I have a question.My RA doctor told me today that mtx can cause you to get rheumatoid nodules.anyone know anything about this?
thanks
Nodules where and what type? There are several types of nodules. I haven't read any literature that supports this but anything is possible with this disease. I have RA nodules that formed prior to taking MXT and have enlarged over the years. Did you question your doctor further about this? LindyI don't know much about it...just that my doctor told me the same thing when I showed her a bump/lump I had on my thumb. It's gone now and I have other nodules that have stayed but she hasn't said anything more about the mtx causing them. I never thought anymore about it, but now I'm curious. I'm gonna try to remember to ask her the next time I'm there.Linb, I have 2 nodules .1 on my heel and the other on the side of my thumb.My first one came shortly after going on MTX and I just upped my dose to 6 pills a week and got the one on my thumb.I believe it can lead to them from what i have read in the past, but RA would be the most cause for this. I get nodules that turn hard as a rock, then go away 6 months later. I get mine without methotrexate.
But, either way will bring your % up.
The bad thing about these drugs is that side effects come with every drug.
I've had an inactive nodule on my pinky for several years that has only started to bother me in the last few months. It's red and sore and I'm wondering if the fact that I started MTX several months ago has anything to do with it. I'll ask the RD.I've read that MTX can cause nodules, but I also know that RA causes nodules by itself. I've had nodules on my elbows that went away after starting on Enbrel. I also have nodules at the base of my thumb that are there constantly. They don't bother me, and although they seem to fluctuate in size they don't get too big and aren't really noticable.Just Google: MTX rheumatoid nodules, MTX induced nodulosis or something along those lines and you'll get several hits. Heres one for starters:
http://rheumatology.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/43/1 2/1587
K
Edited to clarify that this particular patient had SLE and not RA but none the less, the cause of the nodulosis was determined to be the MTX.