Sulfasalazine FAQ

Ulcerative Colitis Questions?

I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis 3 weeks ago. I was put on Lialda, 4 pills a day and prednisone. I'm also allergic to sulfa drugs, and on the Lialda brochure it says to tell your doctor if you are allergic to sulfasalazine, which is a sulfa drug. My UC hasn't gotten any better, in fact it seems to be getting worse, with more frequent trips to the bathroom and really bad abdominal pain. Could my allergy be causing this? Also, with those of you with UC how long did it take for you until you went into remission? And what types of food (specifically) did you eat that made flare ups easier to deal with? Thank You.

Hi, I have reactive arthritis and I take sulfasalazine and naproxen 500 mg a day. I see all these postings that say risk of long term use for using naproxen includes gastrointestinal and Cardiovascular risks which increase with long term duration. However what they dont say is what is considered long term? Ive been on Naproxen since Jan. When should I start being concerned ? What are the signs?

I am nearly 27 and was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis when I was 25. My husband and I have been trying to conceive since just before I was diagnosed but blood tests show I don't ovulate. My Rheumatologist told me it would be beneficial to stop taking diclofenac, as it has been linked to anovulation. I am so relieved to have found some insight for my lack of ovuation, although I know it may not be the cause. I would like to know if anyone else with RA has stopped taking Diclofenac or any other medication (I am also on Sulfasalazine) and gone on to conceive and within what timescale.

I have a six month old Bullmastiff puppy that had diarrhea for almost a month. He has been his normal self... playing, eating everything in sight, sleeping, drinking water, etc. It has ranged from looking like soft serve ice cream to being like a jet of water (sorry for the images!). There hasn't ever been any blood. Before anyone says to take him to the vet because this can be serious- don't. The problem is that I've taken him to the vet 6 times in the past three weeks, not to mention to a different vet than our usual one for a second opinion. He's been on Metronidazole (two doses), Sulfasalazine (also two doses), he's taken Endosorb which is a miracle, and just took a dose of Amforal. The vet has thought it was colitis, giardia, and/or coccidia so he's been treated for those already with the antibiotics prescribed. We've done canned pumpkin (which has helped and we're still doing), Metamucil, Imodium AD, and he was on chicken and rice/chicken and hamburger for almost a month. He's now eating dog food again because I and the second vet were worried about him not having the proper nutrients from the chicken and rice. He's had xrays, three or four fecals, one of which was sent off to the lab and we're waiting for the results. All in all, I don't know what else to do. To make a long story short, the question I'm asking is what is a high quality dog food for him that will help? The second vet I took him to gave me Science DIet z/d to see if food allergens are the culprit. I started him on it yesterday and so far, so good, but I'm not comfortable feeding this to my puppy forever. I'm going to finish up this bag and then hopefully switch him to something more natural. First of all, I want him on a large breed puppy formula and am much more comfortable with someone holistic/organic/natural. He was on Blue Buffalo large breed puppy for about two months (I've had him since he was three months old) but then switched him to Orijen large breed puppy after the diarrhea started to see if that would make a difference and it didn't. I would like something comparable to Orijen if anyone knows of a brand that makes one for dogs with food intolerances. I'm sorry for this being so long, but it's been a long month for us! Any ideas as to a good food or what to do next would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance! Normally I would agree that it's because of all the food changes, but he was on Blue Buffalo and doing fine for two months when all this started. The diarrhea began and only then did I try the Orijen for a few days before taking the dog food away completely and only giving him chicken and rice. Also, I mixed some Orijen in with the chicken and rice so he was never only on the Orijen. Like I said, I'm going to continue on the Science Diet but have researched dog food extensively and everything I've read says that it's not the highest quality food to feed him. Also, the second vet I took him to said the same thing- no more antibiotics for awhile. I'm not looking to switch his food now that he seems to have settled. I'm going to keep him on the Science Diet for at least a few months, but I'm simply looking for a higher quality food for his future.

I recently started working at a drug manufacturing plant and the past couple days I was working with a drug called Sulfasalazine. You are required to wear a mask, suit, ear plugs and everything when in the room with a product, but it still manages to get all over you. It has a yellow/gold color to it and every break I had I would be spitting out that stuff and it was all in my nose, too. Yesterday I was feeling really bad, but still went into work. Probably was the worst thing I could have done because I was working with this same product again. Now I'm not sure if my symptoms have indeed been caused by sulfasalazine, but they are similar to the side effects that patients get who use the drug. Here are my symptoms: - Body aches/pains - Headache - Sore throat - Diarrhea - Feeling weak - Stuffy nose - Shortness of breath I've also coughed up blood a couple times right after I woke up this morning. I don't feel that terrible, but on a consistent basis my throat is sore and I am only taking short breaths. And if I eat anything, I have to go to the bathroom almost immediately. I know I should see a doctor if I'm still like this tomorrow, but how long to side effects for this drug usually last? I probably won't find anyone else who worked with the drug like me, but if you've at least taken the drug, please share your thoughts!

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Inflammatory Bowel Diseases - ADVANCE for Physician Assistants

Inflammatory Bowel Diseases ADVANCE for Physician Assistants, PA Diet modification, especially avoidance of raw fruits and vegetables; sulfasalazine 1 g bid or olsalazine, 500 mg bid if patient cannot tolerate sulfasalazine . In distal colitis, topical mesalamine is the drug of choice.