New Diagnosis
My rheumatologist thinks I have psoriatic arthritis and fibromyalgia. He thinks it may have started several years ago after the birth of my second child, when I had sacroilitis and some degeneration. I'm finished week 1 of 5 before starting sulphosalizole (SP?). No improvement in pain yet....any side effects of sulphosalizole that I should be aware of? I'm feeling pretty anxious about how this will affect my work life in particular. Any advice?
5 weeks of steroids I meant to say.
Hi
! Thank you for sharing with us. New diagnoses can be overwhelming, and feeling anxious is totally understandable. I hope you'll find comfort and support in this community. We are all here for you.
Could the medication be sulfasalazine? This is a traditional DMARD, and we have some general information on possible side effects of this type of medication in the following article: https://psoriatic-arthritis.com/medications/traditional-dmards-how-well-works-side-effects
There's also a forum discussion on side effects of sulfasalazine here: https://psoriatic-arthritis.com/forums/sulfasalazine-and-upset-stomach I really hope this is helpful. Do bear in mind that everyone responds differently to the various treatments that are available.
I also wanted to share a couple of articles on working with PsA, which I hope will be useful: https://psoriatic-arthritis.com/living-with-psa/work-challenges
https://psoriatic-arthritis.com/resources-work
I hope you'll start to notice some improvements in your pain levels soon. Please keep us updated on how you're doing if you can. Gentle hugs! -Catherine, Community Moderator
Hi
. The medication can make it harder for your body to build immunity after vaccination. That is why the CDC is now recommending a booster shot for people with compromised immune systems. Is a booster available in your area yet? Thinking of you! - Lori (Team Member) Hi
,
I'm so glad Lori was able to respond to you yesterday (I was having a rough day with fatigue and was not much use to anyone!). If you're able to, it might be worth reaching out to your doctor to ask about your personal COVID risk. I know here in the UK the general guidance was that the risk on sulfasalazine was not much higher than that of the general population, but people on some other medications used for PsA (including steroids at certain strengths/lengths of treatment) were considered to be more vulnerable. This was last year though, before the vaccines, so I'm not sure if/how that guidance has changed now.
If you do get to discuss this with your doctor we would be interested to hear their thoughts. I hope the steroids start to kick in for you soon! -Catherine, Community Moderator
Thanks Lori, no not that I know of. I am already fully vaccinated but have not yet started on the medication. I'm on a course of steroids first to see if it reduces inflammation/pain....not working yet.
Hi
. I hope the steroids kick in soon and that you get some relief. If you were not on meds when you were vaccinated or anytime in the two or three weeks after, your body should have been able to build immunity, but it is still best to talk with your doctor. Best of all wishes! - Lori (Team Member)
