have been tried on, or how long you have had RA but it can be a bit of trial and error in the early days of treating RA as there is no one drug that works for everyone. Please feel free to ring the helpline Jaadee if you would like to talk further about this. Our number is:

0800 298 7650 Monday - Friday 9.30am - 4.30pm

Best wishes,

Beverley (NRAS Helpline)

[grandy]

I went on Sulphazalazine last year for 12 weeks, my joints felt a lot better but I felt awful!!

No energy and very down, I was advised to stop it and started to feel better within a few weeks but the joint pain returned!!!

[Hidden]

When I was first diagnosed in March I was given Sulfasalazine and had a sore throat from day one. Rheumy told me to persevere but after 5 weeks and still had sore throat I stopped taking it. I didnt feel it helped my joints either but this might have been too soon to tell. I was then given MTX which I took for another 3 weeks and this did ease my joints but my throat problem worsened and I also had terrible nausea and headaches. I still have a problem with my throat which feels like I have swallowed a golf ball. ENT think it is Gastric reflux caused by the drugs and also diagnosed Sjorgens. I have friends who still use Sulfasalazine and they are ok with it. We are all different so what works for some may not for others its all trial and error. Gentle hugs and I hope you find something that works for you. Joolz.x

[Jaadee]

Spoke to the Rheumy nurse today as I will be seeing the consultant in the middle of January she said I could stop taking the sulfasalazine to see how I get on without it. My bloods are as they should be.