Sulfasalazine was actually the first medicine I took for my UC. I was not doing well on it either. After abou t9 or 10 months, I felt it was making me worse, so I decided to quit taking it without talking to my doctor. I actually got better for a few days, then I got much worse and ended up in the hospital with anemia and dehydration. The doctor switched my medicine and I slowly went into remission. My advice is to talk to your doc, and maybe change meds. Don't just stop taking it...very bad outcome for me!

Doctors will help you taper off your meds if you tell them it is what you want and if something else is available that will keep your symptoms in check. There are a lot of meds available for IBS, CD and Colitis and some of them make certain people unwell. Research it yourself. The internet is an amazing resource. Talk to your doctor with an alternative therapy in mind. It may not be what you need but showing some interest in your own health, educating yourself, having initiative, will get you leaps and bounds in the right direction and show your doctor that you are serious about switching your meds. He/She will be more likely to help you if you are trying to help yourself.
I'm not sure what you are being treated for but going off your meds without medical supervision of some kind is begging for trouble. I've done it. They can be nasty, but the truth of it is I ended up in the hospital and had surgery to remove parts of my intestines not long after that. I often wonder now if I had stayed on my meds if I would still have a full GI tract!

Well I decided a few weeks ago. Told the doctor what I had decided to do. Now regretting it totally. I had lots of reason for coming off them, but now I am flaring again

Sulfalazine often is not well tolerated, so call your doc; they oughta have plan B ready.

i wouldn't recommend going off your meds. ive had uc for 11 years and will be until i may eventually need surgery. thats my own opinion, but in my experience the meds are what give you the potential to feel better and be healthier

I stopped it all because there was chance the mesalamines were causing breathing problems. Unfortunately I still have the breathing problems (pulmonologist said it could be just inflammation in the lungs caused by UC or remnants of pneumonia) but surprisingly my UC symptoms have not gotten worse. I never really responded to the mesalamines so I guess it's not a huge surprise. I even seemed to get worse on the enemas/suppositories so I had a feeling the whole time that it wasn't helping. I attribute the improvement to a low sugar/low inflammation diet. If you decide to get off it and your symptoms get worse, you can always get back on. I just know how much you don't want to get worse!!! It's a tough decision but in the end I'm glad I trusted my gut (pardon the pun). :)

oops just read your update! are you back on them?

I have never had luck going off of a med without a replacement. I would call your doctor and ask what else you can try. There are a lot of meds out there and they can switch you to something else. I went off of Remicade for one month and ended up in the hospital. Remicade gives me bone pain, but I will deal with the bone pain in favor of getting rid of the CD symptoms.

I am back on The meds and doing well some what but I am have bad bad joint pain in my left hip. I may have to leave my 400 dallor a night job becuase of it. No moeny no doctor no meds fun fun.