Question

What are sulphonamides drugs? What are their uses?

Answer 1

Sulfonamides (sulphonamides) are a group of man-made (synthetic) medicines that contain the sulfonamide chemical group. They may also be called sulfa drugs.

Sulfonamides, are antibiotics that treat infections caused by bacteria. It is a synthetic drug, meaning that it is manufactured and is not naturally occurring. Sulfonamides are considered broad spectrum antibiotics. This means that they are able to treat a large variety of bacteria that cause disease.

Uses:

• Bacterial infections: eg, sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim, sulfisoxazole
• Crohn’s disease: eg, sulfasalazine
• Diabetes: eg, glyburide, tolbutamide
• Fluid retention: eg, chlorothiazide, furosemide, hydrochlorothiazide
• Gout: eg, probenecid
• High blood pressure: eg, chlorothiazide, hydrochlorothiazide
• Pain and inflammation: eg, celecoxib
• Rheumatoid arthritis: eg, sulfasalazine
• Ulcerative colitis: eg, sulfasalazine.