kmcc2264

Has any one tried Sulfasalazine for Hep-c and at what dose for how long?

[Proactive]

Obviously, sulfasalazine is not a treatment for HCV...But it is interesting..
"Sulfasalazine is mainly used for treatment of inflammatory bowel disease, including ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. It is also effective in several types of arthritis, particularly rheumatoid arthritis.

However, in recent British research involving animal studies, and more recently, human trials for the treatment of chronic alcoholics, sulfasalazine 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."

But on the other hand:
"A rash may develop which may be itchy, but usually resolves quite quickly once the drug is stopped. ***Sulfasalazine can in rare cases cause a drop in the numbers of white blood cells which are needed to fight infection. If the blood count is monitored closely, it is unusual for this to be serious. Sulfasalazine can decrease the numbers of platelets, cells which help to stop bleeding, but again it is rare for this to actually cause problems.*** If however you develop a sore mouth, mouth ulcers, easy bruising, nosebleeds or bleeding gums, your doctor should be notified immediately.

**The other potential problem is that sulfasalazine can cause a type of hepatitis (liver inflammation).*** This is most commonly minor and does not cause symptoms. Most often we find that some of the blood tests which reflect liver function may become a little abnormal but these soon return to normal if the treatment is stopped. A study at University of Newcastle found that the drug may also act to aid the healing of cirrhosis of the liver.[1]"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sulfasalazine

[alagirl]

You know it's interesting, because our latest hot drug, alinia, falls under the category of
antidiarrheals, intestinal anti-inflammatory/anti-infective agents.  So you have to wonder if this drug, Sulfasalazine, might hold promise for HCV treatment as well.  Particularly as it has been proven to have efficacy in reducing liver problems which are frequently associated with HCV.  Even the current treatments don't promise to reduce liver damage to such an extent during treatment do they?  I'm asking this question because I really don't know the answer.  I kind of didn't pay attention since I'm treating acutely and didn't have to worry about liver damage.

I think the hepatitis it says it may cause is probably of an auto-immune nature, as the other types are all either viral or infectious in nature.  And it does say this is reversible after treatment.  It would sure be nice to see some info on whether it HAS undergone any serious study for HCV.

[alagirl]

sorry, forget all of that, lol, I got it wrong. alinia is an anti-protozoa

I'm just tired but I can't sleep because I have a migraine.  It's the Sulfasalazine that falls under the heading of antidiarrheals, intestinal anti-inflammatory/anti-infective agents, with sulfasalazine falling under intestinal-anti-infectives in particular.