Any one taking methotrexate for ra?

kris1978

I have been suffering from a flare up for about 10 weeks now altho the swelling is settling down i am getting new pains all the time, i had a intermuscular steroid injection 4 weeks ago now which doesn't seemed to of helped at all but just made me worse.
My consultant wants to put start me on methotrexate in 3 weeks time so i wanted to know if anyone else is taking it and is it helping and what sort of side effects are you getting?

cheers
kris

fowls48

Hi Kris


I am taking meth for Ra too .But having only been doing so for 1 month.It has helped me tremendously but i am still getting pains in my index fingers and feet but not bad enough that i have to take pain killers on top .I have noticed this morning that i have slight pain in my knuckles and left index giving me pain also .I have different days , pain in different areas of hands and feet .I must admit my meth day is on fridays and last week i had a terrible upset stomache , so do not know if it were the meth or tummy bug ?i do not think the meth worked as i have not been feeling nauseous , back to hospital on wednesday .

sorry i cannot be of much more help


karen xx

stickywicket

The steroid jabs work well for some but not for others.

I've been on meth for about 12 years now. It's worked well and I've had no side effects other than the occasional day of feeling very tired, usually the day after taking it but sometimes the day after that. I've gradually been able to reduce it from 22.5 mgs to 15 mgs. I hope it works well for you too.

dreamdaisy

I'm on injected meth and am rarely troubled by side-effects. It hasn't made that much difference to my arthritis (which is psoriatic) but I take the view that it may be helping to prevent any further joint damage. I am also on humira and sulphasalazine. Meth can work very well for some and I hope you find yourself in that number. I wish you well. DD

ELAINE55555

HI Kris
Ive been on methotrexate, along with Hydrchloroquine and steroids since November. I have to warn you that it takes about 3 months to kick in. Are you on any other drug?

kris1978

Thanks for the replys

I had a steroid injection about 4-5 years ago and i haven't had any problems expect for the odd pain here and there until now so its strange that this time it hasn't worked, it seems like every day now i get new pains and swelling in places where i have never had any problems before.

I was put on sulfasalazine 5 years ago but had to stop it due to it making me sick so i am not on any meds for it now apart from tramadol (zydol) and ibrobrufen pain killers but have found they just bung me up, i have just stopped taking the tramadol and ibrobrufen due to something giving me bad stomach pains.

I now just generally feel like cr*p, pain in left foot, left and right knee, left wrist and left thumb, right middle finger and right elbow, mid left back pain, neck pain and stamach pains which most of this has started happening since i had the steroid injection as before i had it i just had pains in left foot, left knee, left wrist and thats it at my last vist to see my consultant.

My next appointment with my consultant is on the 2nd july to be put on the mothotrexate so i hope that its going to work as i am really fed up with always being in pain and feeling rubbish.

I have got a doctors appointment next monday just to make sure i haven't got any other underlying problems but it was only 4 weeks ago i had the blood tests and xrays which they needed before i can start the metotrexate and as far as i know all came back fine.

Has anyone else felt this rubbish from your RA before?

cheers
kris

stickywicket

In answer to your last question, Kris – oh yes! However, you have to take into account the fact that you are currently on no meds which actually deal with the disease, only the pain – allegedly, anyway. As you’ve discovered, that doesn’t always happen either.

I’m sorry this steroid jab didn’t work well as the other did. It can happen and who knows why? Maybe you just have a lot more going on right now. However, (but bear in mind I’m not a doc) I’d be surprised if the stomach problems were connected with that. The likeliest culprit is the ibuprofen though the trammies could too. You should ask your GP for a stomach- protecting med such as lansoprazole or omeprazole. I think most who are on anti-inflammatories need them and, if you need them for the anti-inflams, your stomach will quite likely react similarly to meth. Anti-inflams wrecked my stomach for years before DMARDS and I’m now on omeprazole for life but it’s a very safe med and, with it, I have no problems with the meth.

If you do go on meth it will take a while to kick in and, I guess, you’ll need some sort of pain relief in that interim period. It might mean adding a laxative to the mix or you might be able to manage by tweaking your diet and drinking lots. Good luck with your appointment(s).

earthspirit

kris hi & join the club.
we have a terribly viscious disease with RA and i have been living with a flare in all my joints for 18 months. it can tip you to the very depths of despair, have you snivelling in a corner and feeling that life is really glum for the future. HOWEVER, it is unlikely that you will get through this horrible stages without pain meds and you need to discuss this with your doctor.

they might suggest any single one, such as paracetamol ibuprofen dihydrocodeine or possibly rather than ibu they will give you diclofenac OR you might get 3 different ones to take like me.

we all feel pain in different ways and all treatments can be quite different too. i have exceptionally high pain tolerance but on a low at the moment.

im not on methotrexate because i chose not to take it but am on suflasalazine.

my disease is severe and highly active but i have little joint damage so that too is something the doctors cannot tell you.

they are trying to help you.....you need to reduce the swelling which in turn will hopefully help the pain. if the meth doesnt work they can then try you on supposedly far better drugs but the ethics state that you must have tried at least a couple of the disease modifying drugs first dmards.

i have found the best prossible quickest pain relief is cold damp teatowel wrapped round the sore joing. the relief might not last long but it works. i was a hotwater bottle fan but heat, though it may feel comforting, only seems to aggravate the joints and nerves further.


all the horrible sickness and feeling rough as though you are coming down with something are just our bodies reacting to the toxins being released by the RA. be gentle on yourself, a warm bath in radox with the muscle relaxant can help, just lie down and even if you dont sleep at least you can relax the muscles in your body. keep drinking plenty water as this helps wash the toxins out of your system.

you are not alone and in the moments when you managed to escape the pain a bit, use this to restore your mental strength. im my mind there is a huge lack of public knowledge information and understanding of our disease but it can be a really tough bitch to deal with. stay strong and i hope your treatment works out well.

we are on the same path, along with millions of others through out the world. you are not alone.

frogmorton

Hi Kris

Just bobbed in to wish you all the very best. I had the same issue with tramadol, but found a small glass of prune juice a day did the job for me. I also have lanzoprazole to protect my stomach for the anti-inflammatories.

Fingers crossed all is well and MTX is the drug for you.

Love and hugs

Toni xxx

dreamdaisy

I feel rubbish all the time from my PsA and resulting OA. I cannot remember what quality sleep is like, I lack energy, every movement hurts and has done for years but that is my arthritis and this is what it does. I am sure that I began the meds far too late to actually 'deal' with the disease but those who get on them sooner rather than later often have great success with them and I hope that will apply to you. The timescales I have been given in the past for meth, leflunomide, cyclosporin etc was always 2 - 12 weeks before something might happen. I hope you get some respite soon. DD

DebraKelly

I have been on Meth since I was diagnosed 3 years ago with RA. First tablets and now injections.

Injections have far less side effects than the tablets.

At the start of the treatment you will be feeling sick and very tired, but it does pass after a few weeks.

The benefits far outweight the side effects. I have pretty much had a normal life since I started on the Meth. But remember Meth isn't a pain killer, so you will probably need to take those as well. I am on steriod injections into my knee every 4 months which does wonders too.

A couple of tips for when you are feeling sick, take either mints or ginger nuts, they helped me a lot, but your consultant will probably offer you Folic Acid which I take the day after my Meth injections.

Hope this helps.

kris1978

Thanks for all the support and your help

I am now just looking forward to starting the mtx in 3 weeks and hopefully it will help alot and i can start getting on and doing things

kris

dreamdaisy

It's lovely to hear that someone is looking forward to starting a new med regime, please be conscientious about the blood tests as they are important. Make sure that the rheumatology nurse gives you the little purple meth monitoring booklet, your blood test results should be recorded in that - and keep it on you when out and about in case of accident - it provides a useful record of what is what. Good luck! DD