Details

Sulfasalazine affects a substance in the body that causes inflammation, tissue damage, and diarrhoea. Sulfasalazine is used to treat moderate to severe ulcerative colitis. Sulfasalazine is also used to treat rheumatoid arthritis in children and adults who have used other arthritis medicines without successful treatment of symptoms. You should not use sulfasalazine if you are allergic to it, or if you have a blockage in your bladder or intestines porphyria (a genetic enzyme disorder that causes symptoms affecting the skin or nervous system) if you are allergic to sulpha drugs if you are allergic to aspirin or other salicylates. To make sure sulfasalazine is safe for you, tell your doctor if you have liver disease kidney disease, or a history of kidney stones a genetic enzyme deficiency called glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenise (G6PD) deficiency a blood cell disorder weak immune system (caused by disease or by using certain medicine) heart disease asthma or history of chronic infections.

Typical Uses

Sulfasalazine is used to treat a certain type of bowel disease called ulcerative colitis. This medication does not cure this condition, but it helps decrease symptoms such as fever, stomach pain, diarrhoea, and rectal bleeding. After an attack is treated, sulfasalazine is also used to increase the amount of time between attacks. This medication works by reducing irritation and swelling in the large intestines. In addition, delayed-release tablets of sulfasalazine are used to treat rheumatoid arthritis. Sulfasalazine helps to reduce joint pain, swelling, and stiffness. Early treatment of rheumatoid arthritis with sulfasalazine helps to reduce/prevent further joint damage so you can do more of your normal daily activities. This medication is used with other drugs, rest, and physical therapy in patients who have not responded to other medications (salicylates, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs-NSAIDs).

Side Effects

Common sulfasalazine side effects may include sudden weakness or ill feeling, fever, chills, cold or flu symptoms sore throat, cough, trouble breathing stabbing chest pain, cough with yellow or green mucus, wheezing pain when swallowing, painful mouth sores, red or swollen gums rapid heart rate, rapid and shallow breathing, fainting skin sores, pale skin, easy bruising, unusual bleeding or jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes).

Drug Interactions

• Sulfasalazine+adefovir- Talk to your doctor before using adefovir together with sulfasalazine. Adefovir may cause kidney problems, and combining it with other medications that can also affect the kidney such as sulfasalazine may increase that risk. You may need a dose adjustment or more frequent monitoring by your doctor to safely use both medications.
• Sulfasalazine+cidofovir- Using cidofovir together with sulfasalazine is not recommended. Cidofovir may cause kidney damage, and combining it with other medications that can also affect the kidney such as sulfasalazine may increase that risk. If you have been receiving sulfasalazine, you may need to wait at least seven days after your last dose before you can start treatment with cidofovir.
• Sulfasalazine+dicumarol- Using dicumarol together with sulfasalazine may increase the risk of bleeding, especially if you are elderly or have kidney or liver impairment. You may need more frequent monitoring of your prothrombin time or INR by your doctor to safely use both medications.
• Sulfasalazine+leflunomide- Using leflunomide together with sulfasalazine can increase the risk of side effects that affect your bone marrow function, resulting in low numbers of different types of blood cells. This can make you more likely to develop anaemia, bleeding problems, or infections. Because leflunomide can stay in your blood for a prolonged period after the last dose, interactions with other drugs may occur for some time even after you have stopped taking it.

Mechanism of action

Sulfasalazine is formed by combining two chemicals salicylate and sulfapyridine. When taken orally, the sulfapyridine moiety is absorbed from the gut into the body, whereas the salicylate moiety remains in the gut. In inflammatory bowel disease, salicylate act locally to reduce inflammation by decreasing the formation of chemicals called prostaglandins. In rheumatoid arthritis, the sulfapyridine absorbed in the body reduces pain and inflammation.

Pregnancy Category : B