...less medical jargon in a 'Quick Glance' format!
If you have sulfasalazine side effects, tell your doctor if any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away:
diarrhea
headache
loss of appetite
upset stomach
vomiting
stomach pain
If you have any of the following symptoms, stop taking sulfasalazine and call your doctor immediately:
skin rash
itching
hives
swelling
sore throat
fever
joint or muscle aches
pale or yellow skin
difficulty swallowing
tiredness
unusual bleeding or bruising
weakness
Sulfasalazine (brand name Azulfidine) is a sulfa drug, a derivative of Mesalazine, used primarily as an anti-inflammatory agent in the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease as well as for rheumatoid arthritis. It may be abbeviated SSZ. It is not a pain killer.
It has been found to reverse the scarring associated with cirrhosis of the liver. Apparently, cells called myofibroblasts, that cause scar tissue to form in a diseased liver, also give off proteins that prevent the breakdown of the scar tissue. Sulfasalazine appears to retard the secretion of these proteins.
