Methotrexate for Rheumatoid Arthritis User Reviews (Page 4)

• Kimmers
• October 12, 2019

"So far I have experienced great results. I double up on my folic acid the day-of and after my injection as it helps with being tired. I do experience diarrhea about 24 -48 hours after taking the shot."

• Momzie
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 19, 2018

Otrexup (methotrexate) "I've been using Otrexup for several months now, increasing from a 10mg injection to a 20mg. I have had severe leg cramps in my thigh muscles since beginning this drug. However, I was injecting into the same leg and then leg(s) so maybe I will try the stomach. I am also on Rituxin infusions. These drugs have turned my health around; my RA is now manageable."

• Devora
• September 16, 2015

"Methotrexate has helped with the pain, but no one told me that it could affect my blood glucose and pressure. I worked for 3 years to control my diabetes with diet and had just completely normalized my glucose levels. Methotrexate ruined that with the first dose. So should a person take it and add additional BP meds and have to go on diabetes meds?"

• Anne
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• April 25, 2018

"Methetrexate was given to me for my RA at 15mg once a week by tablet. It gave me mouth ulcers, nausea, great fatigue for one or two days. My knees swelled up more while I was on it. I see a lot of folks take it, the best thing that has helped me is eating mostly vegetables and avoiding dairy , grains and nightshades, but every body responds to food differently."

• went
• September 11, 2016

"I've been on methotrexate for 4 months now. The Rheumatoid arthritis came out of no where. I went to my primary care physician with me feet and my thumbs he basically said I was getting older to take aleve and get comfortable shoes. Well I month later I could barely walk so primary care physician did blood work. My RA factor was 1382. It took me another month to get an appointment with a rheumatologist. The rheumatologist is going to fail me on methotrexate on the 28 if this month because my levels are not coming down as expected. I am currently on 17.5mg of methotrexate. I take them on Friday night and Saturdays I am exhausted. I constantly have pain in my hands,wrists,ankles,knees and feet. I am just afraid the next med won't work either"

• einyh...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 20, 2016

"I was very ill on methotrexate for 10 weeks, nauseous,weak,pain in my chest. I was told I would get used to the side effects. After 10 weeks in ended up in ER vommiting blood requiring blood transfusions. Methotrexate was very dangerous for me and has destroyed my stomach. I found minocin very helpful until I pulled out infected root canal.... Instant relief. No pains now."

• GW70
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• September 3, 2016

"I've been using Methotrexate for about a year. Haven't had any bad side effects. But when I started using the Plaquenil (generic form), the side effects where awful. My hands became red and very dry, cracking to the point of bleeding. I could not stop from scratching. I had dry, almost psoriasis' like patches on my wrist and arms. Had to stop taking it. All that went away. I'm still taking the methotrexate without any issues. Just have to keep up with the blood work. Now however, the dr. wants me to start on Humira, and I'm worried about the side effects that might cause. So, please, I need some feedback on Humira. What type of issues have any of you who take it, have had? Thanks!"

• Laguiri
• October 25, 2016

"I was diagnosed with RA just under a year ago. I started with 10mg tablets with Folic Acid. Initially I suffered from a lot of nausea and bad sleep etc. I must confess though after the first diagnosis every twitch or cough made me think the worst. My Dr. upped my dosage to 12.5mg and changed me to the injection which she said should take away the nausea which worked but the pains remained. She also put me on anti inflamatory pills. Shortly after my last check-up in July, my pains have nearly completely subsided so I didn"

• Jodiem
• August 6, 2016

"When I went to see my doctor, I couldn't even write my name. My hand hurt so badly I couldn't even hold a pen. She examined me, took blood work and gave me a steroid shot. A week later I returned and we discussed my options, and she recommended methotrexate. She went over the side effects ect, I'm into my second week, and I'm happy to say no side effects. 1 injection .06 once a week, folic acid daily. I'm at 80% better, and looking forward to 99%."

• Emma...
• January 18, 2016

"I was put on methotrexate about 5 months ago after a nasty flare up back in the spring. I have had arthritis in my left knee since the age of 2 but found the arthritis went into remission all through my teens and has kind of been in and out of remission throughout my 20's. Steroid injections always worked well but this time around, it did nothing. The R/A has now spread to shoulders and wrists as well so I was put on methatrexate 20mg once a week along with hydroxychloriquine. I have found that it has only been the last couple of weeks that I am starting to feel some benefit from the meds, the knee pain is much better although my wrists are still very painful especially at night! My consultant assures me the meds will work. Fingers crossed"

• Marin...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• May 4, 2017

"I am 49 yrs old and was diagnosed RA last Sept after a spring/summer of hell. Pain started in knees, then hands, wrists , elbows, feet and worst of all one shoulder. I was crawling before started on a 12.5 mg of Methotrexate, folic acid, steroids, etoricoxib & amitriptyline at night. November -no change, apart from terrible fatigue. My dose was increased to 20mg per week with more folic acid and a general steroid injection. I felt improvement at the end of Jan17- with pain still in my hands and feet. I went back to work for a few hours a week...big mistake. The fatigue has been tough and I have a lot of muscle wastage and my hands and feet hurt a lot. I will be seeing the consultant tomorrow, fingers crossed - although that hurts!"

• Rheum...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• July 2, 2015

"Started mtx in early 2010, I was on it the better part of the last 5 years. I'm also on my fourth biologic. I take 2mg of folic acid daily. Last May I did a four day stretch in hospital because of bone marrow suppression. RBC, WBC, ANC, platelets and hemoglobin were very low. (ANC under 200). I was given leucorvorin rescue. This is a very rare side effect for low dose mtx. Although the drug only gave me a 10 to 20% improvement, the biologic gives me 60 to 90%. Now I'm about to start Arava, I wish I could retry the mtx at half dose as it doesn't cause much in the way of minor side effects. I often think of Huey Lewis and his song "I want a new drug"."

• Oregon...
• February 6, 2018

"The first two weeks were difficult. I had headaches, Nausea and no appetite. But by third week, I was feeling better. I told doctor about my reaction to the drug and she put me on Self Injection of drug, once a week. I cannot tell you how much better I feel. But then I thought WAIT, what if I had been going through a remission episode? Either way, I have never felt better. Now I am going to start a rotation of Infusions. I feel like someone got something right for a change. I totally credit my excellent doctor and her choice of treatment, Years and years of constant pain was almost more than I could take. But I was in so much pain that any reduction felt like a cure"

• RZC
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• March 4, 2017

"I was on this medicine for about 4 years. I tried the pill form which caused severe vomiting. After 2 doses it was intolerable and I was switched to injectable. I felt exhausted and had nausea and diarrhea for 3-4 days but I was able to get out of bed for the other days so this was a plus. Unfortunately, I picked up a nasty case of pneumonia even after getting the vaccine. Either I had exposure or it was caused by the methotrexate. I had to stop methotrexate. It took at least 2 month to recover and I'm still having asthmatic reaction. My doctor says I should continue to stay off it for now. He wants me to restart if RA symptoms return (which they are). I'm terrified to restart. He wants to switch to Simponi but I'm afraid of that too."

• christy
• November 4, 2020

"Methotrexate - don't take it full stop. Leflunimide - don't take that either! I'm now about 38 kg Dr are hopeless and I feel like life is dissipating out of me in front of my children. You can't help yourself on methotrexate as you don't know what you're doing. It's like auto pilot, surviving not living and your still in pain. Better to eat no gluten no dairy no night shades. Look up what causes inflammation. Rest, eat well, make love, laugh, dance don't stress have good people around you. Love yourself. My daughter lost her first baby at birth two years ago. Now her mum may go before her grandmother. So sad as I found a nice man, finally good people friends around me and isn't it the way. Then you die at 46"

• rohise
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• October 25, 2016

"Methotrexate helps immensely with my rheumatoid arthritis pain. I know this because I became ill and couldn't get to the doctor for my blood tests so I ran out of my methotrexate and my pain increased dramatically."

• Patira
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 12, 2019

"I have Possibly reactive arthritis but doctor is not sure. I have been on methotrexate for more than a month at a dose of little 15 mg a week and folic acid. No side effects at all so far but no help either. No improvements."

• Teish
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• April 18, 2016

"I've been on Methotrexate for 9 months now 20mg once a week with 2 folic acids 2 days later my problem is that whilst the med is working its playing havoc on my liver I've had to come off it as my LFT results were constantly increasing then suddenly doubled. She asked me to have a Biopsy of my liver to work out if it is defiantly the Methotrexate or something else I guess this is what I need to do now. I've finally got myself down to 5mg Prednisone and now the Rheumo has said stop Mtx and see how you go if we need to we can up the Pred I don't want to up the Pred I eat like a horse and put so much weight on I'm hoping theres something else out there that will help me. Already tried Sulfazasaline and got a rash and other side effects."

• RA...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 28, 2016

"Had a terrible experience with this drug. I would never take it again. This drug made me severely depressed to the point of suicidal thoughts. It also gave me a tight feeling in my throat. I Also learned that it could potentially create birth defects if your were to reproduce while on drug. I would recommend using a different option."

• Sparks
• January 23, 2016

"I have had rheumatoid arthritis 15 years severe & aggressive. Finding a good rheumatologist has been impossible. I take Humira, methotrexate, folic acid. Taking the prescribed dose of methotrexate10 mg once a week. I am so lethargic, still stiff hands, feet joints as well as pain. It is better than no medication because that pain is fire, this has dulled the fire. Had one surgery shoulder.. My hair has been rapidly falling out again, I can't eat normally. After reading this blog I realize I may do better with either injections or stopping completely. Planquenil, sulfa-salazine were of no benefit. Allergci to biologics. Had to find one that has been a game changer."

• SadHu...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• August 26, 2022

"August 2021 my wife was complaining of a sore throat, then a blistered mouth, then I noticed a blistered lip. She couldn't connect that with the methotrexate that she had been taking for nearly 15 years. In the next month she got to spend 11 days in hospital as they tried to analyse her immune system breakdown. One of the options was to test for blood cancer, but ultimately, the diagnosis was toxicity from methotrexate. My wife now is quite sick as the doctors are continuing to test for kidney function and other issues. She is finding her health issues very debilitating."

• Jonse...
• February 3, 2016

"Been taking mtx, folic and Plaquinel for 1.5 yrs. My biggest side effect is lack of appetite. Not sure if it is the MTX or plaquinel causing this but as a result I feel I have no energy or muscle mass left. I wonder whether it is better to take the drugs or let the RA runs it's course. History of cancer in the family but not seeing any reference to that side effect here"

• Keston
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• September 20, 2016

"I have taken methotrexate for 4 years now and only when I was put on Humeria did I get any relief . the side effect I have had are depression and sweating but not hardly any stiffness and not much discomfort so for me the combination works for me ."

• Katie-J
• October 23, 2016

"I was put on Methotrexate by my specialist. I was on it for 3 months and had many side effects. I informed my Specialist who said it will pass and doubled my dose. I had 14 side effects and constantly had an upset stomach. I'm 28 so the whole not being able to get pregnant whilst on the drug is a bit of an issue. I am now on a new medication."

• heavenM
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• February 1, 2017

"methotrexate made me sick for days after taking it. I was on it off and on for 7 years and in different ways and all made me sick. If ur not in school or have kids ya its cool it kinda works if u don't have ra bad but if in school or have kids DONT TAKE....."