New to this group --- Methrotrexatefor 20 years

[Guest guest]

This group is so good about sharing information, I wanted to share my story..

and hope it is helpful to others.

 

     I have taken Methrotrexate for about 20 years with with folic acid I MG  It

was my miracle medicine.  I got to where it didn't bother me to climb stairs,

raise my arms above my head and nodules on by elbows disappeared.  

 

     Prior to starting MTX.  I had taken all the NSAIDs, prednisone, and

plaquenil but the MTX was the addition that helped with pain.  I was tapered off

the predisone and the plaguenil. They taper you off one medicine at a time

because of the side effects of the medicines. The combination of MTX and NSAID

and amtriptyline(antidepressant good for pain/sleep) worked well for years. 

When my RA was at its worst I got a hot tub and sit in it in the AM and PM.  I

had the temp set at 102 degrees.  The water was great for relieving stiffness

and increasming body movements.  My RA affected by knees and shoulder and

hands.   So instead of straight hair, I went curly with perm and didn't have to

shampoo every day.

 

     I have never noticed any side effects from taking MTX.  I think maybe

because I took the Folic Acid with it or maybe because the pain got better.  I

have also had blood work done each month checking CBC and Liver studies.  A

couple of times I have had to go back in for a retest because of liver counts

being up.  Once I had been taking Tylenol for headache prior to test.  Test were

OK on the follow-up and I didn't have to change anything I was taking.

 

 

     Last year I started just feeling bad.  My GP did blood work and started me

on B-12 injections,     I woke up one Sat morning with severe pain on my left

side.  I was ready to go to ER, but had a few things I had to do first.  Decided

to call Dr. and he called me in an antobotic.  Saw Dr following

week.    Continue antibotic because I was feeling better.

 

A few weeks later saw dr again because I was so short of breath.  Also had fever

at night, weight loss and hair loss.   Went for x-ray, and Dr told me to go home

and do nothing.   I had fluid in pueral cavity around the left lung (Pleual

Effusion was diagnosis).   She set me up for a Thoracentesis to remove the

fluid.  They removed 1.2 liters.  I had to see a surgeon to get the rest of it

removed in the hospital.   He did a Thoracoscopy to remove the rest of the

fluid.  Sent the fluid off for all kinds of test but never able to identify what

caused it.  They did rule out a lot of the things that could cause it such as

infection, TB, heart,  fungus, parasite, and cancer.  RA and Lupus can cause

pleural effusion but my rheumatologist didn't think that was the cause of it.. 

I was in hospital for 4 days.   Since they wasn't sure what cause it I left

hospital with prescription for Prednisone.  Started with 60 mg a day and tapered

down over 5 mo period to none.   I gained back all tghe weight I had lost. 

 

Since I have been off the prednisone, my ankles have swollen.   So I am on Lasix

and potassium now.   I am also deficient in Vitamin D now and taking a

prescription  Vitamin D of 50,000 units once a week  for about 3 month and then

over the counter. 

 

By blood work is also showing high numbers now for Lupus.   But the

rheumatoligist say MTX is still the number one choice for treatment for any of

the autoimmune diseases. 

 

  

[Guest guest]

Wow :

You have been thru alot, truly. You seem like a real trooper. What I gather

from all this, is that one should follow their instincts and listen to their

body. I also think with any type of pain and shortness of breath, one should

definitely go to the ER, better safe than sorry. I also think if a doctor tells

you to go home, do nothing after a dx of fluid in the plural cavity - ITS TIME

TO GET ANOTHER DOCTOR (thats just IMHO)....that an automatic admission in most

hospitals.

On another note I asked and often wonder just how many auto-immunies one person

can have. There is a database in the files and one woman says she has RA,

Lupus, and Hashi's, that is ALOT for one person.

I wish you well.

OKD

>

>

>

>

> This group is so good about sharing information, I wanted to share my story..

and hope it is helpful to others.

>  

>      I have taken Methrotrexate for about 20 years with with folic acid I MG 

It was my miracle medicine.  I got to where it didn't bother me to climb stairs,

raise my arms above my head and nodules on by elbows disappeared.  

>  

>      Prior to starting MTX.  I had taken all the NSAIDs, prednisone, and

plaquenil but the MTX was the addition that helped with pain.  I was tapered off

the predisone and the plaguenil. They taper you off one medicine at a time

because of the side effects of the medicines. The combination of MTX and NSAID

and amtriptyline(antidepressant good for pain/sleep) worked well for years. 

When my RA was at its worst I got a hot tub and sit in it in the AM and PM.  I

had the temp set at 102 degrees.  The water was great for relieving stiffness

and increasming body movements.  My RA affected by knees and shoulder and

hands.   So instead of straight hair, I went curly with perm and didn't have to

shampoo every day.

>  

>      I have never noticed any side effects from taking MTX.  I think maybe

because I took the Folic Acid with it or maybe because the pain got better.  I

have also had blood work done each month checking CBC and Liver studies.  A

couple of times I have had to go back in for a retest because of liver counts

being up.  Once I had been taking Tylenol for headache prior to test.  Test were

OK on the follow-up and I didn't have to change anything I was taking.

>  

>  

>      Last year I started just feeling bad.  My GP did blood work and started

me on B-12 injections,     I woke up one Sat morning with severe pain on my left

side.  I was ready to go to ER, but had a few things I had to do first.  Decided

to call Dr. and he called me in an antobotic.  Saw Dr following

week.    Continue antibotic because I was feeling better.

>  

> A few weeks later saw dr again because I was so short of breath.  Also had

fever at night, weight loss and hair loss.   Went for x-ray, and Dr told me to

go home and do nothing.   I had fluid in pueral cavity around the left lung

(Pleual Effusion was diagnosis).   She set me up for a Thoracentesis to

remove the fluid.  They removed 1.2 liters.  I had to see a surgeon to get the

rest of it removed in the hospital.   He did a Thoracoscopy to remove the rest

of the fluid.  Sent the fluid off for all kinds of test but never able to

identify what caused it.  They did rule out a lot of the things that could cause

it such as infection, TB, heart,  fungus, parasite, and cancer.  RA and Lupus

can cause pleural effusion but my rheumatologist didn't think that was the cause

of it..  I was in hospital for 4 days.   Since they wasn't sure what cause it I

left hospital with prescription for Prednisone.  Started with 60 mg a day and

tapered

> down over 5 mo period to none.   I gained back all tghe weight I had lost. 

>  

> Since I have been off the prednisone, my ankles have swollen.   So I am on

Lasix and potassium now.   I am also deficient in Vitamin D now and taking a

prescription  Vitamin D of 50,000 units once a week  for about 3 month and then

over the counter. 

>  

> By blood work is also showing high numbers now for Lupus.   But the

rheumatoligist say MTX is still the number one choice for treatment for any of

the autoimmune diseases. 

>  

>   

>

>