Methotrexate

July 6, 2006

Methotrexate alone helped me for years and i believe slowed the

progression very much. It is still part of my treatment. The mtx with

the biologics have been the best remedy for me. Personally, I think

mtx may be even better provided it's tolerated by your body because it

has worked for me even when the biologics have stopped working. For

example, enbrel was only effective for me for 9 months and then it

stopped working. I just don't like mtx because it makes me tired and

feel like crap, but oh well, it's still a great drug for PA.

>

> Have some of you had improvement that stopped the destruction in your

> joints with MTX alone or have you always had to combine it with a

> biologic?

>

> Patty B in the Pineywoods of East Texas

>

July 7, 2006

I think the best way is to take methotrexate nigth time , i'm in 25

mg a week , and today i start the puva . I feel much better for the

last few weeks , my wife make me a juice of vegetable each

morning.......feel much better

> >

> > Have some of you had improvement that stopped the destruction in

your

> > joints with MTX alone or have you always had to combine it with a

> > biologic?

> >

> > Patty B in the Pineywoods of East Texas

> >

>

July 7, 2006

--- I'm in 25 gm a week of methotrexate and 5 mg of Folic Acid

daily , but i don't take the day i take the methotrexate , you do

the same ???

[Editor's Note: Rheumatologists are divided on this one. Most now say that you

can take folic acid 7 days a week because the amount of MTX and folic acid are

not enough to interfere with one another. The interference supposedly occurs at

much higher doses. Other rheumies still stick to the old practice of not taking

folic acid on the day you take MTX under the belief that the folic acid will

interfere with the performance of the MTX. I don't remember the readings now,

but I read a study which supported the premise that there is no interference

whatsoever at 5-10 mg level of folic acid. I don't think it's a big deal either

way so you should certainly follow your rheumy's advice. Some people who have

trouble taking MTX orally do really well on it when taken in injectable form.

Kathy F.]

, Wanda on

<dreimutter1957@...> wrote:

>

> Patty asked whether some of us had improvement with

> Methotrexate alone before adding in the biologics.

>

> I was on Methotrexate 25 mg orally each week with 2 mg

> Folic Acid daily and 1500 mg Naproxen daily for about

> 3 years before flaring up again and needing the Enbrel

> added to my medication regimen about a year ago.

> Currently since adding Enbrel 50 mg weekly injectable

> to my regimen, I have been tapered down to 15 mg

> Methotrexate weekly by mouth. I also take Actonel 35

> mg once weekly for osteopenia, and 1200 mg Calcium/Vit

> D supplement daily. Protonix 40 mg twice a day takes

> care of any stomach irritation I may have from all the

> medicines.

>

> Before I started the Methotrexate, I was short of

> breath all the time and literally could not bend or

> walk without the support of two canes. After starting

> the Methotrexate, I was able to bend freely again and

> breathe easier (it REALLY helped the

> spondyloarthropathy and rib cage expansion!) but my

> hip was already badly damaged enough that I continued

> to require a cane to walk anything except very brief

> distances. The reason they added the Enbrel in was

> because I am now showing inflammatory changes in both

> feet and my right hand as well and they are hoping to

> prevent further destruction in these areas....the

> spondyloarthropathy is still well-controlled though.

>

> Before starting the Methotrexate, I was on short term

> medical leave from my job as a hospital nurse for

> almost a year before they figured out what was wrong

> with me and started treatment, and was actually

> considering applying for disability! The improvement

> with the Methotrexate alone was drastic enough that I

> was able to go back to work and continue working

> (albeit as a nurse in a pediatric clinic instead of in

> the hospital setting). I still work full-time (72-80

> hours per 2 week pay period) although currently I am

> off for a month recuperating from a right total hip

> replacement done 6/28/06.

>

> Blessings to all of you! Wanda

>

> Wanda

>

> [Editor's Note: In the beginning, MTX alone also worked wonders

on me. Kathy F.]

>

July 9, 2006

Jerome....did I say " Hey! " to you? I'm so behind and confused lately. What type

of music do you play and what instrument? Hmmm...I may try that juice mixture of

yours...celery apples and carrots. Sounds great and if it can help that 's

better. My knees are the one thing that won't respond to the Enbrel I am taking.

Your English is not bad. We joke in this country (USA) that most of us can't

speak the language well. This group is friendly and ready to help if you need

it. It has been a great help to me. Welcome to the group. -Betz

Betsy Jack itsbetsy@...

[ ] Methotrexate

Hello my name is jerome ,i'm musicien and i'm living in Australia ,

Gold Coast ( my english is not very good ehhee).

I have Psoriatic Arthritis for the last four year , i have placqe in

different place of the bady , in the first two years they disippiar

and coming back in different spot . For the last two years i got spot

in my elbows , in my knees and in my back and they don't go

away........ .. I'm in methotrexate 12.5 in sunday and 12.5 in midle

week total a week 25 mg.

I hear that the puva are much better then methotrexate , i liked to

know if sambady can give me some opinion.

Also i stop eat tomatos , mandarins and orange . In the morning i

drink juice of celery , carots and apple and i find that my knees go

much better ............ ....i liked to know if sambady got a lamp for

puva for sell . The one i find in the net call " Dermalight 80 " cost

around 900 australian dollars , to much for me.

I also find that bicycle are very good for the knees

jerome1austarnet (DOT) com.au

July 10, 2006

Hi Patty,

Sorry, so late to chime in.

YES! I take only MTX (12.5mg per week)and have experienced 98% relief

from pain & swelling, and had no joint damage so far. I've been taking

MTX for over 4 years now. I have on a few occassions supplmented with

Ibuprofen or Sulfadine during a flare, but those are rare and very

intermittent.

Stay Well,

July 11, 2006

In a message dated 7/11/2006 9:02:17 P.M. Pacific Standard Time,

fbulone@... writes:

My fears of Methotrexate having administered to

patients as a nurse are the effects it commonly had on the liver.

Hi Fran,

I know you were addressing your question to another Lori (there seem to be a

lot of us on this list!), but since my Sammy took Methotrexate for almost

four years for her JRA/uveitis, I thought I'd offer you our experience.

She never had any problems with it. We made sure to do her bloodwork every

two months so that her rheumatologists could keep an eye on her liver which

never showed an ill effects. She also took folic acid supplements that help

with some of the more common side effects. Compared to the newer biologic

drugs like Remicade and Humira, methotrexate has a long history that has proven

safe for the most part. My dad is a retired pharmacist, and he and his

partners felt much more comfortable with MTX than the newer drugs that have

been

around for such a short time.

Keep in mind that she was on a fairly low dose, especially when it was used

in conjunction with Remicade or Humira, compared to the dosage that kids on

chemotherapy get. I'm sort of assuming that the patients you saw were

generally taking the MTX as part of chemo. I don't know what kind of doses are

used

for periodic fevers, but I'm guessing they are more in line with the lower

doses given to people with autoimmune diseases vs. cancer patients.

If I can answer any other questions about Sammy's experience using the meds,

just ask.

BTW, we saw the infectious diseases docs last week, and they felt it was too

early to make any conclusions about , and are continuing to test her

for a myriad of other things while in watch and wait mode. Sammy got another

fever this past Friday evening that lasted about 48 hours. The pattern seems

to be that she has 11 days of being perfectly healthy, and then on the

evening of the 12th day she gets a fever that lasts 1-5 days. At least this

time

she seemed less sick overall.

--Lori (Mom to Sammy, 6.5 yrs, JRA/uveitis/?)

July 15, 2006

Hello Betsy , actualy you are the only one said hello to me ...thank

you ...i'm play keybord and guitar , my style is from Julio to Dean

martin and few songs for the young peoples...

Thank you for the welcome

Jerome

ps. trhe mixture fo celery carote apple work for the artrite very

well , i start and after two weeks and don't need anymore Mobic

>

> Jerome....did I say " Hey! " to you? I'm so behind and confused

lately. What type of music do you play and what instrument? Hmmm...I

may try that juice mixture of yours...celery apples and carrots.

Sounds great and if it can help that 's better. My knees are the one

thing that won't respond to the Enbrel I am taking. Your English is

not bad. We joke in this country (USA) that most of us can't speak

the language well. This group is friendly and ready to help if you

need it. It has been a great help to me. Welcome to the group. -Betz

>

> Betsy Jack itsbetsy@...

>

> [ ] Methotrexate

>

> Hello my name is jerome ,i'm musicien and i'm living in

Australia ,

> Gold Coast ( my english is not very good ehhee).

> I have Psoriatic Arthritis for the last four year , i have placqe

in

> different place of the bady , in the first two years they

disippiar

> and coming back in different spot . For the last two years i got

spot

> in my elbows , in my knees and in my back and they don't go

> away........ .. I'm in methotrexate 12.5 in sunday and 12.5 in

midle

> week total a week 25 mg.

> I hear that the puva are much better then methotrexate , i liked

to

> know if sambady can give me some opinion.

> Also i stop eat tomatos , mandarins and orange . In the morning i

> drink juice of celery , carots and apple and i find that my knees

go

> much better ............ ....i liked to know if sambady got a lamp

for

> puva for sell . The one i find in the net call " Dermalight 80 "

cost

> around 900 australian dollars , to much for me.

> I also find that bicycle are very good for the knees

>

> jerome1austarnet (DOT) com.au

>

July 15, 2006

Please excuse us Jerome,

Hello and welcome. I envy you your talent on the keyboard. I always wanted

to play piano, but could never afford one and I'm not so sure I could have

made my fingers do the work even before PA. Such is life! But I did play

clarinet in elementary school. lol. Have a good weekend.

Janet in Sunny and HOT Ca

(Editor's Note:You play the clarinet, he plays the keyboard and I play the

radio. Kathy F. )

July 15, 2006

Jerome: The greetings you received from Betz are from all of us. If I remember

correctly, I think she appointed as the official greeter of the group.

But since she has the power to appoint for a certain position, she has the power

to assume that position. Greetings agian (you see, my English is as good as

yours).

YOu drink the juice of celery, apples, carrots... I would rather eat those,

because I think the body needs the fiber in them.

I found on EBAY a Dermalight 80 sold in Australia. The current bid is AU 152,

about 6 days left. I wouldn't buy any thing like this before actually study

what does it do, what light does it give you. whatever it gives you may be

available in the Australian sunlight.

jeromecalda <jerome1@...> wrote: