When first dx'ed my RD immediately put me on plaqunel and MTX, in a relatively high dose. For 4 months I felt like absolute ----! Everything was bad, but I didn't have any liver/kidney toxicity. Fortunately I was able at that point to move up to Enbrel. I was in heaven. I realized quickly that alot of the "bad" that I was having was caused by MTX.
Now I am beginning to backslide and the enbrel alone isn't doing it, and I know that they will want to piggyback MTX or Arava with it. I do not want to go there again. When the cure makes you feel worse than the disease, something is wrong. However, I do not know of an alternative, and like to have "done my homework" before seeing the RD. Does anyone know of any alternative to MTX? I have read of a few but they are still in clinical trials. Thanks
The only option I know of for the mtx is arava. I bet your mtx dose was too high for you. Do you remember what it was? Did you take the pills or did you inject the mtx? Sometimes injecting the mtx helps to minimize side effects. I guess if the doc wants to put you back on mtx, I would ask to start with a low dose and go up from there to see what dose is right for you. Are you sure it was the Mthx? I have been on it for a couple of years and seem to do ok with it. They just added Plaquenil and have been feeling awful ever since. I have had the nausea and headaches---I never get headaches--but I do now. And now everything hurts. I have been slowly moving up the dosage on MTX and I am glad someone else feels like it is making them worse. My Dr. said my MTX maybe setting of a flare and I should take pred. to combat it! I said no way.
Poof,
I'm sorry the MTX isn't working for you. Why do you think it is making you flare?
Phats
Hi lauret, MTX had the same effect on me. My rd started my on a higher dose (can't remember what it was) but I had to taper it down to I think 7.5 and I still felt like hell and my hair was still falling out, so I finally went off it. The difference was night and day. I could function like a regular person again. I swear, my RA will have to get pretty bad for me to EVER go back on that stuff again.
We all react differently, as we know. I've found that I'm very drug-resistant.