Comments on: Do You Take Methotrexate for Rheumatoid Arthritis?

By: Kelly Young

Kelly Young — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 15:45:03 +0000

yes, Sonia, it can be a side effect. Sometimes that’s improved by increasing folic acid. People take between 1 and 5 mg per day. Maybe you can ask your doctor if its a good idea if you take more of this B vitamin. You are taking some right? I hate it when I find patients who weren’t prescribed any. Also, I recommend the Methotrexate pages – link up on the red menu. There are whole pages about side effects. Also this link – click here.

By: sonia weinstein

sonia weinstein — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 14:33:37 +0000

can you have hair loss from methatrexate? i take 4 tablets a week?

By: Kelly Young

Kelly Young — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 17:21:32 +0000

Such hard decisions. I hope it would never be this way for you, but it’s my older kids who actually do so much to take care of me now. It’s sometimes sad the things I can’t do w/ the youngest that I did w/ the others. But, we do find other joys. He is a joy.

By: Olymbia

Olymbia — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 16:27:13 +0000

Thankyou Kelly,

I think the most disturbing thing about wanting children is that you dont know in 10 years time if you are going to be able to walk, play with your children ect.

I will have a look at the attatchment you sent with natural medicines hopefully i can find one that works!!

By: Kelly Young

Kelly Young — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 19:53:46 +0000

Hi Olymbia.
I hope that you will be able to have a baby. Have you read the pregnancy post? I’ll get the link and put it here – click here.
As far as I’ve learned, there is not an alternative to methotrexate to help treat RA. This is the most effective & safest that we have – like you said, we REALLY need a cure. If you have RA that is moderate to severe, it will affect more than your joints and treatment may help to protect your health and joints. I know that’s not what you’d really wish to hear. I’m sorry. I’ll put a link here about natural treatments too in case it helps – click here. There are several other links on that page about natural cures for RA.
Good luck to you.

By: Olymbia

Olymbia — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 17:07:34 +0000

Hi all…I have had R.A since 2005, I am 26.
My arthritis has been very aggresive over the years having flare ups in my hands,elbows,knees,ankles,feey that bad at times i could not use my hands or walk!! I have been on methotrexate 20mg since february 2008, and infusions of ritiximab(mabthera)every 6 months my arthritis is stable and the best it has ever been!! Although despite me being the best i have been in years, I would really like to get off both and try a natural alternative. I recently spoke to my Rheumatologist about having children and i have to be off methotrexatefor atleast 3 months as it causes birth defects. For the past 3 months i have had problems with my mouth, the skin on the roof of my mouth is constanlty raw and for the past year my skin has pigmented due to being out in the sun and on methotrexate, my stomache is always bloated too. It says on the bottle of my methotrexate tablets to wash my hands immediatly after taking so i would hate to know what it is doing to he inside of my body!! Has anybody tried chinese medicine?? I also was diagnosed with cushings syndrome last year due to being on prednisilone for 3 and a half years and cortisole injections which has been horrible causing me to gain weight and have really bad inssomnia, moon face and a irregular menstral cycle so be careful if you are on prednisilone!! I have also been on various others medicaions none lasting more than a months or two…
I hope they will find a cure for this disease!!

By: Kelly Young

Kelly Young — Sun, 13 Jun 2010 13:39:55 +0000

Hi Joye, someone else recently mentioned that me, too. But I have not read any scientific report on it. I’ll keep an eye out – some weird symtpoms are actually the RA and some turn out to be the medicines. As far as your hair goes, many find out that more folic acid helps that. There is a wide range of dosing with that, so maybe bring that up to your doc. How much do you take now?

By: joye jones

joye jones — Sun, 13 Jun 2010 07:53:33 +0000

I started on MTX I think in August last year. I’m on 25mg a week, folic acid, vitamin D etc. I also take Sulfasalazine and have just been started on Arava as well because my symptoms haven’t really changed in all this time. I am losing my hair a bit but don’t really find I have any other side effects. Could be I’m just generally moody hey I was nauseous when I first started the Sulfa and the Arava, but thank goodness that has disappeared.
Actually now I’m pondering it, I think it has wrecked my menstrual cycle… sorry if TMI. But I guess that could be because of the combination of drugs. Any thoughts on this anyone?

By: Kelly Young

Kelly Young — Sat, 12 Jun 2010 19:33:17 +0000

That’s funny. I say the same thing about the weather and RA. People ask if it gets worse w/ weather fronts & I say, “It’s always worse. How would I know?”

By: Lyn Burnstine

Lyn Burnstine — Sat, 12 Jun 2010 19:26:06 +0000

It has been interesting to me to read these comments about methotrexate–I’ve been on and off it for 25-30 years at least, and on it steadily for the last 15-20, as part of a RA cocktail: embrel, metho, prednisone (5 mg), mobic and folic acid, of course. The 1st time it was prescribed I had to tell my rheumie that I needed to be taking folic acid! He was embarrassed, as well he should have been! I was reminded by these posts that I stopped because of the mouth sores and fatigue afterwards. Had completely forgotten, because I haven’t had either symptom for so many years now. I should probably clarify that I have several medical conditions & drugs for them as well that cause fatigue (Celiac, atrial fib, pacemaker for syncope, neuropathies, degenerative spine/stenosis) so that I just laugh now when a doc tells me “this is going to make you tired.” “How will I know?” I ask.