I was concerned because the plaquenil and the mobic left me with pain, stiffness and continued swelling, still having symptoms although I felt considerably better than I had. When I saw my rheumatologist he agreed and prescribed methotrexate but now I find I am more than a little afraid of the drug. I would really like to achieve that elusive remmission but, dang, these are some scary drugs!
Q: Rheumy prescribed MTX but now I am afraid to take it!
Answers (5)
6/30/11 9:32pm
I was afraid to take MTX at first, too, Leslie. After about a month, I saw improvement. I had to go off for three weeks and I am starting back at a lower dose tomorrow. I am looking forward to it, because it really does help me. Give it a try. You can always stop if need be, or if it makes you feel too ill.
Peace,
V
6/30/11 1:48pm
Sweetie, meds are a part of our lives. No need to be afraid of them. Yes they do have ugly side effects but if they work, the pros can outweigh the cons. I have not read your bio, but it sound like you are in the trail and error phase.
If the MTX doesn't work, talk to our doc about Arava. It is a daily dose and has a lot less in the line of side effects.
When it comes to controlling my #'s, I will try anything once. I am the point where it is not about controlling pain but controlling my RA.
And yes we are all on the search for remission. I have friends who have met this Mysterious Mistress. I myself have only seen her in the shadows from across the room. If you get to shake her hand, please share with us.
6/30/11 5:28pm
Leslie, If your still having symptoms then your not protecting your joints. That really is the key here. Unfortunately with this disease we have some very uncomfortable choices to make. Take the Medication and decrease the effects of RA and protect your joints OR don't take the medications and hopefully be able to deal with the effects of the disease. So, when you think of it that way, the side effects of the meds don't seem so bad. At least to me. If you are reading only or in Medical book about Methotrexate, the warning could and probably will scare you, but most of those life threatening side effects are happening on the really large IV or IM doses that are giving to cancer patients, they don't usually happen on the lower doses that RA is treated with, not to say they don't just not very likely.
Each of us that have taken MTX have a different tale to tell, it effects each differently. the only way you will know is to try. The best advice I give to people or my patients with any chronic illness is to discontinue or start only one medication at a time. As long as you have no life threatening side effects, give yourself about 4-6 weeks with each medication before adding another. That way you can tell how you are doing and see if you have any drug interaction or side effects. Hope that helps, Barb.
7/ 1/11 1:59pm
Just be sure to go for your blood tests. My liver numbers went up, but it was caught right away. My dosage was adjusted down and my liver numbers went back to normal. Other than that, I have no side effects. I do wonder if my hair seems a little thinner, I take folic acid and the doctor said to add a B-complex vitamin, which I have just started. I have read biotin helps.
7/12/11 2:17pm
When I read about the side effects of the drug the first time I was prescribed methotrexate, I was very scared and skeptical about taking it. But I took it, and, as luck would have it, the nausea was so bad that most of the times I would throw up so hard that I would lose the tablets also. That is when the doc switched me to the injectible version. I have been taking the injections for almost 3 years now, and I have not had any major side effects other than the terrible nausea the whole of the next day and I think my hair got a little thinner with long use of methotrexate. But I feel methotrexate has given me my life back!!
In fact, I improved so much that the doc cut my dosage from 19.5 mg per week to 18 mg about 8 weeks ago! Just make sure you get your regular blood tests, and hope that MTX works for you too!
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By Leslie— Last Modified: 07/12/11, First Published: 06/30/11
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