scared of mtx | Arthritis Information

 

HI im new here. I have had Ra since i was a young teen. I am now 28 and i have a swollen knee every 6 weeks, the only thing that helps is getting it drained and a shot of cortisone. i was told a number of times to go on mtx but i am very scared, can anyone please help me decide what to do. the side effects of the mtx seems to be very scarey, is anyone familier with this medication? i would love some insight.

thank you...

MTX has given me my life back. I had some side effects (hair loss---but not much---nausea and fatugue) at the beginning but they seem to be mostly gone now. Sure, it sucks not to be able to drink all the alcohol I want, but I wouldn't want to go back to how I felt pre-MTX. That said, I'd still like to stop taking it someday.

Most of MTX problems are well known and documented. It has been out there about 25 years. With blood tests every 2 months, problems will be caught early. When you stop the drug, the problems reverse.

Folic acid a vitamin prescribed during pregnancy helps with side effects. So ask for that along with the MTX.

Lots of RA folks are not crippled because they take MTX. Cortisone injections if repeated every 6 weeks are likely to ruin a healthy joint let alone one under attack from RA.

I wish I had not gone my first 10 years with no treatment but nsaids...I need both knees replaced. My elbows are a ruin too.

Discuss your fears with a rhuemy!

MTX has saved my life, I urge you to take it.  I started out in July last year on 10mg and after a flare was put up too 15mg.  I have to confess the blurred vision and headaches made my work as a graphic designer impossible, so I have been on 12.5mg (a week) for about 8 weeks and am absolutly fine with no symptoms of my RA or any side effects at all.  I am lucky I know, but many people are the same and take it without a problem, it only makes you better.

Good luck and give it a go, you dont want to damage your body.

Wendy

Side affects not a big deal for me. I also had some hair loss, nausea and fatique but it was tolerable.

MTX has been around a long time and a lot is known about it.

Don't be so scared to try it. It may help you a great deal. At 28 you need to stop the progression of the disease or you'll be cripple in no time. I also developed RA at 28 (I am now 42) and I do quite well although MTX stopped working for me. I am now on Enbrel since May.

Just make sure you keep all your Dr appts and get your blood checked regularly.Hi: This was my response to kweenb on January 17th.:

Last May I relented and began taking 20mg. of mtx weekly and
1mg. of folic acid daily.  At the time I was in the process of weaning off prednisone. As of the first week of December 2006 I no longer taking prednisone.

That's when I became aware of just what the mtx was doing to me. MTX was my "miracle drug" because in less than two weeks my pain was gone and continued to be gone even as I reduced my prednisone dose each week (doctor supervised). However, less than two weeks after I was off the prednisone the itching, which had gradually been getting worse as I reduced the prednisone, became totally intolerable. Also, less than two weeks after I was off the prednisone my elbow, fingers, and toe joints definitely were discolored. They looked as though they were black and blue. In addition, I didn't have  joint pain but my muscles hurt whenever I moved them. And we won't talk about my tummy, except to say I was miserable.

Did contact my rheumy and she advised me to discontinue the mtx. She also wanted me to begin taking prednisone again, starting with 2mg. a day and increasing 1mg. every third to fourth day until the ouchies were gone. Absolutely no way did I find this acceptable. So until I go in for my appt. the middle of February I'm taking tramadol every four hours and feeling little to no pain.  What's really ironic is that my monthly lab reports were like perfect.  My rheumy feels the prednisone was masking the negative side effects of the mtx.

About hair loss. All my life I felt as though I was mildly cursed for my hair was sooooooooo thick. Thought perhaps it was just my imagination that my hair wasn't as thick but my hairdresser verified the fact that my hair is indeed thinner. It's actually manageable! Also, the hair on my legs nearly quit growing and the hair under my arm pits quit growing completely. Have been off the mtx for about a month now and the hair on my legs is growing and the hair under my armpits is coming back in.

At this time I take tramadol every four hours, synthroid, 3000mg. of fish oil daily, a multi-vitamin, and a calcium supplement.
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On more thing to add: It came on gradually but my back went from hurting to PAIN so bad in the mornings my other-half would help me out of bed before going to work. Was also waking a couple of times in the night.  Within a week of discontinuing the mtx my back pain was nearly gone and within two weeks it was gone.

Am still taking the same meds. and supplements, except I've added garlic to my supplement list.  So now am taking only two tramadol pills a day.  Take Care

I took MTX successfully for 3 years and it made a big difference... a huge improvement over my first year of RA.  There were some side effects, mostly nausea and diarrea...and some fatigue...but nothing extreme.  I am now off of MTX and it became less effective but have had good success with Humira.

Alan

Hello and it is nice to meet you! My name is jode and I haev had RA all my life but was not dx until 1991. I took MTX for many years and it is what helped me on my journey to blood tested remission. Along with many other drugs and Enbrel I am able to write this note to you.

I too was scared of MTX and told my Dr. as much but I trusted him and although it did make me fill ill quite a bit it also gave me a slice of my life back.

SOmetimes you just have to trust science and the integrity of the drug and go with it. Like th others' here have stated, it has been around for a long time and is still on the market and still helping people, so that is a good thing.

jode

MTX is a good medication if u can tolerate it...l took it for a short period of time but it raised havoc with my liver counts....I am sure that you will be ok...just b sure they monitor your blood work  GOOD LUCK

Hi cmcg

Don't be scared.

I was put on 7.5mg of mtx in july 2005, admitedly, I felt like I'd swallowed a garbage can for a couple of weeks but that was the worst of it. I'd get a little sore on my tongue 2-3 days after my (weekly) dose but that isn't happening much now. I'm still on the same dose - which is 'minute' - as it has been such a benefit to me.

It's definitely worth trying, as far as I have read on these boards, very few don't get on with it.

 I am overwhelmed by all of the support i have gotten from my mtx question. It makes me feel so happy to know that there are people who are feeling the same way as yourself. Sometimes i feel so alone and depressed. I am married with three little boys, 7 yrs 4, and 9 mos!! I always had jra never had to take anything for it, but after my last baby its been real bad. my oldest son gets very sad to see mommy this way and my heart breaks when he says "mommy do you feel ok today so you can walk me to the bus?" its just so depressing. My problem is that my knees swell to the size of a real watermelon!!! i have had 300ccs removed from my knee 7 weeks ago and 200ccs removed yesterday. after i get the fluid removed and a shot of cortisone im good as new. UNTIL 7 weeks later it all happens again. my dr says to get sx to clean out the knee and then do the mtx. i think with all of the support i had from you all here i will just do that. thank you all so much! what is the longest time someone can go on mtx?

i hope you all have a pain free morning! cmcg

 

cmcg-

You need to get the RA under control. When it is not, it is easy to get depressed and feel sorry for yourself. Everyone here has been there.

Go for the MTX right away. My RA also got worse after the birth of my children and I didn't start MTX until that point. I have come a long way. Hang in there!

hessalina

Welcome CMCG! We're glad you're here.

I've been on MTX for more than 4 years now with great success....and very little problems. It sounds a lot scarier than it really is. I say go for it!! If you can tolerate it it's going to make a huge difference in your life.

Mariam's right. You can't continue to get cortisone injections in that knee ever 7 weeks. That's dangerous and in the end will ruin that knee if it's not already.

Hang in there.....and come hang out with us more often. Good Luck!

I've seen posts by people saying they have been on MTX for 20 years. I think you can take it for as long as it works and as long as your liver is fine with it. I've been taking mtx for 15 years now.   It's worked well for me.
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