YES! I thought I was insane! The day after I take 12.5mg my joints hurt so bad I take Norco. At first I thought my body was reacting to being "attacked" by this drug but it happens every week. I am currently at my 7th week. I am trying to just ride it out because I just started Enbrel injections too and I feel so out of whack with increased pain too. But your husband is not alone with this!

Michelle

I too experience severe joint pain on the day I take the methotrexate.  The pain lasts up to 2 days.  I have been taking Methotrexate for over a year now and have been experiencing this pain for a few months.  My knees swell, and I develop bakers cycts as well. My wrists feel like they are going to break and my ankles and shoulders hurt so bad.  I feel as though I have torn rotator cuffs and can barely move my arms.  RA is terrible and I feel for everyone that has it.  I have never felt complete relief from pain.

Can I suggest you try to get hold of the book Conquering Arthritis by Barbara D Allan - you can see it on Amazon.com and read the reviews.  Google LEAKY GUT and RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS as we believe there is a definite connection.  Dr. Gail Darlington treats some of her patients by elimination diet and it works.  This disease is helped by diet.  Candida/leaky gut/rheumatoid arthritis.  Probiotics helped my daughter tremendously and eliminating foods such as sugar/gluten for a while.

Thank you Annie. I will research this book.  I'm desperate and will try anything.  I may even lose a couple of unwanted pounds by eliminating sugar and gluten.  It certainly won't hurt.  Thanks again and take care. Carmen

Hi Carmen

I agree it certainly won't hurt!  Believe me I have spent so much time looking into this disease!  There is also on YouTube a lady who cured her RA by the McDougall Diet.   Dr John Mansfield has a clinic where he treats RA patients (and others).  If you google him and take a look at his book. He is a nutritionist and rheumatologists (unblinkered ones) send patients to him.

http://www.burghwoodclinic.co.uk/treatments/elimination_diets.html  and his book is called  http://www.amazon.com/Arthritis-Environment-Dr-John-Mansfield/dp/0722519036  

I have recently found Doug Kaufmann who talks a lot of sense regarding food and illnesses.  Google him too!

''CONDITION: Leaky Gut Syndrome

DESCRIPTION:
Leaky gut syndrome is the name given to a very common health disorder in which the intestinal lining is more permeable, or porous, than normal. The abnormally large spaces present between the cells of the gut wall allow the entry of toxic material into the blood stream that would, under normal circumstances, be repelled and eliminated.''

''How does leaky gut syndrome develop?
Inflammation of the lining of the gut appears to be the root cause of leaky gut syndrome. This inflammation may have many catalysts, including prescription hormones (such as birth control pills and/or hormone replacement therapy) and prescription corticosteroids (such as hydrocortisone); antibiotics; and processed foods and drinks that contain parasites, mold or fungus. Large amounts of refined carbohydrates such as chocolate bars, cookies, soft drinks or white bread; an increased intake of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), which results in a shortage of important enzymes; or an increased usage of caffeine and alcohol may also be involved. As a result of the excessively porous gut wall, harmful microorganisms are able to enter the circulatory system. This in turn can lead to many systemic inflammatory and immune-related symptoms and conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, multiple sclerosis, eczema, Crohn's disease, fibromyalgia, Raynaud's disease, chronic urticaria (hives) and inflammatory bowel disease.''

Remember that once you start to eliminate foods you may experience withdrawal symptoms.  This is called the Herxheimer Reaction or Die Off. 

We believe that hormones play a big part in this disease.  Why do so many women start with RA after giving birth?  Did taking the pill prior to getting pregnant keep RA at bay?  Who knows!  However, the end result is leaky gut and auto immune diseases. 

I believe that once  you have read everything you can about food/leaky gut/elilmination diets you will try this method and I wish you well.  Spread the word.  Our NHS just wants to give out drugs to suppress the symptoms and not discover just what is causing the symptoms and treat those.  Sad but true.

Dr Mansfield believes that if symptoms persist after eliminating food then the culprit could be other allergens - dust mites, chemical etc.

My daughter started by cutting out gluten and because she had awful flu like symptoms we knew we were on the right track.  It is a good sign if your body reacts to withdrawal of certain foods.  It is a bit like alcoholics when they stop drinking - your body is still craving the stuff which is doing you no good!

My daughter has done her diet under supervision of a naturopath who also gave her probiotics to kill of the bad bacteria in her gut and stuff to cleanse her colon and liver.  She is still taking these and notes that she is at her best when taking them.  She has lost some weight and resorted to eating Mars Bars in order to put some weight back on but of course the sugar caused her to have some aches and pains but nothing to what she had before.  Her body tells her when she eats something that she is still intolerant to as her gut is probably not completely healed yet.

Take care and let me know how you get on.

Kind regards

My husband was started on 15 mg. of Methotrexate when first diagnosed with RA and always complained of tightness and a burning sensation of his calf the following day after taking the MTX.  His doctor never thought it was related to the MTX, however, decided to start lowering his dosage, as long as his blood results for inflammation continued to improve.  At this point (one year later), he is currently taking 7.5 mg (1/2 from the original prescription) and he is almost symptom free (just an occassional stiff joint, some knee pain), and his blood results for inflammation are lower than someone his age without RA.  He is also on Enbrel, however, the calf/leg pain he was suffering early on in his diagnosis was always the morning after taking MTX.  His doctor has no explanation for this, but my husband feels it was MTX related. 

Hope this helps.  Good luck!!