Methotrexate vs Arava | Arthritis Information
Has anyone heard of or read any studies that would indicate that one is better than the other for inhancing the effects of biologics?
Also, for those of you that started out on methotrexate and then switched to Arava, what was the reason...reaction to methotrexate or just physician preference?
Thanks!
I had to switch to ARava as the mtx made me deathly ill - diarreah, stomach cramps, loss of appetite etc. It was pretty bad. I have done both...started with Mtx and then switched to Arava as the ra
was not controlled. The Arava made my hair fall out and my liver function
tests to come back elevated so I switched back to the Mtx. I was on
Biologics he whole time and the Mtx/Arava switch didn't seem to make a
difference.
Rebecca - how long were you on Arava before your hair fell out? The reason I ask is because a co-worker of mine who also has RA had been on Arava for 2 years before her hair fell out. Because she was on it for so long, she doesn't believe that her hair loss was from the Arava. But let me tell you, when I say her hair fell out, I mean it COMPLETELY fell out. She wore a wig for over a year before it started coming back in. I've only been on Arava for 2 months, but I'm not sure it's actually helping and I certainly DON'T want my hair to fall out! I'm almost thinking the side effect of occasional nausea and abdominal pain with Methotrexate is worth it.
my RD put me on Arava first. I never even tried mtx because my mom had success with arava. My hair starting falling out after about 6 months. It didn't all fall out but I was very upset about it. My Rd cut my dose in half and it gradually grew back. About a year into arava my liver enzymes went up so he took me off completely. I am now only on remicade and have felt great for a year. However I am flaring right now and dreading the possibility of hearing that I need arava. If so I may ask to try mtx, although I thought it has the same hair loss side effect as well as nausea and mouth sores.
Jodi
All biologic studies are conducted with MTX and against MTX alone. MTX is the gold standard first line medication. It is unusual for a doctor to start a patient out on Arava first.
I switched to Arava because we had switched around everything else but the MTX without success so we switched to Arava in the never ending quest for a working treatment. I was on MTX for over 18 years at high dose for most of that time
I was on it about a year. I didn't get to the point where it was all out
cause I called my Rheumy and cried on the phone to her. I had been her
patient for years so we had a pretty good relationship. She told me to
come by at the end of the day and we talked about switching back to the
MTX. She said the Arava can affect your hair follicals(spelling?) but that
after time the hair will return. I was not interested in waiting around that
long since the RA was not improving on the Arava anyway and the liver
panel was coming back elevated. So...back to Mtx.I have been on MTX (20mg) for about 8 months, but I wasn't seeing results and 2 days out of my life were gone each week due to the nausea and extreme tiredness (lots of hair loss). My RD put me back to 15mg of MTX and I have 1 dose of Arava on M,W and F. I am less tired and nauseous and the hair loss is less but my RA is not getting any better.
Guess we will just keep trying until something works I guess.
Mary B
i was on methotrexate for over 12 mths then is started showing signs of liver problems so i was switched to aravaI was on mtx in a clinical study for ra and the doseage was up to about 20mg...my liver tests continued to climb and my hair fell out alot.....he finally took me out of the study because of the liver count...and now am on arava....the liver counts are NORMAL !!!!!! my hair does fall out.....still....tricks of the trade that I have learned is the lighter the color the less it emphasis on looking so thin and I also have stylist that works hard at a style that doesnt make it look so thin...Not sure if MTX will ever be an option again.....it can be depressing I know......but at least in my eyes the alternative is worse. One more reason why this disease SUCKS
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