Methotrexate for Rheumatoid Arthritis

A concise video discussing the medication methotrexate for the treatment of inflammatory arthritis such as rheumatoid arthritis

Category:

Education

Tags:

• methotrexate
• rheumatoid
• arthritis
• psoriatic

[gorikuri]

THIS was very informative.

[kentucy9999]

I think most of these people are quacks. If you've never thought of suicide then you've never really had a bad flare of RA. Pain? Nothing. Swelling? No big deal. Have you had the fatigue and malaise to accompany the pain and swelling yet? Now your talking. Both my knees were swollen like balloons. My fingers and wrists. My shoulders which was the worst cause I could only sleep on my back {for 1 or 2 hrs at a time.} Incredible fatigue. The malaise makes you feel like puke. "The horror."

[kentucy9999]

@hotboxtheword Yeah. My last flare was awful. Swelling, terrible inflammation, and finally a feeling of malaise which just made everything else unbearable. For about a 3 month period I never slept more than 1 1/2 hrs straight. {I couldn't sleep on my L shoulder.} People are pretty blase' about it too. "Yes. I have some arthritis in my knees. Have you tried Aleve?" I'm a fairly tough guy. I played 2 college sports. neither my RA Md or general Md ever offered me pain meds. I was in agony.

[hotboxtheword]

@kentucy9999 No, I never have, but my grandfather died of RA complications (Rheumatoid Lung Disease) and so I came off it for one of those reasons. MTX increases the risk of RLD, and RLD is often (and in my grandfather's case) a secondary disease to RA. And honestly, my rheum is an idiot about mtx too. I called CHEO once because I couldn't handle the side effects, and I was told, "methotrexate doesn't lead to headaches, and the nail yellowing is probably from fake nails [removed months pre-mtx]"

[kentucy9999]

@hotboxtheword Did you ever have any lung problems secondary to Methotrexate use? About 3 mos into methotrexate therapy I began coughing especially when I talked. I stopped using it specifically because of concerns re: my lungs. My rheumatologist always minimized this saying he hadn't really seen a "methothrexate lung" since the advent of folic acid use, but he's full of sh*t because if you read the literature on metho and RA {just go to Wiki} or read studies there are all kinds of lung issues.

[hotboxtheword]

@kentucy9999 I always had an awkward, out of body, I'm weird feeling in my own flesh feeling with methotrexate. I'm also a little strange, because I'm one of the few people I've heard of that would do the injection in the morning because I couldn't sleep through the side effects and I just wanted to get it over with so I didn't have to go all day knowing I had to do that needle at the end of it.

[hotboxtheword]

And the most important point you forgot? MTX IS CHEMOTHERAPY.

[hotboxtheword]

1) My rheum told me that it took around 3 months to kick in, not 6-8 weeks. That's why I put up with the terrible side effects for so long. 2) My nausea lasted ALL WEEK with mtx, not a couple days after it. The days after I did the needle were just worse. 3) Headaches are NOT an uncommon side effect, AT ALL! 4) Why is the hair loss and pigmentation of skin never mentioned? I lost hair, and my nails are still yellow a month and a half after coming off of it.

[PCMontreal]

This medication likely caused my father's lymphoma; I notice he doesn't mention this potential side effect although there is plenty of studies indicating a link between RA patients taking methotrexate and then developing lymphomas. But I guess that would be bad publicity.

[Thestone3x]

don't forget hair loss. When you are not told, it is a shock to see hair all over! I have lost a good 1/3rd. of thick curly hair. Increased folic acid and 3000+ biotin daily it is now growing back in but is still so short! Google it and you'll see they added the "hair loss" as a side effect. Minor? Only if you're lucky.

The day I take the MTX I ache ver bad. Throw up too. BUT, I can walk and get around and have maybe 3 good OK days weekly.

[gagagoogooification]

this is a great first course of treatment i have been on it for years but there are complications as well as it has caused extreme and severe chronic fatigue in me in about the third yr I was on it but I'd rather deal with the CFS disability than not take the drut and suffer worse from RA

[kentucy9999]

@XdestinybieberX bieber. How are you doing? I was on methetrexate for 4 mos. I've been coughing {some days it is worse than others} for two months and I feel like there is something wrong with my lungs. I've been off the meth for 6 wks and am in remission right now. I had a chest X-ray and the MD listened to my lungs. They say everything is all right but I'm nervous about it. {I'm a former bicycle racer.} My last "flare" was unbelievable. So I scared to take meth but don't want another flare.