Side affects

[Amhoarten]

Started Sulfasalozine two weeks ago so now on two tablets a day. Wondering how soon I would know if I was going to get side affects. Would I know straight away? I know everybody is different but would like others experiences. Thanks.

[TerrilouiseS]

Hi, when I started Sulpha I got mine within a couple of hours of taking the first dose. Also got a rash about 6 weeks into treatment. Hope this helps

[Moomin8]

Hi- I didn't get any side-effects (apart from the yellow wee!) then I didn't get any benefits either lol- good luck🙂

[helixhelix]

I think that often the worse side effects start straight away - for example if you are allergic, or if a drug makes you throw up immediately. After that it can take time for effects to show as you increase the dose, and then a bit more time for the effects to wear off. Sulpha made my stomach very upset, but that only lasted a couple of months and it's fine now.

But sounds as if you are starting well, which is a great omen for it continuing like that too.

[earthwitch]

You can get an immediate allergic reaction, or a delayed hypersensitivity reaction. I didn't really react until I got to three tablets a day. I think often there are often problems at the dose increase points. My feeling now (after having my GP tell me to keep taking them and suffering for a good 10 days before I realised it wasn't going to get better) is if things don't settle down within a week or so of a dose increase, then start thinking that you might be reacting, and maybe drop back to the last dose that you tolerated ok for a bit longer. I also read about a desensitisation protocol for people who were having difficulty tolerating them (for inflammatory bowel diseases) where they started at much lower doses and increased much slower, and apparently that works sometimes. I tried that (with my GP support) but still kept on reacting. My reaction was like having a really bad case of the flu, shivery, achy, etc. It went away when I took antihistamines and stopped the SSZ. I had to keep taking antihistamines for two weeks after the last SSZ dose (as it does stay in your system a while)

[Philip]

Maybe consentrate on the positive side and worry too much because if you have any side effects I'm sure you'll know but if not keep the pee yellow. Personally I didn't have any probs when I first started and it's the same now, and I have 6 of the torpedos a day, best of luck.

[gaynorhaywood66]

Within two days ifelt nauseating and each time I increase dose. Hang in there side effects subsidie. Stay positive helps.

[stbernhard]

I started on 6 tablets a day and never thought about side effects. If I had any, then I didn't notice them or put them down to something else. Nothing long lasting anyway.

Good luck on your journey. All the very best.

[Dawnymat]

I started to feel like I had flu, couldn't do anything and felt delirious. I rang rheumatology and they said it could just be a bug, to keep taking it. I was getting worse not better and had a rash all over. Was asked to go in for bloods and they rang me the day after in a panic saying don't take anymore. My ast/alt score was 1150. I had a big reaction but I know lots of people are fine on it. I think I'm more cautious now with medication and I'd know if something wasn't right. Sometimes you are so desperate for something to work you ignore the side effects. It's a great help being on this site because you get to hear most people have similar things going on. Most medications seem to have some sort of side effect. Hearing other people's stories makes you realise the most common ones as well as any you should ask your specialist more about. Fingers crossed it works for you but if it doesn't there's always other choices. I'm now on methotrexate and enbrel injections. 😊 X

[nomoreheels]

I started getting side effects when I reached 3 tablets a day, worse once I got to 4 tablets but as you rightly say we're all different. I've just stopped the 1 tablet daily it was reduced to to see if that eased side effects (unfortunately it still made me nauseous so continued the anti-emetic although my mood is better) but such a low dose was doing diddly squat so on the advice of Registrar I took my last dose of Thursday & going on to leflunomide, double therapy with MTX.

I think all you can do is see & try to focus on it working rather than expected side effects, though of course if you have any of the less common ones report them to your team. Goes without saying but I hope it works for you!