UC-2008 said...
I have been on sulfasalazine for just over a month now and the results have been great. However, it seems that since I have been on this medication I have developed a cough that wont go away. Does anyone know if this is common when taking this med??
UC-2008 Maybe it's nothing and you are fine, 50% of the time coughs are caused by post nasal drip, so if treating that doesn't help then definitely see the doctor about
it.
Did you start any other type of medication recently?
Its' interesting that you mention developing a cough after starting sulfasalazine. A dry non productive cough is usually associated with drugs used to control blood pressure called ace-inhibitors. There are a myriad of different reactions that people can have from sulfasalazine but typically a cough is not one of them. See link for prescribing information.
http://labeling.pfizer.com/ShowLabeling.aspx?id=524
Please keep in mind that not everything is cut and dry all the time with this type of drug and it might be a good idea to investigate this further. In other words don't ignore it.
Have you noticed any other symptoms besides the cough since you started the sulfasalazine? Side effects that may not seem so obvious, like changes in sleep pattern, sore muscles, blood pressure, bleeding from gums, increased saliva, lethargy, urinary changes (frequency or color), sensitivity to light, or anything else unusual. Sometimes inflammatory mediators (drugs like sulfasalazine) can reveal other underlying pathologies. Although severe reactions to sulfasalazine are not that common and usually unpredictable, you should definitely tell your doctor about
this cough or any other unusual presentation.
I am glad that you have had good results with this medicine in terms of your UC, however, there are other options that might be as effective in case you and your doctor want to try something else. I am not sure if they are cost prohibitive for you or not. Balsalazide reaches the large intestine well, and so does Lialda. Either of those have fewer side effects than sulfasalazine.
Good luck
Personally, I have most all the drugs available to treat UC and my favorite is Lialda. It's only taken once a day and nothing else has given me the same results. I love it!
Left side UC diagnosed 1996
-Lilda 4.8g
-azathioprine 300mg
-omeprazole 20mg
-Torprol XL 100mg
-hctz 12.5mg
-Vit B12 1000mcg
-folate 1g
-Welchol 3.75g
-Vit D 2000 IU
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