Thank you all for your replies re sulphasalisine and constipationas I said i have only been on it for a few days prior to taking it I was not constipated I am in Australia zi dont know if its the same in other countries I see rheaumatpgist in a public hospital you dont always see the same one and it can take sometime to get an appointment should I stop amd see what happens or buy something to help with constipation would probiotics cause any problems
Ra sufferer. : Thank you all for your replies re... - NRAS
Ra sufferer.
With any new drug it can upset your normal body rhythms for a while. For me Sulpha did cause digestive upsets for the first 3 months but i was prepared to put up with that if there was a chance that it would help the RA. Which it did, and digestive problems slowly faded away. it's always a personal choice.
So my personal view is that this is pretty normal, and i'd just try to manage the constipation for a while.. Lots of fruit & veg, plenty of liquids, and gentle constipation remedies.. Good probiotics might help too, I don't know.
New meds often come with some side effects, though there's no guarantee you'll get any, this is why it's not helpful to over research a new med on the internet, you get a clouded view of them because of course side effects are always reported! Sometimes the longer we take them the side effects abate particularly the more common ones, so as a rule of thumb if you have any of the common ones then persevere. Obviously if the PIL mentions any you've to report to the prescriber then do so but really you shouldn't stop meds without first talking to yor Rheumy, or if recommends you should.
Stopping any meds, particularly DMARDs, to get over constipation or other of the more common side effects means it'll take longer for it to take effect. You could try natural remedies such as prunes or prune juice & other fruit & veg, high fibre cereal helps too, All Bran etc. I wouldn't use probiotics as a laxative, there are better things specifically meant for constipation in my view. You could ask your GP to prescribe something for you. When I first started taking strong pain relief my GP was convinced I'd get constipated so she also prescribed Macrogol (PEG) lots of it! The boxes remain untouched, never needed them.