Experiences with Sulfasalazine and Methylprednisolone?

Start Sulfasalazine SLOW. Do not start 4 tablets on day one. Start one for a couple of days then go two, so on so forth. Otherwise, you may end up with a worst-ever headache that will not go away. Believe me, been there, done that.

You don't really need Methylprednisone. Regular Prednisone works just fine albeit, you will need a little higher dose. Once on Pred, you will gain weight, a lot of weight which will take years to shed. You may get anxious, even short-tempered. With regards to your reaction, you need to talk to your doc. We can't say anything without knowing whats in your chart.

If you make multiple trips to the bathroom, ask for Rx of Bentyl. Thats my lifesaver. Depending on the location of the inflammation, you may want to ask for the enema.

Otherwise, UC varies from person to person. What I am saying is just as much right as the next person refuting me. During my early days, I spent months on this board reading old threads and making a list of what I can try. I suggest you do the same.

I started sulfasalazine in September 2006 while I was tapering down on prednisolone. From memory, I started with 4 tabs a day, then went up to 6 as I finished the prednisolone. I was diagnosed with severe pancolitis, so my dose may have been higher than normal because of that.

I've taken sulfasalazine as the only medication to treat the colitis ever since, and have had no problems with it. It does make your urine a pine-orange colour though the first time you urinate after taking it - at least in my experience.

I haven't had a flare-up since my diagnosis (after several years of being misdiagnosed with IBS), 11 years ago. Everyone's experience is different, though.

Hi everyone! Thank you so much for the comments and feedback. 💛

To update:

I've been on the methylprednisolone for two weeks now, 8mg a day. Only mild improvement, still bleeding more often than not but I'm no longer constipated nearly as bad (taking that as a sign of decreased inflammation) nor do I think I'm passing as much blood as before.

As far as the sulfasalazine, I tried to start on it VERY slowly, took half a pill one day, then the next a whole pill and so on but started getting weirdly dizzy and it kinda freaked me out so I stopped taking it.

I'll be checking in with my doc again soon. Nowadays, I'm having clammy hands and I believe increased heart rate. Any time I move it's like my heart freaks out and starts beating really fast. Mild chest pain here and there too. Mild nausea comes and goes too, usually around the same time I get clammy. It almost sounds like something hormonal related (maybe from the long term steroid use)? I do typically run low on blood pressure (I'm tall and thin), I'm also underweight from the illness/my metabolism. I'm sure this has a hand in it as well.

Regardless, it's been a little less than great but I'm not terrible. Just really relieved to not be alone in this, it helps my anxiety a lot. Ironically, I'm a hypochondriac/kinda pill phobic so..having a chronic illness is a genuine nightmare both physically and psychologically.

Thanks again, everyone. It means the world to have this kind of support and guidance!