Severe dizziness! due to this drug??

Bones, joints and muscles
1

My sister has been on Sulphasalazine (spelling?) for 6 months....and is suffering from severe dizziness, is this a classic side affect? 

She is housebound because she feels so ill....

​She has had many blood tests to rule out vitamin deficiency...but all ok....

​Any info would help...thank you

2

Hi Linda, it certainly seems from the literature that dizziness is one of the side effects. I would recommend that she sees a doctor for a full check up, better be safe than sorry. Has the dosage changed recently or has she been dizzy for some time?

3

Hi Linda

    Is her doctor aware of the severe dizziness--it certainly sounds like a side effect.   I got quite dizzy on an increased does of MTX which is a different pill for RA.    

To be housebound b/c of such a problem with dizziness sure seems like the doctor should try a different drug.  Best of luck to your sister.   Keep us posted on how she is doing

 

4

I would be surprised to find out she is dizzy from the sulfasalazine.  I bet though it's from the methyltrexate, terrible med.  

5

I tried taking Sulfasalazine while seeing a different Rheumatologist, the one I had been seeing was on a sabbatical. I couldn't ever increase my dose to the hoped for level because I would get so dizzy and so nauseous from the dizziness that it was difficult to function. Fortunately my Rheumatologist came back and we tried other drugs.

6

Hi Linda

She needs to tell her rheumatologist as this drug has many different side effects.

When I was on it I was constantly twitching, had restless limb syndrome drove me up the wall

7

I inject my mtx weekly as couldn't stomach the pills, was told by RA specialist that by injecting the dose can be lowered as you get 100% of the drug as opposed to 75% in pill form.

But youre right horrible side effects.

8

Thank you and everyone else that replied to me....My sister upped the dose in february to full amount per day.....she has got steaduily worse.  She isn`t on any other medication.  I have now been to see her, and told her of these replies, she is ringing the Rheumie on Monday to go on another DMARD if there is one!  (she first tried Methotrexate, which she couldn`t tolerate, and it affected her liver)  Thanks all again, and keep well!

9

There is at least one other that I can think of and of course there are the biologics.

Will be thinking of her, she's lucky to have you looking out for her