Alternative to Methotrexate?

alarkra

Evening everyone!

I get to see 'The Man' on Monday, which I am looking forward to as it'll be good for him to see how I'm progressing on my drugs. I want to read up further about some alternatives though before I see him as I am struggling with my current medication.

As some of you know I have been having problems with getting very hot with it and recently I have also been feeling really rough 3 - 4 days following taking my methotrexate, feeling like I have flu and very run down.

Is there a main alternative which is used instead of Methotrexate? If so, how do you find using it? Any annoying side effects?

Your views are muchly appreciated, as always!

annie_mial

I don't think there is another DMARD which is quite so widely used as metho, but I do know that ciclosporin is sometimes prescribed.

Annie

dorcas

Hi alarka,

I had to stop Mtx for a time and the rheummy put me on Azathioprine which is another DMARD. Eventually though I had to stop Aza as it affected my WBC.... and am now back on Mtx!

I've posted you a link to Arthritis research uk which explains more about Aza than I can
http://www.arthritisresearchuk.org/arthritis_information/arthritis_drugs__medication/azathioprine.aspx?gclid=CMKozfS_1aQCFWL92Aod1S1IMA

good luck for Monday!

Iris xxxx

alarkra

Hi Dorcas,

Thanks for the link to that website - it gives a good overview of all the available drugs. I wish that there was one drug that could be taken that DIDN'T have side effects, that would be lovely!

I'll let you all know what The Man says on Monday!

dorcas

glad the link was helpful

will be watching for your post on Monday too what time's your appointment?

Iris xxx

tillytop

Hi Alarkra

As Iris says there are lots of other DMARDS out there, athough metho seems to be the rheumys "drug of choice".

I too really struggled with side effects with metho first time round so I stopped after a year and a half. Over the next few years I took a combination of other DMARDS which, although not as effective as the mtx did a reasonable job of keeping things under control for me without the side effects. Other than Leflunomide (Arava) , none of them gave me side effects other than, eventually, being over-immunosuppressed through having too many! Gold injections worked quite well for me in combination with some of the other DMARDS although, for some reason, I don't think Gold is used that often these days.

So don't despair - there are other options out there - it's just a case of trial and error to find out what works best for you.

Good luck on Monday. WIll be thinking of you.

Love TIlly xxx

frogmorton

Hi Alarka

There are other options but Meth is used widely isnt it?

I take hydroxy at the mo, but it has started to nowt work so well

All of them have one potential side effect or another dont they?

Maybe they can give you something to help with the nausea.

Love

Toni xx

alarkra

I see The Man at 2pm on Monday, so will have to see what he says. I totally trust him, so if says to persevere, then I shall - I will not be beaten by my RA, that's for sure!!

tillytop

Hi Alarkra

Love the fighting spirit!

Really good luck on Monday and don't feel you can't talk to him about alternatives if you feel that the meth is not for you. Perhaps you could go down to a lower dose and add in something else in support?

Will be thinking of you at 2pm.

Love Tilly xxx

anniek

I came off metho and went onto lefluminide instead was much better for me

cebeem

How did it go?
Have they sorted you out?

alarkra

Hello,

So The Man said that I'm not getting better as quickly as he hoped, so he's put me on full dose of Sulfasalazine now, so I'm at the top of all 4 drugs, taking max doses in them all. He said that I'm feeling rough because it's just a side effect of the RA itself and not from the drugs. I have also been having very dry eyes, mouth, throat and skin - he said that I've got a particular set of RA symptoms that only very few RA people get... yeah, because I'm not special enough as it is with my RA on it's own and a couple of other unique symptoms!

I've been so poorly today, throwing up a lot. Think it's just my body adjusting to having more drugs. I'll be OK tomorrow, I think it just takes a bit of time for one to adjust! ONWARDS!!! :!:

cebeem

Oh Al
Sounds like you need lots of TLC for the next few days rest, T.V. music, soup, books and a duvet....have a me day!

let us know how you are feeling in the next few days

cthornley

alarkra wrote:

Hello,

So The Man said that I'm not getting better as quickly as he hoped, so he's put me on full dose of Sulfasalazine now, so I'm at the top of all 4 drugs, taking max doses in them all. He said that I'm feeling rough because it's just a side effect of the RA itself and not from the drugs. I have also been having very dry eyes, mouth, throat and skin - he said that I've got a particular set of RA symptoms that only very few RA people get... yeah, because I'm not special enough as it is with my RA on it's own and a couple of other unique symptoms!

I've been so poorly today, throwing up a lot. Think it's just my body adjusting to having more drugs. I'll be OK tomorrow, I think it just takes a bit of time for one to adjust! ONWARDS!!! :!:

oh I feel for you,
has your consultant not mentioned alternatives to DMARDs....just wondered as i'm in a similar position and my rheumys suggested anti tnf rather than piling in with loads of different DMARDS
if you've seen my post you'll know i'm not keen (for many reasons) but just wondered if it had been suggested?
I'm not sure your rheumy is completely right in saying that your feeling rough just from the RA...the drugs will be having an effect especially as you are on such high doses of so many, common sense says its a combination of the 2, not that that helps much.
I thought my drs approach made sense to me, she has knocked down my MTX a touch because at 25mgs i got side effects for the first time and she said she would rather lessen the effect a tiny bit than put me off the drug completely when it is doing me some good so i'm back down to 20mg
I hope you start to feel better soon but if not insist that he looks at your combination of drugs again soon because treatment only works if its making all of you feel better not just the joints....throwing up is no good
:?
Hugs
Chrissie

tillytop

Oh Alarkra I am so sorry for you and really hope you are feeling less poorly today.

I have to say though that I tend to agree with what Chrissie says about the drugs perhaps being at least partly responsible for some of your symptoms. I know you are keen to go with what he says but please don't go on struggling for too long if you don't start to feel any better. I don't know what you are taking other than mtx and now a higher dose of Sulpha but really hope you do start to get some relief soon.

Thinking of you.

Love Tilly xxx

alarkra

Good evening,

Feeling a lot better today, think it was just an initial reaction to upping the doses. :oops:

I completely trust everything my consultant says as he is he's cutting down on the number of clinic days he does because he's also heavily involved with doing of research for RA and other inflammatory diseases, so know that I'm in safe hands and that he's not pushing me into trying something that's in trials! He's seeing me again in January, so if I'm still with very active RA and am not progressing as he wants me to, then we'll look at anti-TNF's, so I'm happy with that solution as I think it's only fair to give it 6 months for all of the medication to have time to work to it's full effect.

I hope that you all aren't feeling too rough today!

xx