Anyone else have awful side effects from sulfasalazine? I can't seem to tolerate it at all, but I've only taken one dose. Does it get better?
Unfortunately, methotrexate + hydroxychloroquine stopped working for me after a couple of months. My rheumatologist recently suggested I switch out the methotrexate for sulfasalazine.
I took my first dose of sulfa last night after a well-balanced, healthy dinner. I felt fine last night.
I woke up this morning to feeling like absolute garbage. Waves of nausea. Horrible fatigue. A splitting headache. I had to call out of work because there was no way I could go in and function.
It's now the evening and I still feel nauseated, fatigued, and the headache is only slightly less horrible. This is very atypical, even when I get a migraine. Nothing has helped. I feel absolutely awful still.
I haven't taken another dose of sulfasalazine because I just cannot risk feeling this way again tomorrow. I have to go to work!!
Anyone else have this experience? I do not know if I have enteric-coated tablets or not. They're round and orange. I'm supposed to split doses morning and evening, like with my hydroxychloroquine. Did side effects get better after awhile? I really cannot bring myself to take medicine that makes me feel this bad. Like the RA pain is bad enough.
I have messaged my rheumatologist but she doesn't typically respond quickly (or at all sometimes). Looking for other's experiences with this medication, especially if they had bad side effects in the beginning.
Thanks.