Sulfasalazine Treatment for Costochondritis and Tietzes Syndrome?

I’d never heard of sulfasalazine until I read an article in the Journal of Rheumatology on the management of costochondritis. You can read about the differences between Tietze’s Syndrome and costochondritis in this article, but for treatment purposes they can be treated similarly. That’s why reading about a possible “new” treatment for Tietze’s syndrome was exciting!

The study reported how 11 out of 13 patients initially treated with corticosteroid injections reported recurring symptoms. They were given sulfasalazine, a anti-inflammatory drug commonly given to treat ulcerative colitis and rheumatoid arthritis. Ten of the patients reported success with decreasing their symptoms and stayed on the drug from between six months and 6 years.

Can sulfasalazine help with Tietze's syndrome?

Personally, I won’t be trying sulfasalazine (or any other prescription drug for my Tietze’s syndrome). I’ve avoided prescription drugs ever since I tried Vioxx a decade ago (for those of you unfamiliar with the Vioxx fiasco, you can read about it–and the questions it raised about other drugs on the market–here). A recent stress test confirmed all is well with my heart but there’s still a voice in my head that tells me I had a very close call and I don’t want that kind of stress again! I’ve learned to manage my Tietze’s syndrome in other ways, including dietary changes and wearing sports bras. My pain is practically non-existent now, but I remember those years when the pain was excruciating!

You can find all the different kinds of treatments for Tietze’s syndrome at my Treatments for Tietze’s syndrome articles page.

Reference:

FREESTON J, KARIM Z, LINDSAY K, and GOUGH A. Can Early Diagnosis and Management of Costochondritis Reduce Acute Chest Pain Admissions? Retrieved July 16, 2009 from http://www.jrheum.com/subscribers/04/11/2269.html

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