Since I went off Mtx and on this other medication I find I have more flare ups. More stiffness and a little more pain but the pain isn't what it would be without meds. Mtx made me brain dead among other things...I had a least 8 to 10 side effects. I just couldn't function.
Has anyone tried sulfasalazine ? I don't have any side effects from this. I'm wondering...do the meds only help with pain and swelling or do they help slow down the spread of PsA ?
Does anyone know ? Is it going to get worse and spread no matter what I do ?
Sulfasalazine (Azulfidine), used to treat pain and swelling in arthritis, belongs to a class of drugs called sulfa drugs. It is a combination of salicylate (the main ingredient in aspirin) and a sulfa antibiotic. Sulfasalazine is also known as a disease modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD) because it not only decreases the pain and swelling of arthritis, but also may prevent damage to joints. In addition, it may reduce the risk of long term loss of function.
It IS classified as a DMARD. Here's to hoping it works for you. I'm on my second DMARD. First was MTX, now I'm on leflunomide (Arava).