Methotrexate

I've spoken to several people taking MXT and some say yes and some say no way!  One of my friends stopped (she has fibromyalgia) the pills and went to the shots to stop the mouth sores.Then she just quit because it made her so tired.  I've only taken one dose and I notice the tiredness.  It's a tiredness you can't explain unless you have something like hypothyroidism (before treatment)  That's how I explained those symptoms also.  If you read my info about how badly my mother is crippled, you'll understand why I feel I MUST do something NOW to prevent getting that bad.  When the rheumatologist told her there was nothing he could do to help her except send her to a surgeon to remove the lower ribs but because of her age (82) wouldn't recommend it...he said 'if only you had seen someone 20 years ago, you could have been helped'......I called for an appointment and said 'remember my mom? well, I'm her...20 years ago...please help me.'   So I guess I'll give it a few months and see how I do. Prayerfully, the MTX will agree with me and help me to not deteriorate like she did.  I'll continue to post as the time goes on so you all will know how MTX works for me.    

Thank you for your speedy reply. I appreciate it. I will HAVE to take it soon. Please let me know if it does help the constant pain - which must be worth the side effects? Are you in constant agony, or are you like me - getting used to the pain?

I hope you find an improvement in your health and hopefully the side effects will wear off! I can't begin to imagine how you cope.....

Be Strong + Take Care

 

I have a high tolerance for pain and have not been pain free for quite some time, but I do feel the Mobic has helped me sooo much in the past week!  I'm on 15 mg and my feet/ankle pain is MUCH better.  I really feel I can get back on my walking program soon. My worst pain lately is middle back which I fear.  I work at a computer all day so I try to make myself get up and stretch and walk around every hour or so.  That seems to help the stiffness!  Still having the stomach pains, right below the breast bone.  It may be something else, I'll have to get it checked.  Best wishes to you!

Hi,

I'm so glad you're feeling better, no-one deserves the pain and anxiety that this illness "invites" itself to manifest upon you! We have no choice but to "live with it". To tolerate the pain, take all the medication to slow the progression of it, to live with the depression it causes and the feeling of being very alone in a world where there is no obvious illness to see. I want soooo much to be "normal" again. To plan my future and not just get by day to day. Some people inspire others with their experiences, and optimism. You are definately one of my inspirations! Isn't it soooo good to talk about something that the world aint interested in (unless they have it). Keep well and I hope you feel better everyday!

 

Thanks....I think this site is especially for us lifting each other up with encouragement and understanding.  I think it's great and I appreciate having a new 'friend' online.  My faith is so important to me and I know 'He has plans for me'.  Tomorrow I'm leaving with some church friends to attend a revival at a womens prison in our state.  Being able to minister with prayer to these ladies will be a blessing to all of us as well as to them.  Please keep us all in your prayers that God will use us to benefit His plan, His will and that my 'condition' will not be a problem to keep me from this wonderfully blessed weekend.  Thanks....

I bruised really bad from a wreck (in 1998) and the doctors said it was from taking so much Ibuprophen for my pain.  Brusining hasn't been one of my side effects but bad mornings are getting me.  This a.m. I couldn't get out of bed to go to work.  I called in sick and went in at 11:15 instead of 8:30.  My elbows, wrists, finger tips, knees, ankles, mid back.....well all over!!! I ached and am still aching.  I think the barometer is changing or something!  My rheumy upped my dose to 15 mg of mtx per week.  I have really noticed a difference but I've also noticed my pain areas more since being diagnosed.  I have a high tolerence for pain (as I've mentioned) but never took note of the location of the pain.  Now I'm more aware because of RA what hurts and where it hurts.  Now I know what's causing the pain.....doesn't make it better but the more education we can get on all this and be aware of this disease, the better off we all will be.  We MUST stay on top of this disease and show our doctors we are doing everything we can to aide in our treatment of this debilitating disease.

Hi Achy Mary - how are you lately?  today was good for me because the sun is shinning but tomorrow we're expecting 100% chance of RAIN - I know it will probably be a bad day.  I had my first injection of Humira today!  I hear I should see a difference in a couple of days!  Can hardly wait!  I went today for scans of my carotid arteries and my leg (been having pains in my upper thigh). I had a back xray that showed artereosclerosis (?sp) of the aorta in my abdomen so of course I'm worried the pain in my leg will be that too!  That's caused by RA I'm told.  That's the main reason I'm anxious to get on the Humira to try to stop the progression of the disease!  I've had more good days than bad within the last few weeks, but now I'm having to get off of the Celebrex (2 daily) because my tummy has been really irritated.  Doc says hopfully I'll only need the MTX with the Humira and not the Celebrex.  YES!!

 

Let me know how you've been.

Hello ... I was wondering what type of pain were you having in your thighs.  I have been having pain in my upper left thigh, feels like someone is sticking a knife in it.  Sometimes it is severe and sometimes not.  Rheumatologist doesn't seem too concerned, because I am trying to stay active, I am a speedskater.  Just read your post and was wondering.  I was diagnosed with RA December, 2007 and it is still not under control.  Taking MTX and either placebo or Humira.  I am in a study.  Thanks

The pain in my thighs were on the inner thigh, like the groin area.  Real achy inner pain.  I was really scared I had blockage or something cause I was also having numbness in my feet and I had the awful twitching at night.  That's all gone now. My rheumatologist said it was part of the RA.  I'm presently on 6 Methotrexate once a week, 1 Celebrex at night, 1 Lyrica at night and 1 injection of Humira every two weeks.  Tomorrow I will have my 7th injection of Humira and I'm really feeling soooo much better.  I still have a few aches and pains and my back hurts every morning when I get up (I have 2 ruptured disks) but overall the pain is so much better!  Thank God for the Humira.  I was so scared to start taking it, but I was in so much pain all the time and have a full time Office Manager job, so it was really getting rough at work with elbow and hand pains.  Praise the Lord I am so much better and my rheumatologist said within 3 months I would really notice the difference and that will be the end of April!  Good luck with your RA - I hope you find the right treatment for you.  It's all so expensive, not the Methotrexate, but the Humira is $1,730.00 for 2 injections I give myself and that's for one month.  Thank God my company pays my Blue Cross insurance premium of $760 monthly and my co-pay for my Humira only cost me $50.00!!!!!  Talk about having to work for the insurance??? That's me.  I'm 60 years old and I know I'll have to work till I'm probably 70!

 

God bless you!

 

AudreyBee

hi audreybee.i cant stop crying right now and i thought of this support group,cuz you guys understand what im going through.im still on mtx and celebrex.im frustrated because now both of my wrists  and neck are bothering me..i already have jaw ,shoulder,hip arthritis.what more will i have in the future? im only 31.i already changed my career,im not as active as before,im always tired..i thought i accepted this already.but everytime i wake up with pain,i cry and get dissapointed.i tried to distract myself and be positive but i still get depressed.one morning when i  tried clipping my nails ,i cant even do it...i dont know..i just dont want to burden or make people around me tired of my aches, so i wanted to vent what i feel here.i told myself that i will not cry over this, cant help it.i know this might aggravate my arthritis ....

 

Hi Achy Mary - sorry I haven't checked my email over the weekend.  I do know how you feel!  I am positive that I have 'caught' my RA early enough to get on the right meds to help stop or slow down the progression.  I was on mtx for about a month before my rheumy added celebrex once then twice daily.  Then added Lyrica for the numbness in my hands and feet, then finally when the pain continued to worsen, and in different areas of my body, we discussed the biological meds.  Remicade was his first choice, but after investigating the cost of it I told him we'd need to try something else.  Humira has been wonderful and affordable.  I am very blessed to have been working at the same job for 26 years and my company pays 100% of my Blue Cross premium.  The Humira injections (2 per month I give myself) cost $1,745.00 but I only pay my $50.00 co-pay.  Thank the Lord!   I noticed a relief within a few weeks, but my dr says after 3 months I'll really notice it.  Now I still have some aches and pains, especially in the a.m. but they don't last long.  I'm back to working in my yard and other things I couldn't do too, I went fishing yesterday and had a blast (but today my elbows and wrists are sore)  But that's OK - I was able to go fishing with my grandchild and we had so much fun - the fun way out-weighed the pain this a.m. 

 

Mary, are you seeing a Rheumatologist?  Have ya'll discussed the biological meds?  Are they affordable to you?  If not, do you have any programs in your area or state that can help with the cost?  Start investigating!  It's your body and you need to know everything you can about how to fight this disease!  We can't just lay back and let it consume us, just remember your body is fighting itself - that's what rheumatoid is.  Your immune system is fighting against your own body.   You have to study it and do your best to fight this fight!  I'm now investigating for my 33 year old daughter who has 2 autoimmune diseases they're trying to diagnose right now.  She does have hypo-thyroid disease, like me, but now they're testing for celeac disease, something in the intestine, plus she's B-12 deficient and anemic.  Prayer and studying all this is all we can do, but we must do it to help ourselves! 

 

I wish you all the best!  Have you tried Tylenol Arthritis Strength caps?   I find they do help with the pain for me.  I refuse to get on steroids at this time, so ice packs and Tylenol are all I have for relief right now.

 

God bless you!

AudreyBee

I've been on MTX since early September and am now on 6 pills every Friday plus 2 Celebrex daily.  My symptoms have still been getting a little worse with all this meds so my rheumy suggested I get on Remicade infusions.  I said yes, anything to stop me from getting cripple like my mom and stop the pain.  Well when I called the insurance clerk at the doctors office to see how much I'd have to come up with I almost fainted!!! I have really good insurance - Blue Cross- but it would cost me, first my deductible of $250 plus 10% of the charge for the 2 hour infusion (my ins. pays 90/10%).  Well, my 10% would be $540.00!!!!! every 2 months until I reach out-of-pocket of $2,000 then they'd cover 100%.  Well, I met with my rheumy and explained I couldn't really afford that (I have a single person income).  He was great!  He gave me my first injection of Humira FREE (a sample he had) then gave me the RX but I really have no idea how much it will be until I get my pre-certification from Blue Cross and the pharmacy when I go to fill it.  I'm planning on $300 but I have no idea!  I have a card from Humira that helps with the deductible, but I don't know what that means either!  I'll let you know. 

 

The point I'm trying to make is this....you won't know what will really help you until you have a good rheumatologist who will work with you and help you get rid of the pain.  I'd try just about anything I can afford to not be in the pain my mother is in daily! 

 

May God bless you and give you wisdom and understanding of this dreaded disease!!

The only side effects have been having a sore mouth, sometimes ulcers that last a few days.  I'm now on Humira and have had 3 injections and so far no side effects but I really notice an all over feeling of well being.  Not so achy all the time, but sometimes really achy.  I have found Equate Arthritis Pain reliever (I take 2 -650 mg. once or twice daily and maybe 1 at bedtime)  to help tremendously in a flare up.  I refuse to get on prednisone this early in the stages.  I've only been diagnosed since August 2007 and I'll do as much as possible to cope with the pain before the prednisone.  I continue to pray the Humira will continue to help the progression of this dreaded disease.