What about Methotrexate? | Arthritis Information

So Prednisone does it quick. Takes away the pain but...I'm on about my third week or so and beginning to see changes in my face. Already have Osteopenia.

My question is....is Methotrexate a viable option to stop not only PMR but GCA that can accompany it which I'm sure I have?

Maybe not as fast, but will it work?

Anybody out there know? I want changes here.
~Kewanee

Hi Kewanee

My doc said back in October that if the pred didn't suit me then he would refer me to a rheumy to get some other steroid-sparing drugs (like methotrexate). He's now referred me, so we wait and see.

Plaquenil is used in lupus as a steroid-sparing drug. Does anyone have any knowledge of its use in PMR? I know there can be eye problems with plaquenil and it can take a long time to take effect. Cyclosporin is also used in RA as well as immunosuppression in transplants but I haven't heard of its use in PMR.

There are a lot of alternatives but I'm not sure whether any have been tried to any extent in PMR.

I would love to know.....I'll carry on my research.

Love Judi xx

Judy,
I was on Plaquenil when this broke right through it and my Rheumy dc'd it.

My Rheumy's nurse returned my call today and said no to Metho. and stay on Prednisone until further notice.

Maybe can come down a bit.

Also mentioned doing the tests for inflammation again, sed rate and CPR I guess.

I don't know how you can be on Pred. and have anything show up. It is surpressing the inflammation correct?

Go figure. I dun know.

Kewanee,

My Rheumy wanted me to take Metho. as the 10mg of Prednisone I am on is not cutting it. If it works it takes several weeks. The side effects are pretty awful too. I decided not to try it.

I'm trying to get through this as best I can.

Going to a new Rheumy next week. Will see what she says and what my blood shows.

Susan

Wow. Came to the forum tonight to ask a question about methotrexate and the first thread I saw was this one! My wife, 49 yrs old, was diagnosed with PMR about 4 months ago. She had it really bad. Could hardly get out of bed, get up out of a chair, walk, etc. Was put on 40mg prednisone, felt alot better immed. Then down to 30 mg, then down to 20, still doing pretty well, but puffing up. Then down to 15 mg and, bang, PMR came back with a vengeance. So back up to 20, where she's stayed for the last month or so. She's not feeling great, a little sore and week most of the time. And her face is really puffing up, which depressses her.

So today, we had an appt with the Rheumatologist and he wants to try to get her steroid use down. So he prescribed methotrexate to be taken once a week, while still taking her 20 mg prednisone for the next 6 weeks.

The methotrexate sounds like it's powerful stuff with some side effects of its own. Has anyone else been put on methotrexate? Did it help you get off of prednison? How well did you tolerate it?

We're scared. Is there hope that we'll get out of this nightmare? Any feedback you can provide will help us. Thank you in advance!

I was diagnosed on December 18 with PMR. I had been suffering since August. My rheumy put me on 20 mg of prednisone and within an hour my arms started feeling better and by the next day the pain was almost all gone. I went back Jan. 3 and she left me on the 20 mg of prednisone along with 6 tablets of Methotrexate because she said it took a couple months to start working. A couple weeks later she increase it to 8 tablets. That was after a blood test. I take a blood test every other week.

The reason she put me on the Methotrexate is because I've had glaucoma for about 20 years, and we discussed that prednisone sometimes caused glaucoma. So since I already had it, maybe it would make it worse. I'm to start taking 15 mg tomorrow for a couple weeks and then 12.5 for a couple weeks and then go see her again.

It was absolutely amazing how quickly the pain subsided with the prednisone. It was almost like taking a miracle pill. I couldn't believe it. After not sleeping for four months and having pain every time I got up out of a chair it took the inflammation down so fast and I started feeling better. Wished the prednisone didn't have such back side affects since it is such a cheap drug. I got a whole months supply at Walmart for .00.

I haven't started to puff up, and really haven't gained weight...other than I do always have to watch it in the winter time when one doesn't exercise as much and I always seem to eat more in the winter.

I hope when I start taking less prednisone that the pain doesn't come back. But that is why she subscribed the Methotrexate, so that it would be working by the time I quit the prednisone. I hope I can quit it, because I do worry about the glaucoma and cataracts, that are the side affects for some people. My body seems to like the prednisone. I haven't felt this well for a couple years. I started having achy joints about four years ago. I wonder if that is when it started setting in and finally hit hard last August.

I have read that with some people it goes away as quickly as it came. I hope we are all that lucky.

Mary

Hi everyone I have been looking at your posts on questions about Methotrexate. As I was unsure about this drug I 'Googled' it. Looks like pretty scary stuff ! The side effects and what other drugs NOT to take with it ect has made me very nervous.

I have been on 10mg Pred for 12 months now and have the full face, jelly belly, elephant neck roll, weight gain ect, ect, ect..and do worry about what Pred is doing to my oestoporosis. I can relate to your wife jdaniels re depressed with her face puffing up. I think those of us who this has happened to will too. But..I do have managable pain levels most of the time, especially over the past couple of months. I see my Rheumy soon and I expect to start the tappering game. After reading about Meth. I sure would'nt want to take it, but I did'nt want to take Pred either but the pain relief and quality of life so far has been worth it.

You know I don't know if you can lose the weight after a time on Prednisone.

I have a friend who the first time I ever saw her, before I knew her, was so lovely with a lovely figure.

She and her hubby were just checking out our area for relocation.

It was some time before I saw them again and they finally moved.

I didn't know it was the same person.

She had been put on Pred. for problems and had gotten the weight gain all around. The face, neck and stomach, the whole hateful bit.

She has been off of it for years and has not regained her figure or lost weight.

So can you take it off once you can come off Prednisone?

Right now I'm wondering if you ever can anyways. Oh me.

Wonder if some other anti-inflammatories work or not?
Of course if you have symptoms of GCA you sure don't want to fool around.

Better to be able to see and strokeless, as well as without pain I guess, and be round shall we say than to have those things.Kewanee and All,

I have been off prednisone for over a year now. Did take plaquenil for 6 months, which helped the PMR pain minimally, but I think my PMR was "on its way out" finally. I have not been taking anything since April last year. The rheumatologist did not want me taking methotrexate; only as a last resort because of the side effects, I guess. I gained 36 pounds while on prednisone, and have only lost about 12 of that. Of course, now I am having some hip problems (may be referred from back) and plantar fasciitis which is hard to get rid of, so I haven't been able to exercise properly.

Yes, you can lose weight after prednisone (although I've heard some people say that the belly fat never comes off???). My husband had asthma really bad as a child through his 20's and was on all kinds of drugs, including the prednisone. He had the moon face, stretch marks, etc, and gained 40 pounds really quick. He has managed to lose the weight with diet and exercise. It takes discipline, but can be done.

Hope this helps.

Reni
Reni,
There is hope!! Thank you so much for your input.
Well feel some better about that.

Guess people have this disease for varying lengths of time. Someone here said nine years?

Think I read a couple of years usually. Long enough to do it's thing huh?

Oh yes, as to the glaucoma and pred. my husband has steroid induced glaucoma. Incidentally he is on Methotrexate for an unknown autoimmune process causing Uvietis or Iritis. Makes him sick when he first takes it. His pred. is in eye drop form. Years ago he was on pill form and the glaucoma pressure came way up. So guess it does not matter what way you take it, glaucoma is a very real threat. Wish you all the best.
KewaneeKewanee39115.4787615741

Hi all

Reni, I am testimony to losing stomach fat! Four years ago I was on 40mg prednisolone for nearly two months and it took nearly nine months to come off completely. At its zenith I had a completly round moon face, my eyesight was terrible and I was solid from breatbone to pubic bone and I couldn't bend in the middle. It took some while for the stomach to go down, but it did, quite a while after my eyes went back to (almost) normal and my face reduced OK. I am already losing the face fullness and it has only been 2 weeks on 7.5mg, although I am back up to 15mg on doctors orders from last Wednesday as I am in such a horrible flare.

Once you start to feel better you feel like doing more energetic things. I overdid it and have wrecked my ankle and knees (RA). Mercifully my pain cocktail has just started to kick in, so I shall say "night night" as it is 01:30 here in the UK and my husband has been warming the bed for an hour already.

Speak to you all over the weekend. Have a great evening.

Love Judi xx