Hi everybody. Sulfasalazine side effects

[lyns62]

Hi.

I have been taking sulfasalazine for 3 weeks. Now on 3 tablets a day and upping to 4 this Thursday. For the last few days I have had diarrhoea and upset stomach after taking the afternoon dose then it is worse after the third.

Has anyone else had similar symptoms? And any advise on what to take to relieve this. I also take folic acid once a day and omeprazole.

Thanks.

[Cherub198889]

Hello Lyns62. I was on sulfasalazine 4x a day for 4 years....and I remember the horrible diarrhea. Sometimes I feared I wouldn't make it to the washroom. Thankfully this awful side effect left after a couple of months and I was able to continue this medication.

All the best to you,

Sue

[helixhelix in reply to Cherub198889]

Hello, hello! Greetings. Hope all’s well as haven’t “seen” you for a while

[Cherub198889 in reply to helixhelix]

Thanks for the greeting Helix Nice to "see" you too

[helixhelix]

Yup! My first 3 months on sulpha were horrid! I couldn’t eat or drink anything outside the house because of the explosive effects. But it slowly wore off. I did find that cutting out all fatty or oily food really helped.

[AgedCrone]

Speak to your rheumy nurse..I was taken off SSZ for that reason...there are plenty of other drugs to take you don’t need to suffer unnecessarily.

[Angels54]

Hi I had this also lots of flatulence . I was told to stop taking folic acid . I take 4 a day and 2 steroids, It should settle down and it was one of the side affects.

Sandie

[Happygranny1958]

I was really bad at the beginning, upset stomach, dizzy and really bad headaches. I was supposed to get up to six tablets a day, but have remained at three which I can now tolerate with no side effects, any more and the headaches return. Good luck, hope the side effects settle down soon. X

[Hidden]

It's many years since I was on Sulpha. I had no side effects until I started the 4th tablet and I got nausea. So I dropped back to 3 a day. Explained to my (then) rheumy what I'd done and he said that was fine. I eventually managed to increase the dose to 4 daily and had no problems again. Maybe hold of increasing for a while, then try again.

[wafoorn]

I have been taking 6 tablets a day with no side effects, so I must be lucky. Although they don't seem to be doing anything?

[Slife]

Hi I had the same side effects and felt really nauseous too. I was advised to go back to 2 a day for 2 weeks and try again. Had the same issue, so now only taking 2 per day as routine. I'm just hanging together on this dose... good luck!

[Jamarruk]

Hi. I had the same on SSZ, try as I could I couldn’t get past 3 per day for weeks!! However on one occasion I took the 4 and no side effects. I’ve gradually upped them to 6 per day and have no side effects aside maybe a little tiredness every now and then.

I know that everyone is different but they’ve worked for me. They are all I take and have been on them about 10 months. I’m able to run most days without any pain. Sure every now and then I’m a bit sore but nothing I can’t deal with.

I’m also meant to be on 2 naproxen a day but I’ve only taken 1 in the last 7 days.

I’d suggest that if you can; stick with it!

Just to add, I’m 42 years old and was diagnosed last year with PSA at what I’m told was an early stage so that could make a difference !?!

[lyns62]

Thanks for advice. I was diagnosed 2 years ago at 55. It does take its toll and I am a nurse so do struggle at times.

[GranAmie]

no gut reactions .... but rage rage rage... asked for divorce [not like me, i'd just leave or tell him 2go]. cut back to 2 tabs n tolerate them

[dembonesDAMNBONES]

Same probs as you, which abated in week seven, except for extreme nausea for at least half an hour after each tablet.

Gave a whole new meaning to five a day!

Genius that I am, I phoned my rheumy and asked if there was any reason I couldn't scoff them all in the one go.

He couldn't think of one, so I did exactly that.

Bouts of nausea shortened to a few minutes a day and are mostly nonexistent now.

I still use the Emoprazole to counteract Naproxen, Cocodamol and Paracetemol, but, luckily, I don't need it for the Tramadol.

On another post today, the subject of weird and unpleasant dreams induced by Sulf arose.

Some undergo it, while others don't.

Same with flatulence.

The drug that just keeps on giving. Lol.