This material is provided for educational purposes only and is not intended for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Abnormalities reported in infants whose mothers received sulfasalazine and steroids included cleft palate, microglossia, and congenital deafness. Sulfasalazine has been confused with sulfadiazine; care must be taken to ensure the correct drug is prescribed and dispensed. Available from: URL: http://toxnet.nlm.nih.gov/cgi-bin/sis/htmlgen?LACT." We strongly advise that printouts should NOT be kept for any length of time, or for “future reference” as they can rapidly become out of date. It usually is taken four times a day in evenly spaced doses throughout the day so that no more than 8 hours separates any two doses, if possible. There are, however, some medicines that can harm a baby’s normal development. dale59166044 over a year ago. Sulfasalazine is also known as: Azulfidine, Azulfidine EN-tabs, Sulfazine. The mother was determined to be a slow acetylator of sulfonamides. A review compared 287 pregnancies in women with ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease treated with sulfasalazine and/or steroids to 244 pregnancies in women who were not treated. Sulfasalazine has been in use for more than 30 years. Having psoriatic arthritis and also having consulted your doctor, it sounds as though you are pretty well informed of any issues surrounding sulfasalazine and pregnancy. Sulfasalazine delayed-release (enteric-coated) is also used to treat rheumatoid arthritis in adults and children when other medications have not worked. There have not been any notable effects on sperm production or ovarian function after the prolonged administration of methotrexate. Cautions. ... Sulfasalazine (Azulfidine®) is an effective DMARD for the treatment of RA. Sulfasalazine has been in use for more than 30 years. Because sulfasalazine can potentially affect folic acid levels, women taking it while trying to conceive and during pregnancy should be prescribed a high dose folic acid supplement. {ref28} Sulfonamides compete with bilirubin for plasma protein binding sites and may cause kernicterus in newborns. Theoretical risk of neonatal haemolysis in third trimester; adequate folate supplements should be given to mother. sulfasalazine should be used during pregnancy only if clearly needed. They can access more detailed medical and scientific information from www.uktis.org. They describe the chance of these events happening for any pregnancy before taking factors such as the mother’s health during pregnancy, her lifestyle, medicines she takes and the genetic make up of her and the baby’s father into account. New Reply Follow New Topic. There are, however, no adequate and well-controlled studies in pregnant women. Breast feeding. There is little evidence of fetal risk with sulfasalazine, as long as the expectant mother … Do not stop sulfasalazine without speaking to your midwife, GP, or specialist. Sulfasalazine reduces ongoing tissue damage caused by ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, and rheumatoid arthritis. By momx5101981. However, where a woman’s illness is well-controlled with sulfasalazine, staying on it may be the best option. It also controls unpleasant symptoms that can affect quality of life, and can help to prevent the pregnancy complications that have been associated with these illnesses. {ref28} Select one or more newsletters to continue. I found out this morning that I am pregnant. This is because sulfasalazine can reduce levels of folic acid in the body. To have your say on how we can improve our website and the information we provide please visit here. UNICEF. Started having stiffness and pain in joints and thought it … Arch Intern Med 140 (1980): 1674, Mogadam M, Dobbins WO, 3d Korelitz BI, Ahmed SW "Pregnancy in inflammatory bowel disease: effect of sulfasalazine and corticosteroids on fetal outcome." Data sources include IBM Watson Micromedex (updated 7 Dec 2020), Cerner Multum™ (updated 4 Dec 2020), ASHP (updated 3 Dec 2020) and others. Although sulfapyridine has poor bilirubin-displacing capacity, newborns should be monitored for kernicterus.Cases of neural tube defects have been reported in infants born to mothers exposed to this drug during pregnancy; causality has not been established. Talk to your doctor as soon as possible if you are planning a family, or if you become pregnant while taking sulfasalazine. I have been taking sulfasalazine for rheumatoid arthritis for a little over a year now. It is considered by some to be a first line treatment in rheumatoid arthritis. ([cited 2013 -]): Branski D, Kerem E, Gross-Kieselstein E, Hurvitz H, Litt R, Abrahamov A "Bloody diarrhea--a possible complication of sulfasalazine transferred through human breast milk." Sulfasalazine is an orally applicable, well-known drug, mainly used in rheumatology, with an anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory efficacy. Sometimes this may have beneficial effects for the baby. A total of 2 birth defects were reported with first trimester exposure and 1 with exposure during pregnancy. Gastroenterology 80 (1981): 72-6, Cerner Multum, Inc. "UK Summary of Product Characteristics." It's often recommended that you continue sulfasalazine throughout pregnancy to prevent flare-ups. Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to this medicine or any other medicines. This drug should be used during pregnancy only if clearly needed.AU TGA pregnancy category: AUS FDA pregnancy category: BComments: This drug inhibits folic acid absorption and metabolism. 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