Kickas.org Forums Treatments, Drugs and Alternatives AS Pharmacy Sulfasalazine - can it worsen the pain?

Hi,
Naproxen 500mg worked very well for me for the last 3-4 months. I started taking sulfasalazine four weeks back and suddenly i started feeling worse. Initially i had some fatigue and headache (may be side effects) but those are gone now. But my pains have worsened. After the first two weeks I stoped taking sulfasalazine. But I have not returned back to how I was before taking sulfasalazine. As per my doctors recommendation I am going to start taking it again from January.

If I am right, sulfasalazine takes at least couple of months to kick in. But I am afraid my pains will worsen more. Also, my liver has some minor problems due a bad jaundice I had 8 years back. But the doctor did mention that it is good enough to handle the medicine. Has anyone had such experience with sulfasalazine? Please share your thoughts and experiences.

Hi. This is very weird as I was just about to post exactly the same thing!....I've been taking sulfasalazine for around a month and a half. Each time I step the dose up I notice more pain...2 days ago up to 2g/day and now more pain. Am not sure why....I was thinking it may be a detox type reaction...killing some nasties, and then settling down....I don't know whether to persist or not. Hopefully someone will come along who can help.

Hi,

To be honest my Experience with Sulphasalazine has not been very good ... it is an immunosuppressant therefore it makes your body less capable of fighting bacteria and infections... I had to stop it because it gave me a horrible candida flare up. Theres a lot tht can go wrong if your body has a suppresed immune system.... !!

It's a very strong drug and very risky too ... its best if you can handle your AS with diet and excersise etc...

Best Luck!

If you look at the research that is not a common reaction Sulfasalazine is not a strong immune suppressant and usually does not impact your ability to fight disease. The mechanism on how it works is not really know or well researched. Some on this board will say it works due to its antibiotic actions and ability to fight bacteria in the gut is why it can help AS.

Some may argue you are experiencing a bacteria die off and a HEx reaction but I have little info to offer you on that.

My son is on sulfa for 3 weeks now and has had no problems and is feeling a little better. I am allergic and could not stay on it very long.

Ive been on sulfasalazine now for 4 months.. and its true.. it didnt start working for maybe 12 weeks..at all! But i have noticed (very recently) that now i have regained SOME flexibility and my tendon swelling is gone an ecografia- ultrasound? confirmed that yesterday. (my doctors visits and tests are in spanish which SUCKS for me)

my back is still in pain and still have to take ibuprofen 3 or 4 times a day, but im hoping those will stop soon. The drug is very slow working ive been told.

just hang in there and hope for the best!!!!

I was on it 7 months, and didn't notice I was in less pain, but I noticed I wasn't stiff in the morning. Dec 30 I ran out and was out of the country so I thought I would see how things went... So it's what, one and a half weeks later, and I'm starting again tomorrow morning. The pain has been creeping back up. Like an idiot, I'm like "what's going on?" and my husband said "seems like you're back to where you were a year ago"... So I have good things to say about it, and I'm grateful that for the time being I don't have to go on anything stronger. I am not certain, but I think it's one of the few drugs for us that they'll give you during pregnancy.
Good luck, I hope you feel better,
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