Hello, This is my first post here.
I started mtx (10 mg) Friday, March 2nd.'07, I take folic acid daily except the day I take the mtx. I had NO serious side effects (other than fatigue and heartburn). Today my feet are hurting so bad I dread getting up walking on them. (my feet hurt on the top). My fingers are swollen and hurt a little. I am not taking anything for the pain. I was on celebrex and Tylenol arthritis before my first dose last week. I have not had anything since. My next dose of mtx is tomorrow. Will the pain get better with the mtx?
Nice to meet you MaeMae! I am so sorry to hear you're having so much pain. There are many folks here that can give you advice and who have gone through what you are going through. I'm glad that you are able to take it without a serious reaction! That's super encouraging.
Were you told not to take your Celebrex or Tylenol by your physician? I think most people continue taking pain relievers, even after going on MTX. That would definitely be something for the crowd here to inform you about.
Anyway, just wanted to say hello and glad you found us.
I agree with Hillhoney. The Mtx has done nothing for my pain so I usually have to take something else for the pain. I've been on 20 mgs. for 3 yrs. now. You might want to call your Dr. and ask their advice. Welcome MaeMae, I took MTX for years and didn't take additional (pain) meds. But, the people here surely have great suggestions. I hope you keep posting this is great fun and I check the forum BEFORE my emails, NOW. Good luck with sorting these meds out it takes, time, patients and a lot of phone calls to your doc's office. don't hesitate to ask them!Hi MaeMae and welcome
It's early days for you with the mtx, it takes time to kick in. I'm sorry but I can't remember how long with me as I tend to cast the baddies aside and focus on good stuff. You ought to still take some pain relief, I take two paracetomol x 3-4 a day if I have pain, which thankfully isn't often. I'm afraid mtx doesn't give you a painfree time, it's purpose is to stop the progression of RA, you may still get flares. I don't quite understand that either
Hopefully the mtx will help...but for now, maybe you need to call your doctor and ask what he can suggest for the swelling and pain that you're having now. I'm surprised you're no longer taking celebrex...did that help whiler you were on it?
Welcome to AI MaeMae.
I've been on MTX for years and I can always tell when it's near the end of the week and it's time for my dose. Once I take mine I do feel better the next day......but I'm not sure this will be the case with you; it likely isn't even working yet. It seems to take a while to build up in your system. How long differs for us all it seems.
Definately continue to take pain medication as needed; especially until the MTX begins to work well for you. I still take pain medication on a regular basis. I don't need the pain meds like I use to due to successful treatment with MTX & Humira; but it's not uncommon to continue taking them.
Advil is good to take verses Tylenol because it helps to reduce the inflammation. Tylenol won't help with that.
Again; Welcome.
I'm not sure mtx doesn't stop pain. When I was only on mtx and plaquenilThe mtx, when it is finally working, as well as the biologics will help reduce your pain except where you might have permanent damage. But it takes anywhere from 6 weeks to several months to find relief from MTX. So, your doctor should be still addressing your pain.
Also, keeping your doctor apprised of how much pain you are having gives him a clue to what is working/not working. I definitely would call and see what you should be doing at this point.
I still take Mobic. I used to take Vioxx. And for a long time, adding Tylenol was all I needed to do. But other problems can develop that require more pain management. But most people don't experience them.
Call the doc and let him know the level of your pain. Properly treated, you should not be living in constant pain. And, there will be days when you will have flares and need some extra relief. Everyone is just a bit different on how they react to their medications.
If you are really in pain, already taking pain relievers, then that's when the doc might need to do a pred pack or add another med to help. But they can only come up with a solution if you let them know how bad a problem you are having. Most docs do not want their patients to suffer.
WelcomeNot much to add...my own experience with MTX was that it took about 3 months to really kick in and work well at a dosage of about 20 mgs per week, so you have to be patient. My doctor increased the dosage slowly over a couple of months. The good news is that it worked well for me and eliminated most of the pain and swelling.
Good luck!
Alan