methylprednisolone vs sulfasalazine

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Side-by-side comparison of methylprednisolone and sulfasalazine. Data from FDA drug databases (Orange Book, NDC Directory, recalls, shortages) covering 20,000+ approved drugs, plus CMS pricing; see our methodology.

minor Known Drug Interaction

Examples of Drugs Associated with Methemoglobinemia: Class Examples Nitrates/Nitrites nitric oxide, nitroglycerin, nitroprusside, nitrous oxide Local anesthetics articaine, benzocaine, bupivacaine, lidocaine, mepivacaine, prilocaine, procaine, ropivacaine, tetracaine Antineoplastic agents cyclophosphamide, flutamide, hydroxyurea, isofamide, rasburicase Antibiotics dapsone, nitrofurantoin, para-aminosalicylic acid, sulfonamides Antimalarials chloroquine, primaquine Anticonvulsants phenobarbital, phenytoin, sodium valproate Other drugs acetaminophen, metoclopramide, quinine, sulfasalazine...

Drug Class
methylprednisolone Corticosteroid
sulfasalazine Disease-Modifying Antirheumatic Drug (DMARD)
Type
methylprednisolone Prescription
sulfasalazine Prescription
Summary
methylprednisolone

Methylprednisolone (Medrol) is a corticosteroid medicine. It reduces inflammation and affects the immune system.

sulfasalazine

Sulfasalazine is a drug that reduces inflammation in the body. It is used to treat ulcerative colitis.

What It Treats
methylprednisolone

This medicine can treat many conditions. It can help with allergies, skin problems, and hormone imbalances. It can also help with gut and blood disorders.

sulfasalazine

Sulfasalazine treats ulcerative colitis, a condition that causes inflammation and sores in the lining of the large intestine. It can help with mild to moderate ulcerative colitis. It can also be used with other treatments for severe ulcerative colitis. This medicine can also help keep ulcerative colitis from coming back.

How It Works
methylprednisolone

Methylprednisolone reduces inflammation in the body. It also changes how your immune system works. This can help control symptoms of different diseases.

sulfasalazine

Sulfasalazine is an anti-inflammatory drug. It works by reducing inflammation in the colon. The exact way it does this is not fully known.

Common Side Effects
methylprednisolone

No common side effects listed.

sulfasalazine
  • Loss of appetite
  • Headache
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Stomach upset
FAERS Reports
methylprednisolone
  • Fatigue 7,793
  • Pain 7,274
  • Nausea 7,213
  • Headache 7,058
  • Pyrexia 6,883
sulfasalazine
  • Rheumatoid Arthritis 19,190
  • Pain 15,658
  • Arthralgia 13,161
  • Fatigue 13,017
  • Joint Swelling 12,481
Serious Warnings
methylprednisolone

This medicine is not for injection into the spine. This can cause serious medical problems. Do not take this medicine if you have a fungal infection, unless it's a localized joint condition.

sulfasalazine

You should not take this medicine if you have a blockage in your intestines or urinary tract. You should not take this medicine if you have porphyria, as it could cause an attack. You should not take this medicine if you are allergic to sulfasalazine, its ingredients, sulfonamides, or salicylates.

Pregnancy
methylprednisolone

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. This medicine may harm your unborn baby. Talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits.

sulfasalazine

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if Sulfasalazine will harm your unborn baby. Talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of taking this medicine while breastfeeding.

Also Compare, Nearby Drugs

How to Read This methylprednisolone vs sulfasalazine Comparison

methylprednisolone is classified in the Corticosteroid drug class, while sulfasalazine sits within the Disease-Modifying Antirheumatic Drug (DMARD) class. Drugs from different classes work through distinct mechanisms, so a head-to-head comparison illustrates trade-offs rather than equivalence. Both drugs are prescription-only, so a licensed provider must authorize use.

Adverse event totals above are pulled from the FDA's Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). For these top-ranked reactions alone, methylprednisolone has 36,221 submissions while sulfasalazine has 73,507. Those figures reflect cumulative reporting volume, not per-patient risk, so older, widely dispensed drugs typically look worse on count alone. These two drugs have a known minor interaction flagged in FDA labeling, attributed to sulfasalazine is linked to a condition called methemoglobinemia, which reduces the amount of oxygen your blood can carry to your tissues. combining it with other drugs may increase this risk.. Serious warnings, pregnancy guidance, and contraindications can differ even when indications overlap.

A table cannot represent individual circumstances. Data here is sourced from FDA Structured Product Labels (SPL) and FAERS, both of which update as manufacturers and clinicians submit new information. This registry does not provide medical, treatment, substitution, or medication-change directions for methylprednisolone or sulfasalazine.

Registry boundary: This comparison displays source-record fields and does not provide individualized medical direction.