Re: Just Joining ... question about Methotrexate

[Guest guest]

Hi Pam,

Methotrexate is a drug that you do stay on for as long as it is working. Its NOT something that can be taking here & there whenever you need it. Methotrexate is a DMARD,disease modifying anti-rheumatic drug. It is taken only once a week, orally or by injection. I personally take it by injection because I have a history of ulcers. There can be come side effects, but the only ones I have ever had, and mildly mind you, are nausea, diarrhea & headache. I have been on mtx for almost 2 years now and as long as I drink a lot of water, mainly the day before & the day of, I do not even get these slight effects. Not everyone is the same though so if you find something happening that you are not comfortable with, CALL the rheumy immediatly! Keep us posted!

You can also find out more on this med at these links: http://www.arthritis.org/conditions/DrugGuide/dmards.asp#Methotrexate, http://www.rxlist.com/cgi/rxlist.cgi?drug=methotrexate,http://my.webmd.com/content/article/4046.2028

Good Luck & God Bless, Barbara

hinds05011 <pamelahinds@...> wrote: My dr. put me on Methotrexate and I understand this is a great help to RA patients. Is Methotrexate a drug that I will stay on or just when I have flares? (I'm on prednisone also right now and other drugs due to Fibro and a few minor things)Thoughts?

[Guest guest]

Hi there, Methotrexate is used as a maintenence drug. I don't think it's just used in flares because it can take 6 weeks to work. Also, most of the newer drugs are taken in conjunction with Metho. I have taken it for 2.5 years.

Take care,

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Strength and courage aren't always measured in medals and victories. They are measured in the struggles we overcome. The strongest people aren't always the people who win but the people who don't give up when they lose." ( )~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

>My dr. put me on Methotrexate and I understand this is a great help >to RA patients. Is Methotrexate a drug that I will stay on or just >when I have flares? (I'm on prednisone also right now and other >drugs due to Fibro and a few minor things) > >Thoughts? > > > >

[Guest guest]

:

I'm curious as to what exactly you are taking. Methotrexate, Remicade and

prednisone? How about Plaquenil or Neoral? I didn't think you took the

Methotrexate and Remicade together. Any side effects from the metho? how

about the Remicade? and how long have you been on it? I just started Metho

about 3 months ago with so far no side effects. Just curious how it's been

going for the past couple of years for you.

gloria

[Guest guest]

Hi Gloria, My medications are: Prednisone, Folic Acid, Azulfidine EN, Motrin, Methotrexate, and Remicade. I haven't taken Plaquenil or Neoral. I did try Enbrel but it didn't give me as much relief as I hoped so I tried Remicade and it's been working. Yes, Remicade is taken with Methotrexate, although you can take it w/o the Metho if your body can't tolerate metho (I believe). My major side effect from the metho is my hair falls out a fair amount the day after I take it. I had stomach upset when I first started but that's gone.

The only side effect I have from the Remicade is a small scar at the injection site that lasts a few days. I have been on Remicade since May of 2000.

I think that answered all your questions.

Take care,

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Strength and courage aren't always measured in medals and victories. They are measured in the struggles we overcome. The strongest people aren't always the people who win but the people who don't give up when they lose." ( )~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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