How long to get meds right?

tamsb
tamsb Member Posts: 3
in Living with arthritis

What medications are people taking for RA and how long did it take to get them right? I’ve just started Methotrexate and wondering how long before I get some relief. Also, I read here that some people take folic acid every day apart from Methotrexate day, why is that and what are the benefits?

Thanks in advance!

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  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 0

    HI @tamsb

    Well, as far as meds are concerned these are very different for everyone. Unfortunately it's a game of trial and error most of the time until the right course of treatment is found for the individual. The general feedback tends to be that it can tale around 12 weeks before any benefit is felt. We do have some information on medication such as methotrexate which may be of interest to you as something that you have recently started:

    https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/treatments/drugs/methotrexate/

    I know many people who have been prescribed folic acid as a supplement to take alongside their medication. Many of our members are also passionate about other dietary supplements etc. and if this is of interest to you we also have some information here:

    https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/complementary-and-alternative-treatments/types-of-complementary-treatments/diet-and-nutritional-supplements/

    I hope these links are of some use to you, and that you start to see some benefits from your medication soon! Do keep joining in on the community- it's great to have you here!

    Take care,

    Sarah

  • Perky
    Perky Member Posts: 3

    I am on methotrexate and I think I can taste it I’m my mouth and smell it up my nose, it’s not nice . Is it the methotrexate?

    thanks

    Andy.

  • jamieA
    jamieA Member Posts: 823
    https://community.versusarthritis.org/discussion/56394/how-long-to-get-meds-right

    Hi @tamsb

    I think the standard response is that the medics will give it 12 weeks to see if it works. In my case I was put on MTX in February 2021 but by end of July 2021 it hadn't worked so I was put on biologics + MTX. I was initially put on 10mgs MTX once a week, then 15mgs and then 20mgs by March 2021. From the outset I was prescribed 5mgs of folic acid on the 6 days of the week I don't take MTX.

  • JenHB
    JenHB Member Posts: 146

    I started on 15mg MTX start of March (and 5mg folic acid the other 6 days). A couple of weeks ago it was increased to 20mg and tomorrow I increase to 25mg. I thought things were improving but then knees deterioated, middle knuckle became more swollen and felt a lot more tired - hence the increase in MTX. I have another appointment in July to review things then.

  • MrDJ
    MrDJ Member Posts: 314

    Ive been suffering for over 30 years and the hardest part was getting the meds right which is different for each person even though they may have exactly the same symptoms. took a good 2-3 years to get it right for me. that was back in 1985 but meds have progressed so much now with a lot more choice.

    they started me of on prednisolone 60mg a day. said it will only be for a month but ended up on same dose for over a year. that caused a cataract but while that was growing in my eye my arthritis started attacking my retinal nerve and by the time they operated on the cataract the eye was dead and blind since then. luckily only affected one eye.

    all my diagnosis were entered into many medical journals and it was because of my symptoms they started checking eyes with certain forms of arthritis.

    ive been on methotrexate for 22 years now. 20mg a week and at first 2 folic the day after but i was getting mouth ulcers so that was changed years ago to every day except mtx day. around 10 years ago i had a bad flare up and they wanted to up the mtx to 25mg but i refused as thats going into chemo teritory.

    i may well be on a lot more meds than most as i have the whole shabang, RA, OA, Anky spon, PA

    ive also on sulphasalazine (similar to mtx) 500mg twice a day. was on 6 of these a day before i started mtx.

    froben 100mg anti inflamatory twice a day

    dihydrocodein 30mg a day but bad days 60mg

    anti tnf infusion remsima bio similar (cheaper version of infliximab) every 6 weeks.

    and i still have to pay for my ruddy prescriptions so a yearly pre payment is a must for anyone on multiple orders.

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