Sulfapyridine (Systemic)

Brand Names : Dagenan

Before Using This Medicine

In deciding to use a medicine, the risks of taking the medicine must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make. For sulfapyridine, the following should be considered:

Allergies - Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to sulfa medicines, furosemide (e.g., Lasix) or thiazide diuretics (water pills), oral antidiabetics (diabetes medicine you take by mouth), glaucoma medicine you take by mouth (acetazolamide [e.g., Diamox], dichlorphenamide [e.g., Daranide], methazolamide [e.g., Neptazane]), or pyrimethamine (e.g., Daraprim). Also tell your health care professional if you are allergic to any other substances, such as foods, preservatives, or dyes.

Pregnancy - Studies have not been done in humans. Studies in rats and mice have shown that some sulfa medicines, given by mouth in high doses, cause birth defects, including cleft palate and bone problems. In addition, sulfa medicines may cause liver problems in newborn infants. Therefore, use is not recommended during pregnancy.

Breast-feeding - Sulfapyridine passes into the breast milk. This medicine may cause liver problems in nursing babies. In addition, it may cause blood problems in nursing babies with glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency (lack of G6PD enzyme). Therefore, use is not recommended in nursing women.

Children - Use of this medicine is not recommended since dermatitis herpetiformis usually does not occur in children.

Older adults - Many medicines have not been studied specifically in older people. Therefore, it may not be known whether they work exactly the same way they do in younger adults or if they cause different side effects or problems in older people. There is no specific information comparing the use of sulfapyridine in the elderly with use in other age groups.

Other medicines - Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. When you are taking sulfapyridine, it is especially important that your health care professional know if you are taking any of the following:

• Acetaminophen (e.g., Tylenol) (with long-term, high-dose use) or
• Amiodarone (e.g., Cordarone) or
• Anabolic steroids (nandrolone [e.g., Anabolin], oxandrolone [e.g., Anavar], oxymetholone [e.g., Anadrol], stanozolol [e.g., Winstrol]) or
• Androgens (male hormones) or
• Antithyroid agents (medicine for overactive thyroid) or
• Carbamazepine (e.g., Tegretol) or
• Carmustine (e.g., BiCNU) or
• Chloroquine (e.g., Aralen) or
• Dantrolene (e.g., Dantrium) or
• Daunorubicin (e.g., Cerubidine) or
• Disulfiram (e.g., Antabuse) or
• Divalproex (e.g., Depakote) or
• Estrogens (female hormones) or
• Etretinate (e.g., Tegison) or
• Gold salts (medicine for arthritis) or
• Hydroxychloroquine (e.g., Plaquenil) or
• Mercaptopurine (e.g., Purinethol) or
• Naltrexone (e.g., Trexan) (with long-term, high-dose use) or
• Oral contraceptives (birth control pills) containing estrogen or
• Other anti-infectives by mouth or by injection (medicine for infection) or
• Phenothiazines (acetophenazine [e.g., Tindal], chlorpromazine [e.g., Thorazine], fluphenazine [e.g., Prolixin], mesoridazine [e.g., Serentil], perphenazine [e.g., Trilafon], prochlorperazine [e.g., Compazine], promazine [e.g., Sparine], promethazine [e.g., Phenergan], thioridazine [e.g., Mellaril], trifluoperazine [e.g., Stelazine], triflupromazine [e.g., Vesprin], trimeprazine [e.g., Temaril]) or
• Plicamycin (e.g., Mithracin) or
• Valproic acid (e.g., Depakene) - Use of sulfapyridine with these medicines may increase the chance of side effects affecting the liver

• Acetohydroxamic acid (e.g., Lithostat) or
• Dapsone or
• Furazolidone (e.g., Furoxone) or
• Nitrofurantoin (e.g., Furadantin) or
• Primaquine or
• Procainamide (e.g., Pronestyl) or
• Quinidine (e.g., Quinidex) or
• Quinine (e.g., Quinamm) or
• Sulfoxone (e.g., Diasone) or
• Vitamin K (e.g., AquaMEPHYTON, Synkayvite) - Use of sulfapyridine with these medicines may increase the chance of side effects affecting the blood

• Anticoagulants (blood thinners) or
• Ethotoin (e.g., Peganone) or
• Mephenytoin (e.g., Mesantoin) - Use of sulfapyridine with these medicines may increase the chance of side effects of these medicines

• Antidiabetics, oral (diabetes medicine you take by mouth) - Use of oral antidiabetics with sulfapyridine may increase the chance of side effects affecting the blood and/or the side effects or oral antidiabetics

• Methotrexate (e.g., Mexate) - Use of methotrexate with sulfapyridine may increase the chance of side effects affecting the liver and/or the side effects of methotrexate

• Methyldopa (e.g., Aldomet) - Use of methyldopa with sulfapyridine may increase the chance of side effects affecting the liver and/or the blood

• Phenytoin (e.g., Dilantin) - Use of phenytoin with sulfapyridine may increase the chance of side effects affecting the liver and/or the side effects of phenytoin

Other medical problems - The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of sulfapyridine. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:

• Blood problems or
• Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency (lack of G6PD enzyme) - Patients with these problems may have an increase in side effects affecting the blood

• Kidney disease or
• Liver disease - Patients with kidney disease or liver disease may have an increased chance of side effects

• Porphyria - Use of sulfapyridine may cause an attack of porphyria