Side Effects Of Sulfasalazine

Like all medicines, sulfasalazine can cause side effects in some people, but many people have no side effects or only minor ones.

You're more likely to have side effects if you're taking a high dose of sulfasalazine.

Sulfasalazine can turn your pee orange. This is harmless and nothing to worry about.

It's unusual, but sulfasalazine can also stain certain types of soft contact lenses. Single-use daily contact lenses are not affected.

Common side effects of sulfasalazine

Side effects of sulfasalazine can vary depending on whether you're taking it as a tablet, suppository or liquid. Check the leaflet that comes with your medicine before taking or using it.

These common side effects happen in more than 1 in 100 people. There are things you can do to help cope with them:

Skin rashes

Severe skin reactions such as Stevens-Johnson syndrome are a rare side effect of sulfasalazine.

Stevens-Johnson syndrome causes flu-like symptoms, followed by a rash made up of circular patches that are darker in the middle and lighter around the outside. The rash spreads and forms blisters. The affected skin eventually dies and peels off.

This is more likely to happen in the first month of taking sulfasalazine.

You're more likely to get Stevens-Johnson syndrome if:

• you've had it before after taking sulfasalazine or certain other medicines
• you have a weakened immune system - for example, from having a condition like HIV or AIDS, or treatments like chemotherapy
• a close family member has had Stevens-Johnson syndrome

To help reduce the chance of you getting a rash that could be confused with Stevens-Johnson syndrome, it's best to not try any new medicines or food during the first 3 months of treatment with sulfasalazine.

It's also best to not start taking sulfasalazine within 2 weeks of a viral infection, vaccination, or rash caused by something else.

Go to A&E now if:

Do not drive to A&E. Ask someone to drive you or call 999 and ask for an ambulance.

Bring all the medicines you take with you.

Serum sickness

Stop taking sulfasalazine and call your doctor or call 111 straight away if you have a high temperature, pains in your joints, swollen glands, an itchy rash and you generally feel unwell. These can be signs of a condition called serum sickness.

Other serious side effects

Other serious side effects are very rare, affecting less than 1 in 10,000 people.

Call a doctor or call 111 straight away if you get:

• a high temperature, chills, a sore throat, ear or sinus pain, a cough, pain when peeing, mouth sores, a wound that will not heal or feeling generally ill - these can be signs of an infection
• a high temperature and sore throat, skin becoming paler than usual, unusual bruising or bleeding, or unusual tiredness or weakness - these can be signs of a blood problem
• change in the amount of pee you produce or pain when peeing - these can be signs of kidney problems
• a fast or irregular heartbeat or feeling much more tired than usual - these can be signs of heart problems
• yellowing of the eyes or skin (this may be less obvious on brown or black skin), dark pee, stomach pain, a high temperature, feeling tired or feeling sick - these can be signs of a serious liver problem
• back or stomach pain, a high temperature, feeling sick (nausea) and being sick (vomiting) - these can be signs of a problem with your pancreas

Call 999 now if:

Do not drive yourself to A&E.

The person you speak to at 999 will give you advice about what to do.

Serious allergic reaction

In rare cases, it's possible to have a serious allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) to sulfasalazine.

Call 999 now if:

• your lips, mouth, throat or tongue suddenly become swollen
• you're breathing very fast or struggling to breathe (you may become very wheezy or feel like you're choking or gasping for air)
• your throat feels tight or you're struggling to swallow
• your skin, tongue or lips turn blue, grey or pale (if you have black or brown skin, this may be easier to see on the palms of your hands or soles of your feet)
• you suddenly become very confused, drowsy or dizzy
• someone faints and cannot be woken up
• a child is limp, floppy or not responding like they normally do (their head may fall to the side, backwards or forwards, or they may find it difficult to lift their head or focus on your face)

You or the person who's unwell may also have a rash that's swollen, raised, itchy, blistered or peeling.

These can be signs of a serious allergic reaction and may need immediate treatment in hospital.

Other side effects

These are not all the side effects of sulfasalazine. For a full list see the leaflet inside your medicines packet.

Reporting side effects

You can report any suspected side effect using the Yellow Card safety scheme.

Visit the Yellow Card website for more information about reporting side effects.

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