Combination of sulphasalazine and methotrexate in the management of rheumatoid arthritis--view based on personal clinical experience.

Over the past fifteen years, there has been increasing interest in the use of combinations of medications to better suppress the inflammatory process that leads to progressive disability in most rheumatoid arthritis patients. We have been evaluating the combination of sulphasalazine and methotrexate for the last 8 years. Although these data are uncontrolled, our experience would suggest that this combination is well tolerated. Furthermore, flares of disease occurring with attempts to withdraw either of the two agents suggest that the combination may be effective when the use of these agents individually has not.