methotexate and sulphasalazine

mmarshall
mmarshall Member Posts: 69
edited 20. Jan 2009, 15:05 in Living with Arthritis archive
Hi everyone, hope you all had a nice Christmas.
As some of you know I have RA, I was only diagnosed on April this year and it only seemed to affect my hands and feet. I was told I was in the early stages.
Over the past few months I have had quite a lot of pain in my hands and feet along with some lower back pain and pain in my hips. The pain in my hands and feet was more severe that what I previously had.
I was currently taking 15 mg of Methotrexate and lodine.
I had my Rhuemy appointment on Christmas Eve at the hospital and I explained the changes in the pain to the doctor. The doctor examined me and said that she agreed that the my joints are more swollen that they had been.
The doctor was going to increase my MTX but when I explained that I had been having hair loss for a few months and also I had a history of Alopecia Areata the doctor said that they could not increase the MTX as this would only make the hair loss worse.
I now have been give Sulphasalazine to take along with the MTX.
I was given a steroid injection into the top of my bum to ease the pain just now.
I know some of you will be taking the two drugs so I thought I would ask your advise on how effective it is and what about side effects.
I know most of you will feel the same as I do and do not want to be taking the extra drugs but what choice do we have, we need to try and get this horrible disease under control.
Doctor also said that my blood was showing a high reading of Calcium but don't know what it causing this, anyone else have this.
Thanks for all you past help
Mary

Comments

  • suzster
    suzster Member Posts: 1,328
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    hi, i take methotrexate and sulphasalazine along with naproxen (anti inflamatory) and zomorph (morphine tablets) daily, i also have oramorph (morphine liquid) for when i'm really bad, like today!
    i find my hairloss with methertrexate is up and down, some times i wash my hair and loads falls out which is very upsetting. i have , well did have very thick wavy hair, it's still quite thick but i've noticed a difference since taking methertrexate.. i love my hair so seeing it fall out and block the plughole is awful, but then other times it is not so bad. i know others have said that taking extra folic acid can help with hair loss which i think is true.
    i don't know if i've helped but please feel free to ask questions if you like!!!
    sue x
  • jenniet
    jenniet Member Posts: 27
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi there.

    I also was diagnosed last April. I'm on methotrexate and the sulphasalazine plus anti inflammatories and stomach protectors etc!
    I am feeling much better and swellings have reduced. Still not perfect but a definite improvement. I've been lucky and had very few side effects apart from orange wee!

    Good luck.
  • suzster
    suzster Member Posts: 1,328
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    lol orange wee, it is one of the strangest side effects! mine sometimes looks almost day glow green to, i swear it's radioactive when i see the colour!
  • pussycat
    pussycat Member Posts: 36
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    :D hi everyone this is my first ever post.

    At 33 I was diagnosed in 2006 and started off taking methotrexate and naproxen.
    2006 was when I was diagnosed but I think I have had RA for much longer and I was blaming the fatigue and pain on a thyroid problem that I also have.
    Feb 2007 treatment changed to methotrexate and sulfasalzine and then 3 month's later hydroxychloroquine was introduced.
    In October 2008 I was told to take methotrexate by injection instead of orally in the hope that stomach problem's would improve and to monitor the levels of methotrexate in my body.

    I have continued taking the triple therapy and though I still have some flare's it seems ok.

    :lol: I do agree about the bright yellow wee :lol: