Common or Uncommon: Side effects of a Sulfasalazine?

[Guest guest]

After getting a firm diagnois of R.A. Sept. 11th?

My Rheum started me on a Sulfasalazine & Prednisone.

She warned me that the Sulfasalzine would be hard on my stomach.

The pred to me is heaven,( knowing from past experence with it) &

in 6 days,starting with the mega dosing, I have lost 14lbs., my

hair, skin, mood even have improved.

Monday ( a week ago today) I started taking 2 Sulfas a day.

And the Pred cut down to one on Wed. This past Friday?

I started vomiting & dirreha.

Sat. progressed to a high fever

with chills. Fever would break if I popped some Ibuprofen.

but as it wore off, once again chills and fever and something

new.. the sides of my neck where killing me. Felt as tho

I had whiplash.

Sun. Was so weak and blah, not only did I not get out of bed except

for a potty breaks... I did not take any Sulfas or pred.

Today I am feeling somewhat better. Called the Rheum and of

course she is not in till Wed. but in talking to her Nurse,

she has advised me not to take any Sulfas as she felt I might

be having an allergic reaction...

Now I am wondering.. could it be that I was having a reaction

to the Sulfa the whole time?and the high dose( 10 for some many

days...etc.) hiding it? Anyone else have this experence?

Thanks,

Micki Koban,

Mifflinville,PA

[Guest guest]

I had some of the same symptoms but not as bad. I quit taking them too.

Dennis in eastexas

On Mon, Sep 29, 2008 at 7:51 PM, Koban <setaspell@...> wrote:

>

> After getting a firm diagnois of R.A. Sept. 11th?

> My Rheum started me on a Sulfasalazine & Prednisone.

> She warned me that the Sulfasalzine would be hard on my stomach.

> The pred to me is heaven,( knowing from past experence with it) &

> in 6 days,starting with the mega dosing, I have lost 14lbs., my

> hair, skin, mood even have improved.

>

> Monday ( a week ago today) I started taking 2 Sulfas a day.

> And the Pred cut down to one on Wed. This past Friday?

> I started vomiting & dirreha.

> Sat. progressed to a high fever

> with chills. Fever would break if I popped some Ibuprofen.

> but as it wore off, once again chills and fever and something

> new.. the sides of my neck where killing me. Felt as tho

> I had whiplash.

> Sun. Was so weak and blah, not only did I not get out of bed except

> for a potty breaks... I did not take any Sulfas or pred.

>

> Today I am feeling somewhat better. Called the Rheum and of

> course she is not in till Wed. but in talking to her Nurse,

> she has advised me not to take any Sulfas as she felt I might

> be having an allergic reaction...

>

> Now I am wondering.. could it be that I was having a reaction

> to the Sulfa the whole time?and the high dose( 10 for some many

> days...etc.) hiding it? Anyone else have this experence?

>

> Thanks,

> Micki Koban,

> Mifflinville,PA

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

I've been take Sulfazine EC 500 mg (4 per day) for a few months. I started

with one a day for the first week I think and then the second week, went to

2 a day. The third week, 3 a day until the 4th week, 4 a day. My

Prednisone is down to 2.5 mg every 3 days.

I sure felt terrific when I was at a high dose of Prednisone (up to 60 mg a

day), but I will learn to live without it I hope. I haven't had any ill

effects from the Sulfazine.

Dorothy

_____

From: [mailto: ] On

Behalf Of Koban

Sent: Monday, September 29, 2008 8:52 PM

Subject: [ ] Common or Uncommon: Side effects of a Sulfasalazine?

After getting a firm diagnois of R.A. Sept. 11th?

My Rheum started me on a Sulfasalazine & Prednisone.

She warned me that the Sulfasalzine would be hard on my stomach.

The pred to me is heaven,( knowing from past experence with it) &

in 6 days,starting with the mega dosing, I have lost 14lbs., my

hair, skin, mood even have improved.

Monday ( a week ago today) I started taking 2 Sulfas a day.

And the Pred cut down to one on Wed. This past Friday?

I started vomiting & dirreha.

Sat. progressed to a high fever

with chills. Fever would break if I popped some Ibuprofen.

but as it wore off, once again chills and fever and something

new.. the sides of my neck where killing me. Felt as tho

I had whiplash.

Sun. Was so weak and blah, not only did I not get out of bed except

for a potty breaks... I did not take any Sulfas or pred.

Today I am feeling somewhat better. Called the Rheum and of

course she is not in till Wed. but in talking to her Nurse,

she has advised me not to take any Sulfas as she felt I might

be having an allergic reaction...

Now I am wondering.. could it be that I was having a reaction

to the Sulfa the whole time?and the high dose( 10 for some many

days...etc.) hiding it? Anyone else have this experence?

Thanks,

Micki Koban,

[Guest guest]

Hi Micki,

I'm on small dose of prednisone (5mg/day) & 1000mg sulfasalazine/twice

day. I took sulfa for 2 weeks at 500mg/twice day before up dose. I got

headaches the first few days of starting & starting up dose but other

than that it's been pretty rosey i guess.

I've been getting nausea as of late but this may be due to an infection

(I've been running a low grade fever & had an ear/neck/headache for the

last few days as well) The local rural nurse found some fungus

spores/colonies in my ear, but not enough to cause inflammation.

I thinks It's a bit hard to separate all the things we feel &

experience so that we can catergorise them as being a reaction to a

drug or a separate illness in itself (a cold for example). I think

that's why a daily health journal is important, so we can spot patterns.

I'm wondering if you have read your consumer information sheet on the

drugs? You mention taking Ibrufen which is a NSAID & I have read & been

told not to take NSAID's or Aspirin with either pred or sulfa, only

paracetamol. I do take diclofenac as required & prescribed (50mg up to

3 times a day- i'm weaning off them atm, had 1 in last 2 weeks).

Your sore neck may be due to swollen glands.

By now you would have spoken too your Rheumy, how did you go?

cheers, Sharon of OZ

hope the end of this msg doesn't seem too abrupt, but I've got

to " dash " (not that I " dash " much anymore )

> After getting a firm diagnois of R.A. Sept. 11th?

> My Rheum started me on a Sulfasalazine & Prednisone.

> She warned me that the Sulfasalzine would be hard on my stomach.

> The pred to me is heaven,( knowing from past experence with it) &

> in 6 days,starting with the mega dosing, I have lost 14lbs., my

> hair, skin, mood even have improved.

>