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Medical Forum / Diseases and Disorders / Arthritis / August 2005Methotrexate and peoples views
Hello everybody, I'm a newbie here and thought I'd quickly introduce myself I've had Osteoarthritis for about 14 years and my hubby also suffers with Psoriatic arthritis. I'm 34 and he's 38. I would like to say it seems like a great place for support. I was wondering if anyone has heard of the drug Methotrexate as my DH's Drs want him to start taking it and so far all we have seen is a really long list of side affects. My hubby has Psoriatic arthritis and his Drs are really finding it hard to treat him so it seems like they'll give him anything just to go away. If you have any good or bad opinions all will be welcome. Thank you in advance, Levi > Hello everybody, > [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > > Levi Methotrexate is a chemotherapy drug that in smaller doses is used to treat various forms of arthritis. I've got RA (rheumatoid arthritis), and I've been on MTX since 1999. I get my blood tested (liver functions, comprehensive metabolic) every other month. It can damage the liver, and that's the reason for the frequent blood tests. I take Milk Thistle (with my doctor's permission) to help counteract the detrimental affect on the liver, and I take folic acid to help with the hair loss (I take 20 mg a week). I hope that the docs aren't giving him the drug to make him go away. Not having psoriatic arthritis, I don't know how it will work, or how fast. Best to both of you. Smokie Darling (Annie) >. If you have any good or bad opinions all >will be welcome. > >Thank you in advance, > >Levi Hello Levi & DH, posting from the UK, I have RA and was on MTX [Methotrexate] for a number of years, I am also in the UK. MTX worked for me, for a number of years and was successful in bringing my ESR/CRP reading right down. I had regular blood labs whilst on it and along with milk thistle use my LFTs were normal. In more recent years it became less effective for me and the increase in dose raised my lfts until I was removed from using it by my rd. I would recommend it's use as the benefit's out way the side effects for many people and with regular monitoring of bloods with your docs you are soon going to notice any side effects. -- Andy As several of our guys like to say - be afraid of the disease and not the drug to stop the effects of the disease. Lots of the side affects of the MTX are for those on Chemo dose levels. He will be taking far less and there are things which can help those small side affects like Folic Acid [mouthsores], water [nausea] and grapeseed extract [hairloss]. Gee I know alot about that for never having been on MTX. lol Duckie who is on a boatload of other stuff. > Hello everybody, > [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > > Levi  Signature_('> (_<_) _ _('< -quack (_<_) _ __('< *QUACK!* <_{__) _('< "|,,|_" (_<_) _('< "AFLAC!" (_<_) I'm hoping to get back ON it soon bcuz I feel that the Plaquenil isn't doing enuff to stem the inflammation I have due to UCTD. That will be evident, I'm sure, with my next blood test. I never felt as good as I did when on MTX. I already have stomach and intestinal problems, <itises> but the MTX didn't bother my GI system at all. For those that it does, there's the injectable form. The inflammation is what is doing the damage, so I'd like to have the MTX back quickly. :-) Hugs from Rosie -- "If you wanna get it done, you gotta fight for yourself." -- Meat Loaf, Bat Outta Hell II > Hello everybody, > [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > > Levi As Duckie said, the disease is far more dangerous than the drugs. MTX is the drug of choice for managing PA. It is well tolerated by most people (if you take folic acid) and is the standard by which all other disease modifying drugs are measured. I take 20 mg/week by sub-q injection. This method further reduces the risk of side affects when compared with oral doses. With regular blood work to check for any possible problems, MTX is safe and effective. And as a bonus, it is pretty inexpensive. Good luck! Walt > Hello everybody, > [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > > Levi >MTX is the drug of choice for managing PA. It is well tolerated by most >people (if you take folic acid) and is the standard by which all other [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] >With regular blood work to check for any possible problems, MTX is safe and >effective. And as a bonus, it is pretty inexpensive. Walt, you took the words out of my mouth. Not only are we both on the same sub-cu injection, no side effects. Folic acid too. Are we twins? :-) --- Joan Hi Levi, Methotrexate is the 1st or 2nd drug of choice for most doctors to try first. IF your doctor gives regular blood tests and pays attention to them, it is safer than letting Psoriatic Arthritis (PA) attack his joints and organs. Annie is correct about suggesting Milk Thistle. I am skeptical of all "natural" treatments, but you will find milk thistle in the PDA book as an intervenous treatment to protect the liver from mushroom poisioning and many people here have had good results buying over the counter milk thistle in the vitamin department. I have taken methotrexate (MTX) for my PA by itself and in combination with other medicines for about 15 years. The doctor will start with a low dose that will probably not help (in order to check for problems) then increase it. At the higher dose it make him feel horrible the next day. Ray > Hello everybody, > [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > > Levi > Hello everybody, > [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > him anything just to go away. If you have any good or bad opinions all > will be welcome. POSSIBLE side effects. Side effects POSSIBLE. I have none of the above. I'm currently at 16.5. I've been as high as 25 with mild upset stomach as a result. Keep in mind that those side effects listed are "possible" but not "Probable" Uv Wow, what a lot of replies. Thank you very much it's great to read so many and without any major problems as well. He's having his first dose at the hospital tomorrow morning and thanks to your replies we feel a lot more confident. They have said they will start him low and build up to a higher dose over several weeks and he is to take folic acid with it, but I think after reading your answers we'll def be getting some milk thistle in if his Drs agree. The other thing we would like to know if anyone cna tell us can he still take Volterol/Diclofenic with it because the poor thing has other conditions as well. Thanks again, you've all been very welcoming, All the best with your treatments too, Levi x That's a question for his doctor, but you will find that most of us also take an NSAID of one form or another with our MTX or other DMARD (Disease Modifying Anti-Rheumatic Drug). And most of us are on several other medications as well. I am on 11 daily meds. Your husband should be very careful with his stomach. He will probably need an anti-ulcer agent with the diclofenic. It is actually far more likely to cause problems than the MTX is. But monthly blood work will help prevent major issues with it as well. Remember that there is no perfectly safe drug; and with every drug we take, we have to decide if the benefit is worth the risk. For most of us, daily NSAID therapy is worth the risk. Walt > Wow, what a lot of replies. Thank you very much it's great to read so > many and without any major problems as well. He's having his first [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > Thanks again, you've all been very welcoming, > All the best with your treatments too, Levi x >Wow, what a lot of replies. Thank you very much it's great to read so >many and without any major problems as well. He's having his first [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] >Thanks again, you've all been very welcoming, >All the best with your treatments too, Levi x Thanks for your reply and welcome, you'll find many like minded people with PA and other such here. A couple of things to be aware of as you are new. Whilst people here will readily give of their experiences [as you have seen] we are all different, and their have been some that have had to come off MTX straight away. Second point [And I think you already know this from your post] we are [or at least for the main part Dr Doc excepted] not doctors, so sensibly enough, always run your thoughts and questions in that direction,that way your GP and RD will see you as an informed individual that uses the internet to further their knowledge, rather than a cybercondriac! As Walt has mentioned DMARDs and NSAIDs, I'd just like to say I'm still taking Diclofenac Sodium [Volterol] a cox 1&2 nsaid, always after food and with no real problems. Again welcome -- Andy |
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