Sulfazine

Medications can interact with certain foods. In some cases, this may be harmful and your doctor may advise you to avoid certain foods. In the case of sulfasalazine, there are no specific foods that you must exclude from your diet when receiving this medication.

Before receiving sulfasalazine tell your doctor about all of your medical conditions including:

• if you are allergic to sulfasalazine, sulfapyridine, aspirin, choline magnesium trisalicylate (Triosal, Trilisate), choline salicylate (Arthropan), mesalamine (Asacol, Pentasa, Rowasa), salsalate (Argesic-SA, Disalcid, Salgesic, others), sulfa drugs, trisalicylate (Tricosal, Trilisate),or any other drugs.
• if you have or have ever had asthma, kidney or liver disease, porphyria, blood problems, or blockage in your intestine or urinary tract.
• if you are pregnant, plan to become pregnant, or are breast-feeding. If you become pregnant while taking sulfasalazine, call your doctor.

Tell your doctor about all of the medications you take including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.

Tell your doctor if you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed.

Sulfasalazine has been detected in human breast milk. Because of the possibility for adverse reactions in nursing infants from sulfasalazine, a choice should be made whether to stop nursing or to stop use of this medication. The importance of the drug to the mother should be considered.

Follow all directions on your prescription label. Do not take this medicine in larger or smaller amounts or for longer than recommended.

Sulfasalazine can weaken your immune system. Your blood may need to be tested often.

This medicine can cause unusual results with certain medical tests. Tell any doctor who treats you that you are using sulfasalazine.

Take this medicine after a meal.

Do not crush, chew, or break an enteric coated pill. Swallow it whole. The pill has a special coating to protect your stomach. Breaking the pill will damage this coating.

For best results, keep using this medicine as directed. Sulfasalazine will not cure ulcerative colitis, but it can reduce the number of attacks you have.

If you are treating arthritis, do not stop using any of your other arthritis medicines until your doctor tells you to. Your symptoms may not improve right away when you start taking sulfasalazine, and you may still need your other medicines for awhile.

Store at room temperature away from moisture and heat.

This section provides information on the proper use of a number of products that contain sulfasalazine. It may not be specific to Sulfazine. Please read with care.

Take this medicine exactly as directed by your doctor. Do not take more of it, do not take it more often, and do not take it for a longer time than your doctor ordered. To do so may increase the chance of side effects.

It is best to take this medicine right after meals, at evenly spaced times throughout the day and night. Try not to let more than 8 hours go by between doses, even at night.

Swallow the enteric-coated tablet whole. Do not crush, break, or chew it.

Drink extra fluids so you will pass more urine while you are using this medicine. This may help prevent kidney problems.

Keep using this medicine for the full time of treatment, even if you begin to feel better after a few days. Do not miss any doses.

While using this medicine, part of the enteric-coated tablet may pass into your stools. This is normal and is nothing to worry about.

Dosing

The dose of this medicine will be different for different patients. Follow your doctor's orders or the directions on the label. The following information includes only the average doses of this medicine. If your dose is different, do not change it unless your doctor tells you to do so.

The amount of medicine that you take depends on the strength of the medicine. Also, the number of doses you take each day, the time allowed between doses, and the length of time you take the medicine depend on the medical problem for which you are using the medicine.

• For treatment of ulcerative colitis:
  • For oral dosage form (enteric-coated tablets):
    • Adults—At first, 500 to 1000 milligrams (mg) every 6 to 8 hours per day. Your doctor may adjust your dose as needed. However, the dose is usually not more than 4000 mg per day.
    • Children 6 years of age and older—Dose is based on body weight and must be determined by your doctor. The dose is usually 40 to 60 milligrams (mg) per kilogram (kg) of body weight per day, divided into 3 to 6 doses.
    • Children 2 to 5 years of age—Dose must be determined by your doctor.
    • Children younger than 2 years of age—Use and dose must be determined by your doctor.
  • For oral dosage form (tablets):
    • Adults—At first, 500 to 1000 milligrams (mg) every 6 to 8 hours per day. Your doctor may adjust your dose as needed. However, the dose is usually not more than 4000 mg per day.
    • Children 6 years of age and older—Dose is based on body weight and must be determined by your doctor. The dose is usually 40 to 60 milligrams (mg) per kilogram (kg) of body weight per day, divided into 3 to 6 doses.
    • Children 2 to 5 years of age—Dose must be determined by your doctor.
    • Children younger than 2 years of age—Use and dose must be determined by your doctor.
• For maintenance treatment of ulcerative colitis:
  • For oral dosage form (enteric-coated tablets):
    • Adults—2000 milligrams (mg) per day.
    • Children 6 years of age and older—Dose is based on body weight and must be determined by your doctor. The dose is usually 30 milligrams (mg) per kilogram (kg) of body weight per day, divided into 4 doses.
    • Children 2 to 5 years of age—Dose must be determined by your doctor.
    • Children younger than 2 years of age—Use and dose must be determined by your doctor.
  • For oral dosage form (tablets):
    • Adults—2000 milligrams (mg) per day.
    • Children 6 years of age and older—Dose is based on body weight and must be determined by your doctor. The dose is usually 30 milligrams (mg) per kilogram (kg) of body weight per day, divided into 4 doses.
    • Children 2 to 5 years of age—Dose must be determined by your doctor.
    • Children younger than 2 years of age—Use and dose must be determined by your doctor.
• For treatment of rheumatoid arthritis:
  • For oral dosage form (enteric-coated tablets):
    • Adults—At first, 500 mg to 1000 milligrams (mg) per day, divided into 2 doses. Your doctor may increase your dose as needed. However, the dose is usually not more than 3000 mg per day.
    • Children 6 years of age and older—Dose is based on body weight and must be determined by your doctor. The dose is usually 30 to 50 milligrams (mg) per kilogram (kg) of body weight per day, divided into 2 doses. Your doctor may increase your dose as needed. However, the dose is usually not more than 2000 mg per day.
    • Children younger than 6 years of age—Use and dose must be determined by your doctor.

Missed Dose

If you miss a dose of this medicine, take it as soon as possible. However, if it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing schedule. Do not double doses.

Storage

Store the medicine in a closed container at room temperature, away from heat, moisture, and direct light. Keep from freezing.

Keep out of the reach of children.

Do not keep outdated medicine or medicine no longer needed.

Ask your healthcare professional how you should dispose of any medicine you do not use.