The following side effects are expected to occur in the first few weeks of treatment, and resolve with continued use of sodium sulfacetamide / sulfur. Contact your doctor if these symptoms are severe and/or do not go away:
How Common (based on clinical studies)
| Skin dryness, peeling, or itching | Up to 65% of all users |
| Unpleasant odor | Up to 33.3% of all users |
| Sunburn | Up to 4.3% of all users |
| Increase in acne / acne flares | Up to 2.9% of all users |
| Eczema (itchy inflamed skin) | Up to 1.7% of all users |
| Skin irritation, redness, burning, or stinging sensation | Up to 1.4% of all users |
If you experience any of the following side effects, stop using sodium sulfacetamide / sulfur immediately and contact your doctor or get emergency medical care right away:
- A sudden appearance of swelling and rash (known as hives)
- Swelling of the eyes, lips, tongue, or entire face
- Severe itching
- Trouble with breathing
- Feeling dizzy or faint
- Severe skin irritation or burning
- Severe skin peeling or blistering
Sodium sulfacetamide / Sulfur may also cause other side effects that are not mentioned here. Contact your doctor if you experience any other troublesome symptoms when using sodium sulfacetamide / sulfur.
References
- UpToDate. Sulfacetamide (topical): drug information. Available from: https://www.uptodate.com/contents/sulfacetamide-topical-drug-information?source=search_result&search=sodium%20sulfacetamide&selectedTitle=1~28. Cited 12 December 2016.
- Dailymed- U.S. National Library of Medicine. Sulfacetamide and sulfur. Available from: https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=ef363b43-9b59-4d59-923c-9415937361dd. Cited 12 December 2016.
- Breneman DL, and Ariano MC. Successful treatment of acne vulgaris in women with a new topical sodium sulfacetamide/ sulfur lotion. Int J Dermatol 32(5): 365- 367 (1993).
- Tarimci N, Sener S, and Kilinc T. Topical sodium sulfacetamide/ sulfur lotion. J Clin Pharm Ther 22(4): 301 (1997).
- Draelos ZD. The multifunctionality of 10% sodium sulfacetamide, 5% sulfur emollient foam in the treatment of inflammatory facial dermatoses. J Drugs Dermatol 9(3): 234- 236 (2010).
- Dubina MI, and Fleischer AB. Interaction of topical sulfacetamide and topical dapsone with benzoyl peroxide. Arch Dermatol 145(9): 1027-1029 (2009).
- Trumbore MW, Goldstein JA, and Gurge RM. Treatment of papulopustular rosacea with sodium sulfacetamide 10%/ sulfur 5% emollient foam. J Drugs Dermato 8(3): 299-304 (2009).
- Torok HM, Webster G, Dunlap FE, Egan N, Jarratt M and Stewart D. Combination sodium sulfacetamide 10% and sulfur 5% cream with sunscreens versus metronidazole 0.75% cream for rosacea. Cutis 75(6): 357-363 (2005).
- FDA. Klaron (sulfacetamide sodium).Available from: http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cder/daf/index.cfm?event=BasicSearch.process. Cited: 15 December, 2016
- UpToDate. Sulfur and sulfacetamide: drug information. Available from: https://eresources.library.mssm.edu:3285/contents/sulfur-and-sulfacetamide-drug-information?source=search_result&search=sulfur&selectedTitle=1~121. Cited 30 March 2017.
- Breneman DL, and Ariano MC. Successful treatment of acne vulgaris in women with a new topical sodium sulfacetamide/ sulfur lotion. Int J Dermatol 32(5), 365-367 (1993).
- Draelos, ZD. The multifunctionality of 10% sodium sulfacetamide, 5% sulfur emollient foam in the treatment of inflammatory facial dermatoses. J Drugs Dermatol 9(3), 234- 236.