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What sulfasalizine dosage do you take/max

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Ulcerative Colitis
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Posted 4/11/2010 8:50 PM (GMT 0)
what does everyone take, and what is the max dosage?
Posted 4/11/2010 8:56 PM (GMT 0)
I take once at night at the moment - Im also taking one pentasa suppository in the morning to get me through work. - Seems to help a little
Posted 4/12/2010 9:27 PM (GMT 0)
I've played with the doses a bit. 

I was prescribed 4 grams a day (eight 500 mg pills: two pills, four times a day), and I've gone up to 5 grams a day, but that didn't help any more than 4 grams.  I've down  to 2 grams a day, but the joint pain started creeping back.  I'm now on 3 grams a day (three pills, twice a day) which seems to be a happy medium, although I'm a bit stiffer than usual.   I'd probably re-up to 4 grams if I could remember to take the darn things in the middle of the day.

Part of my memory wants to say the GI told me 6 grams a day is the absolute max -- and only for a limited time. 

The side effects do increase with increased dosage. 

Posted 4/12/2010 10:16 PM (GMT 0)
I was diagnosed with UC about 1975. Kept in remission with sulfasalazine 4 pills per day until 2005. UC came back and could not get it back in remission. The reason it came back......I STOPPED DRINKING COFFEE! I had no idea that coffee and nicotine helped keep UC in remission. I stopped drinking coffee because my wife read an article that coffee helped you get a fat belly. And I was getting a "belly". In 2007 I had a total colectomy and ileostomy. The surgeon almost postponed the surgery because I had a large growth in my lower abdomen. When they put the catheter in out came 2300 cc of urine. THAT WAS MY FAT BELLY. The seventh day after surgery I was home and in pain about 5 AM. Ambulance came and took me to the local small town hospital. They flew me by helicopter to a big hospital. I had peritonitis..almost checked out for good. I'm fine now with ileostomy. Had prostate surgery to fix the original problem. Moral of my story....DON'T STOP DRINKING COFFEE.

Dan
Posted 4/13/2010 11:58 PM (GMT 0)
well done just for surviving, Dan

what an ordeal. That is certainly a story to tell.

I am curious: what are the side-effects of sulfasalazine?

I have avoided it so far but I'm well aware that I could be hit any time by a flare and that I might be put on it against my will
Posted 4/14/2010 12:05 AM (GMT 0)
I had no side effects....except my pee was yellow. I had absolutely no problem with it. Why are you against it?

Dan
Posted 4/14/2010 11:39 AM (GMT 0)
Although I only take sulfasalazine on occasion now, for much of the past 20 years I took 2 grams/day. I originally started at 6 or 8 grams (don't recall exactly) and tapered down to a dose I could tolerate better.

The higher doses always made me fatigued, sometimes even a little nauseous. I don't remember what was considered the maximum dosage, but I think 8 grams was pretty close to the limit.
Posted 4/14/2010 12:41 PM (GMT 0)
I've been taking half a pill 3 or 4 times a day.
Posted 4/14/2010 8:54 PM (GMT 0)
hey thanks for replying, Dan and Ickypoo

what have i got against it? In my case it was prescribed but is unnecessary

i don't need it so i'm not gonna start taking it. Once you start you pretty much have to take it forever, is how it was told to me.

If you stop you will get a rebound effect as i understand it.

so i don't want to take pills forever. if I can avoid it i will for as long as possible. And plus i am curious on the side effects because if something works enough to have an effect, it will have to have a side effect also.

cheers and thanks!
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