Sulfasalazine + hydroxychloroquine & depression

[Frankiefocus]

Hi everyone

Have any of you good people experienced low mood or depression while taking sulfasalazine or hydroxychloroquine?

[Boxerlady]

No I haven't, although I did get some low mood and tearfullness when I started Methotrexate so they increased my Folic Acid which sorted it out.

You're not on steroids are you? They can really affect your mood - either up or down.

[springcross]

Yes I did on SSZ. I kept wondering what was wrong with me as it's not usually like me but then realised what it was. x

[sylvi]

Not that i have noticed it when i was on them.xxxxx

[Leics]

Hi, can’t say I experienced a low mood when on hydroxy or ssz but doc once changed my HRT from patches to pills and within a week I was staring at the walls and in tears all the time which definitely is not me. Lucky my husband realised what it was before me and got me to the GP’s sharpish I had severe clinical depression which stopped when the pills were stopped and patches resumed I was only early 40’s and luckily haven’t experienced it since. I would let your team know you are having symptoms and see what they say it could be a reaction to meds so it would be advisable to report it. Hope you feel brighter very soon.

[nomoreheels]

It's why I came off sulfasalazine. I was on it far too long as my Rheumy was on extended leave & nobody would take responsibility for stopping it but my mood was so low whilst taking it. I can't in all honesty call it depression, I’m aware how many levels there are, how life altering it can be & how we interpret the condition, so I would say I was very low, though I was in the right frame of mind to know the cause. I suppose what I'm meaning is I didn't need outside help.

I hope you're listened to & an alternative med is suggested.

[Nigelrobinson]

Hi Frankiefocus

I’ve been on Sulfasalazine for 10 years (I don’t use anything else for RA) and it has never caused me any issues at all. The disease has progressed in that time and certainly no depression. It’s been brilliant

Nigel Robinson

[Nigelrobinson in reply to Nigelrobinson]

Sorry - NOT significantly progressed!!!

[Hidden]

I was on Sulfasalazine and I found my mood got very low and was crying most days. Within a week of being off it I actually could feel my mood lift. So as I was getting bad side effects taken off and pt on leflunomide and just began this last night.

[reg01]

Yeah so bad I only take a third of what I should be taking. I would say a strange mood, rather than depressed. And ill too.

[Zip1]

With sulfa yes! Had to stop taking it ! I hope you get sorted soon.

[Yellowrattle]

Yes, it made me negative, easy to anger and have confused drifty thinking. It also affected my memory, and I have not recovered some events from when I was on it.

I too was told it was a rare but known side effect and was surprised by how quickly things changed when I was taken off it.

I persisted in case things settled, but regret this as six months was far too long to feel that way.

There are plenty more drugs to try.

Good luck with the next one.

[Vonnie10]

Hi yes it gave me low mood and severe nightmares, nightmare are a rare side effect . Goodluck on your next lot of drugs x

[Hidden]

Didn't have that with either, only with untreated RA and after being taken off Prednisolone very early on before DMARDs started to work. Now it's the cessation of meaningful life because of the pandemic that makes me feel low.

[Tompark]

I have been on sulfasalazine for a few months and no mood problems so far. In fact no side effects at all.