sulphasalazine side affect
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I have been taking 2000 mg of sulphasalazine each day for about six months. I have noticed for a few months that my eyes get hot. I apply water to cool them down. I am wondering if this could be a side affect of sulphasalazine. This drug combined with 20 mg of methotrexate once a week has helped the imflammatory/rheumatoid arthritis but I am thinking of reducing the dosage of sulphasalazine. Does anyone have a similar experience with sulphasalazine?
1 like, 4 replies
cheria murray2
Posted
Light cheria
Posted
I used them for years but was recently told by two separate eye doctors that the eye Ph is different in some way, and that it was not wise to use the saline after all.
Annoying because it was so cheap and readily available.
Other drops on the other hand - and there are many - are vital if you have dry eye because above all it's important to keep them as moist as possible.
Light
Posted
Perhaps I mis-read you, Cheria, and you meant that Saylene drops are a partiocular brand.
I don't know anything about Saylene drops. I rather foolishly took it to be a typo, but now see it probably was not.
Sorry about that!
Light murray2
Posted
This is definitely an interesting question! At least, for me.
I have had RA for 9 years and been on 2gm of sulfasalazine for much of that time. I am about to reduce =14pxMTX =14pxfrom 15mg weekly to 5mg, because I'm in remission as a result of taking the biologics infusion rituximab about two months ago. I also take a low daily dose (2.5mg) of prednisolone.But I have been suffering for over a year from extremely hot eyes, which in my case has been diagnosed as a condition called inflammatory filamental keratitis.
This is not just the very hot and dry eyes you seem to be suffering from, but includes the dried-out mycene layer that break up into filaments that stick to the cornea and make the eyes feel like they have constant sawdust in them. Extremely unpleasant, as you can imagine, and goes up and down from mild to unbearable.
I take various gels and drops to relieve the pain but until recently nothing has actually taken away the underlying disease.
I relate the detail, because you do want to make sure that the inflammation does not cause extreme dry-eye as it has in my case.
I am due for a long awaited consultation at Moorfields eye hopsital in London at the end of July and gleefully look forward to fielding a host of questions.
None of my ophthalmologists, nor my rheumatologist, have so far suggested there could be any connection between the sulphsalazine and the eye problem, and they've had plenty of time and done a huge amount of research work to source it for me.
Having said that, I'm due to see another rheumy on Monday and I will definitely put this question to him too.
If you remind me, I will report back.
Take care of those hot eyes!
I am a lot better right now, but I used cold backs to reduce the inflammation when it was extreme, and had to reduce my screen work, of course.
At the A & E recently at another London hospital when the condition was acute, the eye doctor there – not a fully-fledged ophthalmologist he assured me – said the slightly flip but simple words: "A happy eye is a closed eye!" Not very profound, but in my case, surprisingly helpful.
It helped me understand how the eye heals (the quickest healer of the body!) and how vital it is to get as much closed-eye moments as I could fit into my daily schedule.
It gave more kudos to my meditation sessions and my afternoon naps!
All the best.