Methotrexate and colds

jannie

hi, I'm new to RA and I'm on Methotrexate. I've woken with a sore throat, cough and cold and not sure what I can take. Any advice welcome.

Arthuritis

When did you take your MTX? Dose?

How bad is your RA joint pain vs sore throat cough & cold?

All “DMARD”s despite the euphemistic marketing description of Disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs, do NOT modify the disease, they just suppress your immune system leaving you vulnerable to opportunistic infections. It’s a case of weighing up which is more painful/damaging - your immune system attacking your joints, and the cold virus, or just the cold virus.

If the external infection is particularly bad eg flu, covid you could stop the MTX and take folate, but then your immune system will be raging destroying both cold virus and your joints.

You should speak to your GP who can determine just how much you can “wake up” your immune system. MTX denies your immune system folate, which it needs to produce the marauders that indiscriminately destroy your joints. Or fight off colds.

jannie

I took methotrexate Friday and Saturday woke up with the lurgy. My RA pain is reasonably under control at present, so no great problem with pain. I take folic acid every day.

I'll speak to my GP tomorrow then. Thank you.