Worried about medication for Rheumatoid Arthritis

smi
smi Member Posts: 1
in Chat to our Helpline Team

I have been offered. Methotrexate ,or hydroxychloroquine .i really worried about side effects ,is there any thing natural that would help as well as either of these .And how safe are both medications

Comments

  • helpline_team
    helpline_team Posts: 3,212

    Thank you for your message @smi It’s completely understandable to feel apprehensive about starting medication. As we are not medically trained, we recommend speaking with your rheumatology team about your treatment options, including any potential interactions between medications. There are several types of medications used to manage RA, and your treatment plan may vary depending on what your rheumatologist prescribes. You can find a list of commonly used RA medications at the link below. Both of the medications you mentioned have been successfully used to control RA. If they’re not suitable for you, your rheumatologist may discuss alternatives, including biologic treatments. Some people choose to explore more natural approaches, but it's important to speak with your healthcare team before starting any of these. Your rheumatologist team can help you weigh the pros and cons and decide on the most suitable way to manage your RA. Once you're on the right treatment, it can make a real difference in managing your symptoms and improving your quality of life.

    Best wishes
    Sarah, Helpline advisor.

  • toady
    toady Member Posts: 2,926

    Hello @smi welcome to the forum. I have taken both hydroxychloroquine and methotrexate, hydroxychloroquine worked well for me on its own for quite a while and it is supposedly the milder relatively safe drug with fewer side effects, as a generalization. I didn't have any problems with hydroxychloroquine in itself. Methotrexate can have side effects especially while you get used to it but there are options such as the injectable form if needs be, which is generally better tolerated as it bypasses the GI system (this is the only form I ever had and I did not have side effects but I can't comment personally about the tablet form). The drug did not work well enough for me unfortunately. Methotrexate is an immunosuppressant and works to dampen down inflammation, as you have probably read if your doctor has given you information to read. As the helpline team mentioned there are pros & cons to everything such as weighing up short term side effects and possible longer term ones some of which may not be known. It is certainly something you have to decide with your medical team but the experience of actual patients can be useful too when it comes to deciding on a drug. Have a read around the forum as there are many people on these drugs and also hopefully someone else will pop in here and add something. Good luck with everything 😊.

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