Sulfasalazine

Adults: The dose of Sulfasalazine tablets should be adjusted for each patient according to how well the treatment is tolerated and how the patient responds. Doses should be evenly spaced through the day and are best taken after meals. For Crohn's disease, the adult dose is 500 mg by mouth 2 to 4 times a day with food. Pediatric use (6 years or older) for ulcerative colitis: the initial dose is 40 to 60 mg/kg/day by mouth, divided into 3 to 6 doses. For rheumatoid arthritis, the adult dose is 2 g daily in two evenly divided doses. It is advisable to begin treatment at a lower dose, for example 0.5 to 1.0 g daily, to reduce the chance of stomach and bowel upset. A suggested dosing schedule is as follows: in the first week, one tablet in the evening; in the second week, one tablet in the morning and one tablet in the evening; in the third week, one tablet in the morning and two tablets in the evening; in the fourth week, two tablets in the morning and two tablets in the evening. For children 6 years or older, the initial dose is 10 mg/kg/day by mouth in 2 equally divided doses. For juvenile rheumatoid arthritis with a polyarticular course, children 6 years of age and older receive 30 to 50 mg/kg/day in two evenly divided doses; the maximum dose is typically 2 g per day. For other indications, initial therapy in adults is 3 to 4 g daily in divided doses, with no more than eight hours between doses. It may be advisable to begin at a lower dose, for example 1 to 2 g daily, to reduce the chance of stomach and bowel upset. Children 6 years of age and older receive 40 to 60 mg/kg/day in 3 to 6 divided doses. For maintenance therapy, adults take 2 g daily, and children 6 years of age and older take 30 mg/kg/day in 4 divided doses.