anyone know how long methotrexate lasts for (4 pills a week) before you have to start increasing the dose or adding one of the biologics? I am also on plaquinal and prednison(1/2 tab per day) I have been in remission since going on the drug but recently have swollen knees again - a dreaded sign that things are not all well........
Karoo
It depends on what your rd will say. He may up it or may try another drug. If he up the mtx he will probably watch you very carefully for any side effects and your bloodtest to see if your liver is handling well. meme
Susan
Like Susan said; after I got to 17.5mg my doctor insisted on adding Humira. After awhile MTX can only do so much. You might get to a point where you need something else as well. I was probable on it 2 years before we add anything; but we steadily increased it over that time span.
We're all very different though; so no one can really tell you how long a particular dose will work for you.
If you are beginning to show symptoms that weren't there before or you feel like it's "Coming Back" after what felt like remission it's probable time for an increase. 4 Pills a week is pretty low. You've got a lot of wiggle room there before you'd have to add anything else.
Good Luck!
Thank you Lovie - I am happy to increase it to 5 a week. Sometimes I wonder if whacking it with 6 and then going back to 4 will help.That probable wouldn't work. In my own personal experience once the lesser dose stops working that's it. You can't go back down and get the same results after an increase.
At least it hasn't worked for me. If I try to reduce mine; the same old symptoms return.
5 a week isn't too high. I take twice that amount every week.
In my opinion methotrexate can be dangerous...I think I may have mentioned b 4 that I was in a clinical study for the drug orencia.in combination with methotrexate Still not sure if I had the orencia I had to drop out of the study b cause of high liver counts...I was on 20 mg of methotrexate...