Weakened immune or sore joints and fatigue?

[Mrsfarge]

My medication was increased from sub cut methotrexate to include sulphasalazine…this has meant less pain and hardly any fatigue…but consequently I am catching every bug going. I take a million supplements…does anyone have any suggestions that may help? I feel like I’m damned if I do and damned if I don’t!

[sylvi]

I assume you are on Glaucosomine and omega 3 fish oils, are you taking turmeric as that is good for your body.xxxx

[Mrsfarge in reply to sylvi]

Actually, No I’m not. I’m on vit d, multi b’s and some c and of course folic acid…maybe i need to change which ones I’m taking…

[sylvi in reply to Mrsfarge]

Get a good quality omega three darling. Glaucosomine are either suphyate or with chronditin. xxxx

[Mrsfarge in reply to sylvi]

Thank you, I’ve already ordered the glaucosomine, just need to find a good quality omega 3 Thankyou

[Lolabridge in reply to Mrsfarge]

I take these as recommended by my nutritionist. Other brands are available.

Fish oil omega 3

[Boxerlady]

I'm on Metoject, Sulphasalzine and Hydroxychloroquin and am also doing well. I haven't caught any bugs though and I wonder if it isn't actually connected to your medication but just unfortunate.

A friend of mine who doesn't have any medical conditions and isn't on medication seems to catch every bug going - she's had several colds since lockdown ended and a very mild case of Covid. Sometimes it's just bad luck...

[KittyJ]

Agree with Boxerlady, may be nothing to do with your meds. I too know people on no meds who catch every bug going and I rarely do. Sulpha is a mild RA drug and shouldn’t affect your immunity like that. It wasn’t even taken into account when calculating the Covid risk due to this. Please don’t just take supplements recommended by people without checking if they are ok for you and will not cause problems with the meds you are taking. Have you had blood tests to see if you are actually deficient at all?

[Runrig01]

I agree with boxerlady. Sulphasalazine isn’t classed as a strong immunosuppressant, and isn’t considered in the 3rd dose or treatment for covid details. I also agree you need to check that supplements don’t interact with your meds. I was once sold pure turmeric which is prescription only in Australia, being told it was fine with clopidogrel. I knew it interacted with warfarin. Within a week of taking it I was literally covered in bruises, and when I did my own research found it did interact with clopidogrel, lesson learned. A lot of supplements use the enzyme P450, and can affect the metabolism of other drugs, either increasing the speed they metabolise at or slow it down leading to toxic levels of some drugs. So you need to be extremely careful. Methotrexate is one such drug which increases in levels when taken with some of these supplements. Here’s some info on it

aafp.org/afp/2007/0801/p391...

[Mrsfarge]

I will check my last blood results…I also take iron supplements as I seem to have an issue absorbing iron naturally

[cathirwin]

I agree that it is unlikely to be the sulfasalazine. I have been on sulfasalazine and methotrexate for over 8 years and get less colds and bugs than I used to. I did have a spell of being unwell and it was the menopause so went on hrt and have been okay since. At that time my iron level was all ove the place and I was on an iron supplement which helped a little. Have you been allergy tested? It could be an allergy. Hope you get sorted. Sulfasalazine has been great for me in reducing pain.

[Mrsfarge in reply to cathirwin]

I am on iron supplements. And I agree since adding sulphasalazine with methotrexate I have less pain and fatigue. But maybe it could be menopausal stuff, so will look into that…