Three days off prednisone and I'm hurting yet again. I started methotrexate two weeks ago. How long did it take for MTX to start working for you?
I saw real improvement this week- the 3rd week. I was able to go to the gym! How much methotrexate are you takig? I'm on 15mg. Tonight will be week 4 and I hope the improvements continue and are good enough to make my rheumy happy.kweenb - I swear it took 9 months before I actually felt anything changing, but I realize it was doing something all that time. I have lost that freaky feeling that my bones were being eaten up from the inside, and I would imagine that is something that would take a long time to really get working, and even longer before your brain starts to register it so you feel it. Hang in there. Hi, Sorry to say it could be a month or longer(?!), I know that is too vague, but time is something we have to deal with. Our lives are based upon 'knowing what's going to be happening' for the next day, weeks, months! We have plans (I want to play golf with my son on vacation the first of August!). It is very disappointing when this disease isn't halted by the meds. The doc's don't know how long, and seem not to want to tell us 'it will be 6 months, take it easy', I'm thinking that's what my goal 'should' be , but want to enjoy my golf and life TODAY. No luck I do get to go to my art class, though, so I SHOULD feel happy, but I'm not I'm sitting here in tears. Fortunately, my husband got to go play golf with his friends, we both don't need to suffer. Be patient every one told me, if only I could be. LyndaMtx has done nothing for me 25mg/wk for last 3 yrs, & nothin, exept thin hair & 30 extra pounds, & sunburn in 5 min flat!!Unfortunately, I am in my fourth month of taking Mtx, and have just taken my second Humira shot. No luck. I am on 20mg of Mtx, and have the same problems that daiharleygirl is experiencing. I also have PSA, and not RA. Maybe RA sufferers have better luck. I am frustrated too, but hang in there.
Let's have a race, and see if you feel better than I do in about two months!! I bet you'll beat me!
Shelly-PA often requires a higher dose of MTX, like 25 mg to be effective.
I'm only on 7.5 mg right now. I don't know what to do. I guess I should give it more time at 7.5? Do I start back on the prednisone until it kicks in? Sorry I'm a pest. I just hate this pain. I don't know how I "hobbled" to work today. I knew I had to because I have absolutely NO sick days left. It's very frustrating. I was already frustrated enough from losing my dad.
Ok I'm done whinning now.
It took 6-8 months for MXT to help. I have RA/PA and it helped RA but PA was still flaring. Just in the last 3 months have I noticed a difference with the PA. I'm on 17.5 mg.. down from 20mg. Am now about 75% better. Because of surgery I've had to stop MXT and believe me I notice a big difference. Especially with PA, in fingers, back, and elbows. Patience is the name of the game when you have an auto immune disease. We all want our lives back, we want to feel normal, we want to do everything we did before - to get to that point you have to be patient. Treament is different for each person and so is response time to the drugs. Good Luck. Lindy MTX started helping me almost immediately but I'm a freak.I have been on mtx for twelve weeks, recently increased. it has not helped yet. i think its making me feel worse? I have PA.
kel
Thinkthinn,
I don't take prednisone every day. When I flare, my RD has me do a "burst and taper" approach. 15 mg for a week, 10 mg for a week, 5 mg for a week, then stop. I've been flaring almost constantly for the last 5-6 months. Seems like when I go off the prednisone, the flare comes back so I do the "burst and taper" again. Hence, the addition of MTX to try and get the flares under control.
I think for a lot of people have to get above a minimum dose before it really kicks in. I didn't see any effect until I got to 8 tablets (20 mg) then it started working well...pretty fast. So, if your RD is pretty conservative like mine and raises the dose slowly it can take a long time...4 months for me.
Alan
I didn't notice any difference while taking Methotrexate by itself. I took it for almost a year, but it wasn't until Enbrel was added that I finally began to notice some improvement.& sunburn in 5 min flat!!
Is that the sun problem with MTX? I thought maybe I would get a rash, but I have had some sunburn fast.
I am just starting to see some result and it took 2 weeks at 17.5 mgs. I have been on MTX since November.
Hi, MTX 20mgs! ,I'm really trying to 'be patient!!" but I am getting really upset that all these meds aren't working. I'm wondering WHY I'm on all this stuff without relief. Bottom of my foot swollen and my hands are very stiff. What a drag. Hope you are all having a great weekend. (went to a morgan car show, and a few 'nothing' garage sales, practiced golf but now my feet hurt! Ugh.)
Lynda
Lynda, all those meds don't help at all? That must be so frustrating. MTX alone didn't do much for me, but when the enbrel was added, I was better, like, night and day better, overnight.My rheumy had me on pred AND MTX for about 4 months until the MTX really kicked in. She raised the MTX as she lowered the pred and when I didn't get more pain she lowered the pred more and more. I weaned myself off after about 6 months and havent' taken any in over a year. I'm still having trouble but we are fiddling with a mix of MTX and plaq which I don't think is working. I think she will change it to MTX and Arava when I see her next month. I'd say I'm about 75% better than before I was Dx'd.
I'm still waiting for my miracle.
This is a great thread and so helpful in making me more "patient." I'm so discouraged because after 2 months of MTX and Plaq. I thought I was finally seeing some improvements. The joint pain is gone, muscles spasms gone, even the nerve pain I've suffered from damage to the nerves in my thigh from two pregnancies improved, along with a big reduction in the restless leg syndrome that started in the last year. I wasn't expecting help with that or the nerve pain. Oddly enough, even the weird, aggressive dandruff that started 6 months ago has stopped. My biggest worry has been weakness and tense muscles all along my left side, including my face and a few months back it started on the right side, beginning at my lower leg. For a couple of days I felt completely normal (I had forgotten what that feels like....so nice!) and thought, finally, we have the answer, but all that left-sided trouble is back and I'm so worried the meds aren't working after all, at least not for that, my most serious problem. If this keeps up I won't be able to drive because of weakness continuing on my right side and then, someone will just have to shoot me! LOL Seriously though, after reading some of your posts, I'm hopeful that maybe this will work and I just have to hang in there a while longer. I just feel like I'm in a race for time and the meds and I are losing.
I just answered your question about what we consider a "flare" to be on another thread here. Just wanted to reiterate how important it is to give the med a chance to work. I started MTX early in 2001 with the hope that I could dance at my daughter's wedding in April of th at year. Well...I did. Of course, I have not been able to wear heeled shoes since the RA came into my life, but I had some elegant flats that allowed me to participate in the bridal dances. Like you I was started at a lower dosage...and it did take weeks to start working. Prior to MTX I was being prescribed those bursts of prednisone (which always worked like a charm--however, I now have osteopenia which seems to be worsening every time I get a DEXA, so there's no more pred in my future.)
Hope you feel better soon!
Molly Bee
It seems everyone is on a higher dosage of mtx than I am. I am on 7.5 mg. Is that a normal starting dosage?I have only been on the meds for a month. I was started at 10mg of MTX and this week as long as my bloodwork is good I am to increase to 15mg. My flares got further apart and smaller and now I only have some problems with my right knee when it rains. I don't know if it means anything but I am Early Stage of RA with sudden acute onset. I was completely flared from shoulder to toes within a few weeks. But then again I too am still taking prednisone However, I do hope you find relief quicker than I did! I started on MTX about July of 2004. It had no effect at all until I got up to 20 mg a week AND started taking Enbrel. I am still at 20 mg and if I skip a dose or lower my dosage I really pay for it.. so yeah its working but it took the right mix to get results.Two weeks. I was one of the lucky ones and it has been a great drug so far for me.Less131,
What was your starting dosage?
hiya,
i'm really not sure but i had no idea so many people were on it ! I thought i was like on my own .... I have been taking it for like 8 years and started when i was 6 so i can't remember but i am just glad to know people are in the same situation as me ...
Luv
katherine
...x
(aged 14)
I started MTX early in 2001 with 7.5 mg...which was gradually increased...to 10...then 12.5....15...17.5 and now 20 which I've been on for about 3 years now. MTX was the med that truly made all the difference for me. I know that when I was off it for 3 months (previous rheum thought it was affecting my liver..), I was propelled to a huge flare. I can take day-to-day aches and pain. But throbbing swollen joints that hurt to move ...that is the worst pain.