Howdy~
I'm 22 years old, and was diagnosed in August 2006. I started off on prednisone, etodolac, and plaquenil. The etodolac damaged my liver, so I went off that pretty quick. I then started on Enbrel and relafen in addition to the plaquenil and prednisone. As of this last February, my rheumie said that my bloodwork showed me in remission, and I phased off of the prednisone. I went back in today, and he thinks that the swelling has continued, and I'm going back on prednisone. What he really wants to do is put me on methotrexate.
I've heard of all sorts of side effects, from liver and kidney damage to bone marrow issues, to hair loss and nausea. Since the etodolac damaged my liver, and it was a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory, I'm terrified of going on methotrexate. What experiences have y'all had with this drug? And do y'all have any other advice for a newbie? Thanks!
Welcome to AI! I was about your age 13 years ago when I was dx'ed. I spent many years on different medications; but have been on Methotrexate (MTX for short here) about 5 years now. I know it sounds scary.....but it's really not as bad as it sounds. It's got a scary reputation and I feel like a lot of that is unnessesary. Many of us have been on it for many years with very little side effects.
I would be much more concerned about being on Predisone long term than I would be MTX. Don't wait too long. It's a good medication and it could make a huge difference in your disease progression.
Good Luck to you. Hope to see more of you here.
I'm with Lovie, the side effects of long term pred use are potentially worse than those of MTX. At least with MTX if you show problems on your liver tests you get off the med and the liver heals itself. At MTX the hair loss is less common than at cancer doses. And most people don't get the nausea or if they do its relatively mild. And again if by chance you experience intolerale side effects it is easy to stop the drug and the side effects go away. With pred the potential side effects can cause permanant problems (osteoporosis, glaucoma, cataracts, thinning skin, adrenal failure weight gain). And if you have problems with pred you cannot just stop it you have to wean off.I agree with Lovie & Buckeye--I've been on MTX for 4 months and can't say that I have had ny side effects from it. The pred is whats scary.
Hi and welcome!
I have taken 20mg MTX for over a year and now inject it with no adverse effects. It has done a great job in keeping swelling down and I never take Prednisone due to it's side effects.
I was diagnosed about 2 weeks ago and have taken MTX twice now. I felt nausea the first time for 3 days, then I felt fine. I took it again on Sunday and have felt fine these past two days. So far I don't see any hair loss. I am on a 2-week dose of pred. I only know that I feel so much better pain-wise...I do wonder how I will feel after I stop taking the pred at the end of this week.
I hate to think about being on MTX for years, but it apparently wasn't available when my mother was diangosed with RA years and years ago and she was crippled my entire life and suffered greatly with immense pain. I guess I am grateful that I may be able to prevent that due to taking MTX.
These decisions are so difficult to make. I think we all want one magic pill that will make it all go away.
Welcome, It sounds like your doctor is in step with what the rest of us take on this board. The mtx does have it's drawbacks but the other drugs do also. I've found mtx to be the best for me as I can adjust the dose according to how I am feeling. If i feel good I can call the dr and reduce the amount if I need more I can increase it. I hope you are able to read some of the info on this and other drugs you will be taking. Wikipedia, does a good job of overviewing these drugs we take. Good Luck, SarahThank y'all so much for your advice and information. At the end of the next three months, I'll probably start on the methotrexate and wean off the prednisone again. I'll only be on 5 mg of the prednisone, so hopefully it won't be too bad! I really didn't notice any side effects when I was on 10 mg, so here's hoping. Methotrexate still scares me, but I'll just make sure my rheumie watches me like a hawk lol. Thanks again everyone. Like Flamigo I took my second dose of MTX last Monday and have no nausea yet which I had after the first dose. I think this is due to the folic acid which I also take 5mgs twice a week? Also, No hair loss yet. I took note of how much was in the shower after a normal shower as soon as I started so I can note any loss. Neither though has there been any reduction in pain. I am very concerned about this med but it has been around a long time and the docs seem to know all about it. It appears to be the 'drug of choice' for PA, not sure about RA, for people who can tolerate it. Just because you reacted badly to an nsaid does not mean you will have a problem with mtx. Besides with regular blood tests, problems are caught early, just like the nsaid. The liver can repair itself. I know it is scary but trust your doc on this one. It is the gold standard in RA care. It has been around a long time and the docs know it very well. Hi Marian, notice you are on effexor. I needed to take it for several years but have not taken it now for just over a year. I have suffered from bouts of depression several time in my life, each one more severe and lasting longer then the last. Have you put on weight using it. I put on 3 stone in as many months on it.