Week 3 Sulfasalazine

[earthwitch]

Just starting week three of sulfasalazine - three tablets yesterday. So far its been quite manageable. Mild nausea the very first couple of days, and again when I increased to two tablets, so I'm expecting that again with today's increase. "Sea bands" (antiseasickness wrist bands) seem to be enough to let me cope. Today the fatigue has hit incredibly hard. Think that is what I am struggling with most. Haven't been able to decrease my pain meds any (still taking 50 mg codeine four times a day plus a couple of lots of paracetamol). Its really hard to tell if I'm feeling any different, partly because my pain areas used to come and go so much anyway and never be the same from week to week. Having said that, I don't think I have had as much problem generally with my feet, and my DIP joints right hand don't seem to be quite as bad as they were - more a diffuse ache than the strong pain I was getting. But, I've had some new areas join in - the inside edge of my left knee was killing me yesterday. I'm also aware that SSZ almost certainly isn't going to do anything for the axial spondyloarthritis (spine or SI joints) and thats hard for me, because that is really my worst problem area, and something that isnt getting any treatment now since I had to stop taking NSAIDs (after wrecking my gut, and having now tried 6 different ones, and several different stomach protectors).

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Good luck with seeing an improvement to the RA Earthwitch. All these DMARDs take a while to really do their job so hang in there. Tilda x

[Rockpool60]

Hello. Are you on any other drugs as well as Sulphasalazine? I am on MTX and Hydroxychloroquine too. I had to stop the sulpha as it caused me a lot of problems.

Take care and hope you see an improvement soon x