How long until MTX worked for you? | Arthritis Information

 

Thats a very low dose..1 pill??  Probably take 6-8 weeks at that rateI started at 12.5 mg, in two weeks went to 17.5, and in two more weeks to 25 mg. It took about six months to experience a recognizable improvement and nine months to a year before a marked improvement.

Recently when I restarted MTX the initial dose was 25 mg. I have had better response in the past to subcutaneous injection of MTX that to oral doses. There was a topic about the efficacy of injection versus oral MTX in the recent past. It might be worth doing a search on the subject.

Best wishes, Shug


Thanks guys.  I am actually getting injections because it made me too sick to take it orally. Wow, I hope I get some sort of relief soon, this does seem like a very little dose but she wanted to make sure I had no bad reactions. It took a good six months for me.
I started at 10, then 15, 20, and am on 25mg at the moment.
I mean one and a half year with methotrexate
In addition to:
Sulfasalazine
Plaquenil
prednisolon
nsids


It does generally take months.  I started out at one pill for 3 weeks and then bumped up steadily.  I mean one and a half year with methotrexate
The real effect after 6 months
In addition to:

Sulfasalazine
Plaquenil
prednisolon
nsids
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Sorry I do not understand English well
RA : methotrexate ,Sulfasalazine,Plaquenil ,prednisolon,nsids ,vit D and calcium,folic,esomeprazole
oh boy... 6 months sounds to be it.  That is a long time to wait. I may ask her to give me something else in the mean time to help. I'm on 5mg of prednisone but that doesnt seem to do a whole lot right now.  [QUOTE=rocckyd]I started at 12.5 or 15 (can't remember)  increasing every month to 25 after 3 months and then added enbrel at 4 months as the mtx alone wasn't doing it.   1 pill, even 2 sure seems low - can't imagine having any results with that low of a dose.    If you had reactions at 1 pill, maybe mtx isn't the right med for you?   Just wondering. I'm wondering if mtx isn't right for me either. I don't feel well today , don't feel like eating , cold all the time. I hate going through all this and I can see my ra getting worse. I'm so sick of always being sick. I just feel like I'm not gonna make it more than a few more years. I'm so tired of trying to fight so hard with my pcp and rheumy for my health. My rheumy says I had an abnormal tsh test and talk to my pcp about it, so I did. He said he already did additional thyroid tests last month and don't think anything will change if he tests me now and that I'm fine.   I'm tired of all the research I keep doing and feel like every dr I go to just doesn't try hard enough to help me. I know I sound depressing , I'm even on anti depressants the pcp has me on, I just can't find that srength i need to have. I have two sons , they are the only thing that makes me push myself to keep trying . Kelly - It sounds like you are really having difficulties right now.    RA can be a rollercoaster of emotions.  Just when you think you've got things  figured out, it can pull you back down for a short period of time.  Hang in there, it will get better.    Spelunker, you are so right about learning patience from RA. Patience waiting for the meds to work, it takes so long. Sorry klynn, probably not what you want to hear. I am also learning not to rush so as to avoid dropping things from weak and hurting hands, and to walk slowly because my feet hurt less then. I've always been one to tear around like my butt is on fire, but no more. Now I just have to get over how much I hate asking for help.
I've been on MTX for a year, and the dosage stopped working about a month ago. I am going up to 20 mg starting tomorrow. That's the max my doctor recommends, so I am hoping it works. But I can foresee the rest of my life, constantly adjusting and changing meds. That's the way it goes!
It's discouraging, but keep in mind that the right doctor is out there waiting for you to find him/her. Don't give up.Cathy- I've had RA for almost two years. Did well on plaquenil until about 2 months ago. When my rheumy would increase plaquenil I'd get really sick . I was getting dizzi spells and stopped plaqeunil . about that same time for about 5 weeks I was completely weak getting hit with waves of warmth over my body started having panic attacks , went to the er several times , many dr appts and no one new why I was so weak . I couldn't stand up straight or talk too much from how weak I was. I switched rheumys and she started me on mtx injections but in the past when I took mtx orally it made me feel sick. Now I don't feel well and am only on .2 cc or 5mg. My ra is comming back from being off plaquenil, hurts to walk and just hurts all over. Have had this chest cold the entire time but new pcp said not yo worry about it, gave me an inhaler. I know I need to accept what I have and keep trying but I am emotionally drained and don't have it in me to keep fighting right now, just want to throw my hands up. I switched pcps and he was the one that said all of this weakness etc was probably from anxiety and am on antidepressants when I know anxiety is from whatever was happening to me for those 5 weeks. My mom and husband had to take time to drive me to these appts and ER.I almost lost my job being out that long, I think the anxiety meds, prednidone and maybe mtx has helped me to have enough energy to go to work.

Thanks for letting vent.     [QUOTE=Bluehour] Now I just have to get over how much I hate asking for help. [/QUOTE]

THAT was a biggie for me as well...the past few months have taught me not only to ask but to wait until help is available as well. Being dependent on anyone is a lesson in humility and humanity. It is a good thing I have begun to accept/understand that lesson as each day I become more dependent.
[QUOTE=klynn141]
I know I need to accept what I have and keep trying but I am emotionally drained and don't have it in me to keep fighting right now, just want to throw my hands up. I switched pcps and he was the one that said all of this weakness etc was probably from anxiety...   [/QUOTE]
Kelly, knowing that 'it' is not worth much, I offer you my empathy. I dare say that many of us, if not most of us, have been right there: ready to throw our hands up and cease to fight. I know I have been right there more than once. It just seems easier to crawl into bed, pull the covers up and shut out the world while letting RA and its comorbitities have their way with my body AND my mind. Fortunately, I found AI and the AI family to give me encouragement, strength, and a safe space to spew my worries, fears, and complaints.

When I was hospitalized a few months ago and did not know whether I was going to live or die it was the kindly folks here that bolstered me up, prompted me, and allowed me to lean on them. Through the AI family I received the courage and the strength to rise above what was plaguing me and it is through the family's continued support and encouragement that I arise each day and thrive.

I bid you far horizons, blue skies, and pain-free moments. A burden shared is a burden halved; strength shared is strength increased ten-fold.



Kelly - I wish there were magic words to make it better.   RA does suck, doesn't it? Just keep sharing - it really does help knowing that there are others that understand.   I'm not sure if the MTX kicked in or the mega dose of prednisone the new RD put me on turned me around. I was started on 3 2.5 mgs. and they kept increasing it with no result every 2 weeks. I was up to 15 mgs. no result and my new RD increased my prednisone from 20 mgs daily to 40 mgs. daily. Hot damn! I was a new woman over night! That was at about 10 weeks. [QUOTE=klynn141]I'm wondering if mtx isn't right for me either. I don't feel well today , don't feel like eating , cold all the time. I hate going through all this and I can see my ra getting worse. I'm so sick of always being sick. I just feel like I'm not gonna make it more than a few more years. I'm so tired of trying to fight so hard with my pcp and rheumy for my health. My rheumy says I had an abnormal tsh test and talk to my pcp about it, so I did. He said he already did additional thyroid tests last month and don't think anything will change if he tests me now and that I'm fine.   I'm tired of all the research I keep doing and feel like every dr I go to just doesn't try hard enough to help me. I know I sound depressing , I'm even on anti depressants the pcp has me on, I just can't find that srength i need to have. I have two sons , they are the only thing that makes me push myself to keep trying . [/QUOTE] [QUOTE=babs10] [quote]Kelly, i'm at week 5. started on 10mg, first dose, v. sick, 2nd dose, quite sick, 3rd dose just a wave of sickness, 4th dose no sickness. It goes without saying that the following day i've felt and looked totally wiped out, not to mention dizzy, so i'm wiyh you there, i think its pretty normal to feel like this. I'm up beat because i can deal with tired and drained and dizzy but i dont like the sick thing.

My synopsis so far re it working and reactions: From week 1 -2 pain eased. week 2-3, pain really eased, i stupidly began to get excited and started to potter in earnest, week 3-4 brilliant, still pottering (got curtains and duvets washed for the winter, did some cleaning, did some gardening (not much, but tidying, you know for the winter coming). week 4-5 (ie from last thursday to yesterday i havent been able to do much, fingers so swollen on fridayi couldnt feed myself, couldnt drive, couldnt do any bloody thing.It serves me right, its just everything felt so good, a little achy and to my peril i ignored it.

I didnt do much at work yesterday or today, my secretary refused to let me help her out with the tedious task of a mailing. she said my fingers were still too swollen and she'd manage. This rest for nearly 48 hours has done the trick, my fingers are much more mobile.

Re the thyroid issue are you taking anything? I ask because it took me years to realise that sleeping 10-13 hour a day wasnt normal before i got some tests done. even having had the tests done i was at the bottom end of the scale. in the UK the scale differs from county to count, and as i hadnt fallen off the scale i really wasnt meant to go on thyroxine. however, i had an enlightened gp and she gave me a bottle of 25mgs, told me to take 25mg daily for a week, if i was still sleeping to take another pill and so on. i got to 75mg. my bloods read 15 and unless i'm really weary from the RA life is better. My point being you may not be off the scale but if your thyroid is underactive you may need a little extra to make the difference.

Re my fat fingers its my own silly fault, but the slowly creeping incapacity which comes with this disease is most upsetting. sorry about the grammar, i'm typinh with one finger, the cat has crashed out on me and i dont want to disturb him!Babs- You suggestion seeing an Endo, Should I go over my PCP's head and call to make an appt? He said he did the other testing a month before that test that came back abnormal and it was all fine. I feel bad doing that but also want to be watching out for myself. I also thought of making an appt with a Pulmonologist to make sure my lungs are ok, I've been fighting this cold for several months, coughing, chest tightness some wheeziness off and on but ofcoarse never when the doctor listens to my chest and am starting MTX now for 5 weeks or so which worries me.  My PCP took an xray a month ago and saw nothing. He just prescribed a steroid inhaler to help with inflammation and said it's prob asthma or allergies (which i've never had). But again, feel bad going over his head.  Isn't he the one that's supposed to guide my care and put me in touch with the right doctors? oh so frustrating! Have any of you just made appts with other specialists yourselves without your doctors ok?  [QUOTE=klynn141] Have any of you just made appts with other specialists yourselves without your doctors ok? [/QUOTE]
Absolutely! Our physicians _work_ for us not the other way round and although I always notify my primary care physician when I am seeing another physician, I do not need an OK from anyone to seek another opinion, evaluation, or insight. However, I do understand that some insurances require referrals to specialists, but to my way of thinking those referrals should be forthcoming, obtained without argument nor stress.

Seeking a second opinion is not going over anyone's head, rather it is, as you say Kelly, merely watching out for yourself.

As has been said before, it takes a "team" to keep us as healthy as possible and to monitor the dozen comorbidities that can, and all to often do, accompany RA and other autoimmune disorders.

Good luck!


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