Re: New to this group...Sulphasalazine query

[Guest guest]

Hi Jas and welcome,

You have done the right thing in joining this group as you will get the

advice you are looking for. Ninety Nine times out of One Hundred someone on the

list can identify with whatever the problem(s) is/are. They will have already

gone through it.

Everyone is different as far as the progression of this disease goes. Some

it creeps up on and it may or may not advance slowly. Some are going along

minding there own business when " Bam! " they are hit with it hard and fast!

Hopefully now that he has been diagnosed, he will get the correct treatment

for it but tell him to speak up if any meds he is given don't seem to be

working.

A few people here are still working away although obviously it can be a

struggle sometimes. I had to go on to LTD last year but I had worked in

Equipment

Maintenance for 16 years with PA.

Hope he gets some relief from this in the near future,

Take care,

PS: Maybe he can join in too if he has the time.

[Guest guest]

Hi Jas,

I think it is wonderful that you are supportive of him and this. I

took the drug first that he is going to start when I first was

diagnosed several years ago. I think it is a normal starter drug for

the disease. I for one had a very bad time with it. I had to stop

and seek other treatment methods, but others did well. I think the

key here is that everyone responds differently to different

treatments, so I don't believe there is a set standard. I was able

to keep my full time job through taking the drug, but barely. I felt

sicker and more ill than before taking it, and I didn't think that

was possible. I remember flu like symptoms, and fatique. Hope this

helps, and good luck to you both!

Tamara

> Hi,

>

> My name is Jas and I live in SW England. My partner of 13 years

Jim has

> just been diagnosed with PA although we think he has had it for at

least 6

> years. He has extreme stiffness in the mornings and when at rest

during the day,

> pain in his sacro-iliac joints and spine, tiredness which is

becoming

> progressively worse, dry eyes in the mornings, irritable bowel

symptoms, ridged

> finger nails, yellow flaking toe nails but no psoriasis symptoms

and there is non

> in his family that we know of. (I have had CFS and FMS for 12+

years so we

> are used to researching the net etc!!).

>

> Jim is due to start Sulphasalazine next week after blood tests, he

has been

> taking Lodine since December. At present he works full time, we

have a

> Carpentry and Refurbishment business and he works away from home

80% of the time.

>

> Is he likely to be able to work when he starts this drug as we have

been

> warned it has some nasty side effects??

>

> Also he is very keen to know what the prognosis is but of course

the Rheumy

> didn't say. She does not want to see him now until next March which

seems a

> long time away.

>

> Thanks for any help you can offer

>

> Jas in Devon

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Jas,

welcome! and welcome to ALL our new members. it's great to see so

many writing in..

to answer your question....we are all different and the meds affect

us differently but I would think he would be more apt to be able to

work ON the meds than off of them. If he does run into trouble you

could ask his rheum to try a different med. In general, the

sulphasalazine is thought to be one of the DMARDS(disease modifying

anti-rheumatic drugs) with fewer side effects.

Ii also have fibro and CFS in addition to the pa . Many of us here

do....what is your favorite FMS website?

good Luck,

Marti

> Hi,

>

> My name is Jas and I live in SW England. My partner of 13 years

Jim has

> just been diagnosed with PA although we think he has had it for at

least 6

> years. He has extreme stiffness in the mornings and when at rest

during the day,

> pain in his sacro-iliac joints and spine, tiredness which is

becoming

> progressively worse, dry eyes in the mornings, irritable bowel

symptoms, ridged

> finger nails, yellow flaking toe nails but no psoriasis symptoms

and there is non

> in his family that we know of. (I have had CFS and FMS for 12+

years so we

> are used to researching the net etc!!).

>

> Jim is due to start Sulphasalazine next week after blood tests, he

has been

> taking Lodine since December. At present he works full time, we

have a

> Carpentry and Refurbishment business and he works away from home

80% of the time.

>

> Is he likely to be able to work when he starts this drug as we have

been

> warned it has some nasty side effects??

>

> Also he is very keen to know what the prognosis is but of course

the Rheumy

> didn't say. She does not want to see him now until next March which

seems a

> long time away.

>

> Thanks for any help you can offer

>

> Jas in Devon

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Jas, welcome to you and Jim. I am allergic to sulfa meds so I didn't get

along well with it for the short time I tried it. I hope Jim has better

luck. I don't have much psoriasis either, in fact it was my fingernails

that got the attention of the doc who diagnosed me 3 years ago. Now I have

more P but it is being kept very calm by Enbrel and Arava. I work full time

but not in a physically demanding job. My work is mentally stressful

though. I don't honestly know how much longer I can keep doing it. I'd

like to go 5 more years, until I'm 60, but I have my doubts. That said I

must emphasize that we all progress at different rates. Also, it takes a

while to find the correct combination of meds. I hope Jim has access to a

doctor if he needs help before next March! I'm sorry you have so much to

deal with too. I'm sure you will find a lot of useful information here and

the support of people who really know what you are dealing with is vital.

Cheri