Methotrexate Week!

[Guest guest]

Hi Everyone,

Well, I know you all haven't seen me on here in ages and that is because

my computer decided it was going to take a vacation and crash. So many

weeks later, here I am and a new computer to boot! *grin*

Anyway, went for my second visit to the Rhuemy today and had some

defeats and some victories. Defeat was he wouldn't issue me a

Handicapped parking sticker and denied that even without seeing me walk!

Many many times I will stop at the store only to go home because I have

to park in the back row and can't walk that far. Oh well. He told me

the reason was he thought he could get me " perking " along. (Well, duh,

so far he hasn't ... so lets do it!!!!)

The victory was that he started me on Methotrexate! So it must be

Methotrexate week. My dosage is 2.5 mg. Take 6 all at once once a

week...I assume that's what taking 6 a week means. Then he told me he

would see me again on 12/18/02.

Am I wrong, but I thought that this med was heavily monitored with blood

tests. He didn't say anything about taking Folic Acid, etc. Then I

read all the horrible warnings, etc., that come with the med and see

that if you're on Prednisone you may need extra monitoring (I'm on 15 mg

a day) and not good if you on are Salsalates (on that too). I did ask

him if I should stop taking any of the meds I'm on right now and he said

no but he was hoping to reduce the Pred to 5 mg a day. I told him NO I

wanted it at 0 mg per day!

So now I'm searching the archives, etc., for information on

Methotrexate. People here that I know that are taking it speak of if

with awe as it has helped them so much but one lady said all her hair

fell out. Oh well...I'd trade my below waist hair hands down any time

for NO pain!

Do have a question. The members that have been on or have taken

Methotrexate, can you tell me how long it took before you noticed

improvement? Was it just a lil here and there or something major?

Thanks a million.

Love and gentle hugs to all.