One in a thousand

Scorecard(0-10)
Legs:2 - (left knee:4)
Shoulders:2
Wrists & Thumbs:2
Ankles & Toes:2
Nausea:2
Lethargy: 4

When the consultant recommended sulfasalazine to me he explained the potential side effects and said that only about one in a thousand patients suffer seriously from them. That's me. Jackpot.

I came back from Val d'Isere with only a mildly sore and swollen left knee to show for it. But while I was there it was a real difficulty at times overcoming the side effects of my daily dose. Nausea, lethargy, sore throat and chesty cold sometimes made it impossible to ski. Other days I was fine and able to ski all day.

Now that I am about seven weeks into the use of this medication the side effects seem to be getting worse. To the point that I am seriously considering asking to come off this drug altogether.

The one thing I don't seem to be getting from sulfasalazine is any pain relief. How do I know this? Well I once again tried to reduce the diclofenac dose the other day as it's been regularly pointed out to me that this drug carries with it the risk of exacerbating the underlying ulcerative colitis. So I cut out the mid day diclofenac dose yesterday and by bed time the familiar misery had set about my joints. Even joints that I'd forgotten were troublesome such as those in some fingers.

I got up about 1am to take an extra dose of diclofenac and took my regular dose at 6am. Four hours later most of my discomfort has gone again. If only we could find something to counteract the inflammatory effect of the diclofenac I'd happily stay on it for ever as it does seem to give practical relief.

It seems like ages since I last felt cheery. I remember a brief spell of being virtually symptom free just after the steroid injection and a smile returning to my face. Since starting on the hated sulfasalazine a cloud of pessimism, nausea, lethargy seems to have gathered above me with no sign of shifting.

I have an appointment at the clinic next week when I'll raise all these moans with the doctors.