Sulfasalazine for Rheumatoid Arthritis User Reviews (Page 2)

• LWa...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• January 10, 2016

"I've been on this medication for 6 months. Started off with 2 pills a day, then went to 4 pills a day, now on 6 pills a day. Also take 2 Celebrex a day. I'm on/off prednisone when I get flare-ups. Cold temps seem to make my symptoms worse. Sulfasalazine seems to help, but when I have a flare-up, it's bad. Flu symptoms and extremely tired. I don't think the meds help with my fatigue, and that's very frustrating."

• Bec...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 9, 2019

"Diagnosed with RA 9 years ago. Have been on hydroxychloroquine and methotrexate - had liver problems, so have had to come off the metho. Started this drug 2 and a half weeks ago. Mild symptoms at first, nothing too bad, but 3 days ago I upped the dose as prescribed and have had intense head and neck pain since. Pain has been so bad I was taken into the hospital last night. They gave me codeine, oromorph, diazepam, and it was still bad, eventually, I had anti-sickness and IV fluids and was able to sleep for a bit. On waking, I felt improved, although head and neck pain is still there. As yet, I have not taken today’s dose as I’m actually scared the intense pain will return. Confused as to what to do, as very little guidance from specialist or GP! Frustrating."

• NZN...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• September 11, 2019

"Update from 2017. My husband is still taking sulfasalazine after almost three years, along with the minocycline. He has no symptoms of RA and no joint damage whatsoever. However, after an episode of severe kidney/back pain in the night last week, I took him to the ER. A CT showed one stone in his right kidney and one stone in his bladder. Kidney stones are a known side effect of sulfasalazine. He has cut down to two 500 mg a day, but because he continues to have back spasms and chest pain, he has been put on a week of prednisone. The previous episode in 2017 was actually diagnosed as anemia of chronic disease and treated with prednisone. He now has it again. Seriously considering stopping the sulfasalazine, as most of his episodes can be attributed to this drug. Still no other symptoms of RA."

• Eda...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 19, 2020

"I reacted poorly to sulfasalazine. My fiancée expressed that it had some weird cognitive effects on me, as if I were on heavy opioids or recovering from anesthesia. For my part, I felt like I was moving through molasses for the four months I was on it. I got really fatigued regularly, too, and experienced tightness in my chest that left me after I stopped the drug. It didn't provide much relief."

• Bux...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 18, 2019

"Finally got diagnosed with serum-negative RA (on top of 20 years of fibromyalgia) almost 3 years ago. Flunked methotrexate (night terrors!); on Plaquenil x2, but still had immobilizing pain. Added Leflunomide, still stiff and pain-filled. Add in Tramadol - discovered it's an opioid and got off it as soon as possible. Using Medrol dose packs (prednisone) for severe fibromyalgia + RA flare. Finally building endurance for standing/walking. Then RA doctor puts Sulfasalazine in my medication mix. Can't walk 30 steps without severe muscle pain (like I did a 10Km run?). Can't stand for more than 2 minutes. Not fun! Emailing doctor to get me off of Sulfasalazine. I am so frustrated; I have even lost weight (30+ pounds) and still feel like my muscles are wasted."

• pai...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 6, 2019

"I thought my head was going to explode. I started at 2 a day, then went up to 4 a day. I've been on it for about a month now. But not taking it anymore, I've been unable to go to work for 3 days now. Run, run - do not take - it is too much."

• db6...
• July 23, 2017

"Was put on sulfasalazine 2 weeks ago! I've had methotrexate, plus injectable Meteject, leflunomide, and now this traumatizing, horrible stuff. Every single DMARD has had horrendous effects on me. Started sulfasalazine 2 weeks ago and have had continual, nonstop pressure, headaches and sweats, nausea, and feel bloody awful... so, so, so bad. I went away for a week on holiday and I've never felt so ill! It completely ruined my family holiday. These headaches are ruining my life! It feels like someone's got a clamp around my head and has turned the heating up to full blast in my bones and body! Not happy at all. :'("

• reb...
• October 20, 2017

"I wrote another review here earlier. I got off sulfa thinking it was causing me to go hoarse, but after 5 months on methotrexate, I developed 2 ulcers, so I got back on sulfasalazine. No hoarseness, so it was something else. I love it. I've got severe RA for 38 years. This is one of the safer ones-try to stick it out past the early symptoms, go slow, add 1 pill a week until you get up to where you need. I just got off plaquenil, as I think it was causing muscle weakness and heart enlargement (a rare side effect of plaquenil). Not sure though, so I will see what happens. Best med ever for RA is minocycline-I got 17 great years on it-but it may have caused drug-induced lupus (rare), so sulfasalazine is the next best thing. I take 6 per day now, and a few aspirin too."

• Iss...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 25, 2017

"I started on 0.5 g/day (1 tab) and increased the dose weekly until I reached a max dose of 3 g/day (6 tabs). At first, I thought it wasn't working at all because my pain never improved, but eventually, I realized that brand new symptoms were presenting in new joints and that I was now also experiencing awful muscle spasms (in my calves, fingers, and toes) - I had never had this problem before. My fatigue also became more and more severe... Eventually, nearly 4 months after starting treatment, I stopped this awful drug... Sadly, 1 month later, I am still struggling with the aftereffects. What a terrible, terrible drug this is."

• reb...
• September 27, 2016

"I've been on sulfasalazine for just about 8 months. I started it as they advise-increasing dose each week until up to 4 per day (for RA). It began working fairly well after a few weeks, however, by the time I got up to the full dose, I began to have a feeling of something stuck in my throat-almost unable to croak out a sound. I'm a professional singer/musician, so this was impossible. I immediately cut back, and it got better. I really wanted this to work, it's cheap and one of the safest RA meds. Anyway, I was able to totally control my RA with 1 sulfasalazine and 2 plaquenil daily. Still hoarse/throat problems, and now fingers are peeling and sore. Time to switch to methotrexate to see if it gets better. :("

• Tdc...
• February 26, 2017

Sulfasalazine "Nasty stuff. First had extreme tiredness, then stomach pain, diarrhea, headache, fever, chills, rash. Went to emergency. Was on it total of 3 1/2 weeks. Stopped it two days ago, still not well. Maybe go back to methotrexate."

• JBa...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 10, 2019

"My mum was started on sulfasalazine 4 weeks ago for RA with severe bilateral hand pain and swelling. Initially, everything was fine, but when the dose was increased in the 2nd week to 500 mg twice a day, her mood started to deteriorate and she developed symptoms of plantar fasciitis. She became bedbound, and in the fourth week, she developed flu-like symptoms together with a rash on the upper torso and feet. Her medication was stopped as the initial worry was that she may have Stevens-Johnson syndrome. Luckily, it was not this. Her symptoms of plantar fasciitis improved since stopping this drug, so we suspect it was most likely symptoms due to sulfasalazine. The rheumatologist now wants to start my mum on methotrexate, but at the moment, we are holding back, and symptoms are being controlled with prednisone."

• Hum...
• June 22, 2017

"I'm a late 50s male recently diagnosed with RA. Thus far, it has not worked at all for me (have 'ramped up' over the past two months). To be fair, I was told it could take months before it 'kicked in.' I'm fairly miserable every day - hands, feet, and jaw, alternating or at the same time. Had no idea how nasty RA is until getting first-hand experience. Fatigue is an issue for me as well, RA or the sulfasalazine? This has been tough as I have always been very active."

• Swe...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 31, 2018

"Awful drug!! I was on this drug for 2 months. Started at one tablet a day, then increased to 2 tablets a day, equaling 1,000 mg. It seemed to help some with joint pain, but the side effects were awful. Intense migraines from the start, then a few days ago, I had to call an ambulance as I felt like I was having a heart attack and couldn't breathe. I was vomiting as well. My liver enzymes were through the roof, and now they think I have liver damage. I'm due to have a liver biopsy soon. Run, run far away from this med!!"

• RRL...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• June 24, 2020

"This sulfasalazine is the fifth or sixth drug my doc put me on. It seems to be helping, but I can still feel my joints getting worse, just not as fast as they were. I had my first knee pains when I was 9 years old. I was told it was just growing pains. IMHO, there is no such thing as growing pains. I have been on sulfasalazine for well over five years now. It does not make me sick, lose my hair, dizzy, or more grumpy than normal...for me anyway. It works well as long as you are not allergic to sulfur."

• Dee...
• March 13, 2021

"My rheumy, after RA diagnosis in 11/2019, put me on prednisone, then added plaquenil, then sulfasalazine, gradually to 3 tabs 2x a day. No side effects. After my joint pain was 75% diminished, my doctor weaned me off the 10 mg daily prednisone. Took 3 months. There was a little bit of flare-up after each lessening of prednisone dosage, but after a few months, nearly every joint felt 90% better. It's been about 1 year since I went off prednisone completely, and I've noticed one of my knees has become pain-free, and only one has some pain. I also have a little pain in one shoulder, but compared to the 20-something joints that had been initially affected, I'm happy with this drug cocktail. I believe both drugs are helping me greatly, but I'm not sure how efficacious if I only took one and not both. For that reason, I must rate this drug 9/10. I'm very grateful that my doc was able to get me from excruciating pain to nearly normal function. I hope you will all find your magic elixir."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• January 11, 2022

"Without a doubt, the worst medicine and side effects. After long use with no relief, my body became septic, and I nearly died. These reviews are all rosy and do not reflect the negative side. Read patient reviews, you will be shocked. I have permanent side effects."

• Mar...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 26, 2021

"I have been dealing with RA (ankylosing spondylitis) for about 30 years. My medications have run the gamut from A to Z. The last medicine was Humira, which ended up giving me Hodgkin's lymphoma and 6 months of chemotherapy to put it in remission. I am now back to square one and was prescribed sulfasalazine. A few weeks after taking it, I noticed constant nausea, ringing in my ears, hair loss, and constipation with no relief for my swollen knees. I am done being a guinea pig for these pharmaceutical companies and am looking at a natural approach using a strict diet, turmeric, and other natural compounds to manage this. No more science experiments for me."

• Hur...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 6, 2019

"I started taking sulfasalazine (SZS) with Plaquenil 2 months ago for RA. Immediately felt dizzy, confused, nosebleed, and depression, and also severe vision changes. Bi-weekly blood draws were a total painful waste of time. Then began a very intense ringing in my ears. Discontinued Plaquenil twice a day, and dropped the SZS from 4 per day to 3. I did get some relief from RA, but far from worth the suffering of the severe side effects. Ringing in my ears continued, especially bad in the mornings. Stopped SZS 2 days ago, and ears still ringing like crazy. I hope this stops soon as I am almost crazy with it. Both drugs are very nasty, and I will never again take either of these drugs. Appointment with rheumatologist as soon as the ringing stops. She suggested an appointment with an audiologist to address the tinnitus. I know it is the SZS causing it. Going to try a different treatment, might as well go all the way at this point. Not ruling out Humira or another biologic."

• Ela...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 5, 2021

"I have been on sulfasalazine for 6 weeks, and the last 2 weeks I have been unwell, tight chest, feels like I have a lump in my throat. Fuzzy head, and I feel so congested and generally weak and unwell. Anyone had symptoms like this?"

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 22, 2022

"I've been on sulfasalazine for 4 weeks. I am taking 2 in the morning and 2 at night, with methotrexate and hydroxychloroquine. The first 2 weeks were great as I was only on one in the morning and one in the evening, but since using this, I've had more flare-ups worse than ever, like when I got when I first got R.A. 15 years ago in my 30s. I feel so ill, so I'm going to cut down to 1 in the morning and one in the evening. I can't move with pain in my shoulders and rib cage. Just want to be pain-free again."

• Wsw...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 10, 2022

Sulfasalazine "Taking for 3 weeks. Such severe headaches ended up in the ER. Doesn’t matter if it helps joint pain if the headache is continuous and unbearable. This is a vile drug and would not recommend it to anyone."

• Ven...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 6, 2024

"In the beginning, I had ringing in ears, numbness and tingling in lower extremities, headaches while taking 2 tabs daily - but the swelling and pain of RA decreased significantly. My doctor said he had never heard of this. Well, it's clearly stated in the side effects. I wanted to try again, so I am on 1 tab daily. I sometimes have upper epigastric pain. We will see if I'm able to progress to 2 tabs daily."

• Pen...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 4, 2019

"Was on this drug, sulfasalazine, for RA, although the real problem was severe carpal tunnel in both wrists. Two months after starting the drug, my blood tests started showing liver damage. I am now awaiting a liver biopsy. Little improvement in liver damage after 8 weeks off the drug."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• April 2, 2024

"It’s been good so far since I started with the treatment 1 year ago. At the beginning, I had severe abdominal pain, and after a few weeks, I stopped the medication to ensure it was sulfasalazine causing the pain for a couple of weeks. The pain disappeared, and I started the medication again, but I took 1g for a few weeks and slowly increased to 2g. Since then, no pain or issues."