how long does it normally take methotrexate to work??

keesrotten

Hi, I have been on here before and found the replies really helpful. I have been medicated with 10mg Meth to treat my possible P Arthritis. I have been taking it for 5 weeks now and my pains have got worse and i am feeling much more tired.

How long did you all find it would take for the Meth to help?? I would really appreciate any replies.

Thanks,
Gareth

dreamdaisy

Hello again keesrotten, I've been wondering about you and how things were going - now I know. There is no hard-and-fast rule about how quickly the meds will work, I've always been told between two and twelve weeks but I have also had to rethink my definition of 'working' - unlike some others for me it has never meant pain-free and easier movement. It also strikes me that 10mgs is not that strong a dose and your arthritis would appear to be bearing this out: we can still have active disease despite the meds we take.

Please let your rheumatologist know that you are yet to find any benefit and don't be surprised if another medication is added to the meth; it is very common for people to be on a double (or in my case) triple therapy to bring things under control. It is also very important for you to get a 'flu jab so please contact your GP about this: you fall into the immuno-suppressed category now and it's best to have it done. I wish you well. DD

PS How are the cows? I trust they are still lovely and well-cared for.

Boomer13

Hi keesrotten;

My experience with methotrexate is that it has worked partially and very subtly for my PsA. I'm sorry you are feeling awful. I've been on it for almost two years and, while I still flare terribly, I wouldn't want to go off it. The improvements have been subtle and I've had several dose increases and did triple therapy for awhile. I just take MTX and Hydroxy now. The biggest improvement I had was when I was switched to injectable. I'm just waiting to start a biologic now.

Do you have a follow-up appointment soon? Maybe they will up your dose since you are still feeling so bad. That's what happened to me.

As5567

Sorry to hear things are getting worse. Like the others have said there isn't really a time frame to give you for how long it takes to work, and 10mg does seem a low dose to me. I would suggest calling your helpline and see if they can give you something to help you out over the next couple of weeks such as a depo injection.

Everyone responds to drugs differently and for me meth on its own never made any difference until later on in my life when it was used along side a biological drug. There are plenty of additional drugs that can be used along side meth or used in replacement of meth so keep that in mind you will get there one day. Its just unfortunate that we all have to go through this stage of trying to find the right dose/drug to suit our needs, and as we're all different there is no way of telling what will work and what wont.

theresak

Hi,

I`m sorry you are having a tough time at the moment. As others have said, it`s difficult to put a time-frame on how long a drug might take to work. Initially, I was told not to expect any results until as long as 12 weeks after starting MTX, but I was given two steroid injections in those first 12 weeks, to try and control my RA. 10mg seems a low dose, though as you say, you are still only 5 weeks into taking it.

Finding the right drug/combination of drugs is a slow and frustrating process, especially when things are difficult and you just want something to work quickly.

Hope things feel better soon,

Tezz

keesrotten

Thanks everyone for your replies, i really find them very useful. The cows are all good, thank you for asking. I have not had the flu jab, nor has anyone ever mentioned it to me. I am having my bloods taken on Monday so i will ask the nurse about it. I have not got a date for a follow up appointment yet, but it will probably be at least another 2 months away. I will call the Rheumatologist on Monday also to inquire about the dosage. Its funny, as 2 weeks ago i thought the Meth was working really well as i was feeling quite good, but the pains and tiredness have came back with a vengeance.

I have also noticed my eyes getting sore and really sensitive to light. I have heard that this can be linked to arthritis. i have never had problems with my eyes before, nor have i ever needed glasses. Does anyone have a similar problem or any advice?? I have booked an appointment with Spec Savers for Sunday to get my eyes checked.

stickywicket

Mention the eyes, too, to the rheumatology nurse. The arthritis can affect eyes and Specsavers are probably not the best people to recognise it.

I'm so glad your cows are thriving

Starburst

My eyes are affected by RA and I also have another autoimmune eye condition. While I'm sure the highstreet opticians are fine, be aware that not all of them are clued up on these things. Mine refers me back to my opthalmologist when my eyes are bad but I am fortunate enough to have private health insurance, so I am not sure how it works on the NHS. I agree, mention it to your rheum nurse.

It's early days for you on MTX and it sounds like you might be having a flare up. I recall that it did make me more fatigued in the early days but it could be due to active arthritis, so do seek some medical advice and reassurance.

All the best!

Boomer13

Hi keesrotten;

I have trouble with my eyes too. They get terribly sore & tired-feeling, blurry vision and sensitivity to light. I just want to keep them shut when it's bad. They get red along the lashes and I get swellings like small blisters. It took a long time to figure out, but it's now put down to psoriasis in my case, which has caused a chronic blepharitis (it flares off and on along with my joints). It interferes with tear production and oil gland secretions which causes dryness and my other symptoms. A GP can diagnose blepharitis if you have any eyelid margin swellings or redness. I think my psoriatic eyelids are unusual :?: but I'm not sure. There are other eye conditions associated with seroneg. arthritis and other inflammatory arths. so, yes, best to check with GP or better yet, rheum.

I use a couple of treatments for mine. It helps comfort-wise to use an OTC artificial tear. That might help short-term until you figure out what it is.