sulfasalazine Not working

Hi Robert, i can see how very poorly your pain and RA condition has been managed by your reumatologist, and i feel so bad for you. I dont understand why you have been on the sulfa meds for such an extreme amt of time, in this much pain, without other forms of treatment that will help manage your awful pain and RA condition. Have you been given a short term prednisone pak ( usually 10 days, at 20 mg, then 10mg, then 5mg then stop) Are you taking a prescribed anti inflammatory such as mobic (meloxicam)? This is crutial. Have you tried other treatments for RA? The sulfa med you are on is an antibiotic and actually causes much pain for many people, including myself. I gave it 2 months. The biologics and methotrexate caused much pain for me as well, lowering my immune system and triggering underlying infections (dental being huge). Methorexate had poor side effects for me, seemed to poison me, and greatly lowered my immune system. I gave this about 2 to 3 months. The directions say not to start either if these RA meds if you have an underlying infection, but we dont often even know that we have one when starting/trying these various RA meds. The success rate varies for these, and my research showed only 30% responded to the methotrexiate. Most became sicker, in more pain, or had chronic flairs (as i did). Is not your RA doctor fully aware that you are not responding to the sulfa drugs and have severely mismanaged RA ? One reason i had such painful all over muscle body joint pain, that i could not differenciate between, was because of a secondary fibromyalga condition that was also not managed that so often goes along with unmanaged RA joint pain. I found that i was difficient or not absorbing calcium, which was contributing to painful muscle spasms. Vitamin D3 is needed (i take 2000 daily) with the calcium so it is absorbed. Also i found that by taking magnesium glycinate in a 1:1 ratio with the calcium plus D3, that all of my fibromyalga muscle and nerve pain went away. I do watch very closely thimgs that cause or contribute to additional inflammation in my body. Things such as dairy (sub almond milk..has 2x the calcium), sugars, gluten, tomato sauce, soy, mismanaged stress, less than 10 to 12 hrs nightly sleep, etc. It does very much look as though your RA doctor is not trying new things to help manage your dehabilitating RA pain and condition... Are you able to discuss adequate treatment or think of transferring to another?

(Continued) due to methotrexate not helping as well as lowering my immune system, and triggering infections and flares, i went off from this with the RA doctors full support. Trying the biologics for me was not successful for me as well, but for some it is. I was flaring about every 3 months causing to much prednisone use. Finally decided there were not any biolgics that helped, and decided to try plaquinil, which has very few side effects at all. It is suggested though to get yearly vision exams to make certain there is no retinal damage. I have had excellent success with this medication, and take tramadol 2x daily (for past damage done when treatment plan was not working for about 2 yrs), and a prescribed anti inflammatory (mobic). I do watch closely what i eat to keep inflammation down, sugar, milk, dairy, soy, spaghetti sauce etc and monitor stress and sleep..i believe i have already written above how much the combined vitamin and supplements have helped me. I just started drinking apple cider vinegar and lemon juice in a glass of water and believe its got to be doing some good. It seems to be about trial and error with the RA treatments being proactive to help this along. It is bewildering to me to be on the sulfs drug for such a long time, not helping, with you now in a flare. Your doctor may consider prescribing you with a short term 10 day steroid pak to get your inflammation under better control with your recent flare symptoms before asking you if you would like to consider one of the biologics. Methotrexicate was poison for me, and as i have said did nothing but lower my immune system and induce infection and more RA pain. There are many others with this same experience. Its very imp to take folic acid, 5 mg wkly as it depletes this.. and causes stomach nausia etc without it..vitamin d3, magnesium glycinate, calcium and a good multi vitamin have helped keep me well also.

Hi Robert

It is common for people to have bowel and joint problems alongside each other.

If you've got joint swelling you need an anti-inflammatory (ibuprofen, naproxen, diclofenac, etc), not necessarily just a pain killer, as this will not take the swelling down.

Amitryptiline can be really helpful at night if your sleep is affected or you're waking in pain.

I've been on SULFASALAZINE for about three weeks. Still no appreciable improvement. Good days, bad days, very weather dependant. Doctor says  it could take three months to work. I get a bit dizzy for about an hour after I take it. And even if I eat I feel nauseated. But all of this goes away after a hour or so.

getting used to it but nothing positive yet.

Hi Robert I've been on Sulfa for at least 3 years maybe more and don't think I've had any pain relief at all, on Lyrica and solpadol and Amytriptaline to help with pain which when taken makes me drowsy.

Specialist says your pain is under control.I don't think it is. Having right thumb operation later on in month due to extreme pain.

Also had both knees left shoulder and left big either replaced or fused. Think you have to be on Sulfa for quite a bit of time for it to work. Was on methotrexate previous but that didn't help

Good luck mate hope you get some relief from your pain