Methotrexate Vs Control via diet.

Jo19_65

Hello,

I’m new here! I was diagnosed with RA in October this year and, have been taking methotrexate since October, which makes me so poorly and nauseous, I am thinking of ditching the meds and dealing with this through diet. Has anyone else gone down this route?

Thanks, Jo

annabanana

Hi, @jo19_65 , welcome and thank you for posting to the online community - it's great to have you here! In terms of controlling RA with diet vs medication, it is important to remember that everyone is different and what works for one person may not work for another. I do always recommend speaking with your doctor prior to making a decision such as stopping methotrexate, as doctors can advise you on how to do so safely.

frogmorton

Why not try the two together @Jo19_65 ?

Start by improving your diet, but not stop taking a DMARD I mean rather than risk a real relapse. The problem is that those DMARDs like Methotrexate are damping down your disease so that your joints don't end up damaged. I'm sure that's the last thing you want.

Have you thought about asking your Rheumatologist whether they can help? For instance they can prescribe folic acid every day except MTX day to help with side effects and some people do better with the injected method rather than tablet form for nausea.

If all else fails there are other DMARDS they might be able to switch you to.

Take care

Toni xx

NicolaS

I was taking the methotrexate tables and couldn’t bare the nausea. I changed to the injection method and this is much better. I still feel nauseous but it’s less worse. Be sure to get a spring loaded syringe on prescription.. all you have to do is position and press a button ( I use Met Ojet) as this is so much easier than the normal syringe.

I started cooking from the following cookbook ”eat well with arthritis” by Emily Johnson. There are lots of uncomplicated recipes, using accessible ingredients. It’s got lots of detail about which foods are good for you and why. It’s now my go to cookbook, as many of the recipes are dairy free, which caters for my husband aswell. Got from Amazon. I don’t know how much this new style of eating is helping but I feel better mentally for following it.

Ferj

Hi Jo,

I am only newly diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis and on week 3 of methotrexate. I went and said to my GP surgery about the nausea, heartburn, and stomach cramps I was getting. I spoke with my GP pharmacist and she prescribed me folic acid for 6 days now instead of 1 day a week. Also she prescribed my antisickness tablets which I used week 2 and they took the nausea away.

I started this increase of folic acid last week and my week 3 this week I had no side effects at all. No nausea, no aches or anything. Like others have mentioned you can get it prescribed in injection form which is meant to mean you don’t get nausea etc… it’s good to know you have that option if the increase of folic acid doesn’t work.

Like others have said diet and medication together would be brilliant for your body. As the medication is protecting your joints and organs from inflammation and damage. Then following like an anti inflammatory diet is meant to be good with arthritis. Also like others have mentioned there is other DMARDs you can try, and other medications if those don’t work or agree with you.