New to this - Methotrexate - Doc has prescribed it for me for PsA - I'm Worried

Hi Stacy.

I take my methotrexate on a Monday tea time, so my worst days are usually Tuesday and maybe Wednesday, but I have had weeks were I've felt sick up until Friday. It can just be a case of your body getting used to it, and often settles after a few months. In my case they upped the dose after six months so that set me off again. Now I only have soup on the evening I take them. I've has less issues with the sulfasalazine with regards to side effects, but its just remembering to take them. I still have to take celebrex too, as being on my feet all day causes pain. 

With regards to exercise do what you can manage, but swimming is going to be easier on your joints. I have an exercise bike and that seems to work my muscles but be easier on my joints. My condition first kicked off about 3 years ago when I was power walking, of all things. But I still walk everywhere now and I did through some of the worst pains. I think it kept my joints moving. Its the same with my hands, I couldn't bend my pointy finger at all and was scared it would be stuck like that, but now it'll bend at least halfway, just got to keep exercising it.

And with regards to alcohol well, I wasn't a big drinker before so I've just skipped it for the time being. I think the issue is with it causing liver problems on top of the mxt possibly causing problems. It might be worth waiting til you've had a few clear blood tests before deciding if you want to try it. But I'm pretty sure I've seen other posts in the forum pages regarding alcohol and mxt.

Hope this helps.. Ruth

Don’t worry Stacy this is absolutely the right medicine to take , your lucky it’s been caught early . The methatrexate will knock the psoriatic arthritis into remission within a year or sooner probably .

My psoriatic arthritis was a bit more developed ,as I had a lot of pain in my feet joints and lower back and hands . After a year on methatrexate im in complete remission now ,and nearly completely off the anti inflammatories .

My only advise to you would be to request the self injection from called metoject ( very easy to use , just press down and push bottom and it does it all automatically) it’s a lot more effective and minimises the side effects considerably . 

I would try it and see how it goes.  That is what I did.  I was 30 at the time, now 45.  I didn't take methotrexate for long though because it made me feel nauseated.  You can always stop if you don't like the side effects.   I went through 4 meds until I found one that worked for me.  

Hi Stacy,

       I am on methotrexate for Psoriatic Arthritis, due to a flare up after a fall. When I was first diagnosed with the arthritis I wasn't sure about the drug, so I went without, then the pain got really bad in my knees, difficult to walk, so I decided to try the drug, fortunately I didn't have any problem taking it. I was on it for about 2 -2 half years and  was back to normal, driving, swimming, gardening, etc.,  then stopped taking it.  I was fine for 8 years until I had a tumble indoors, then the knees flared up again, back to Rheumatology, this time she suggested injections, which I went along with, they lasted about 10 weeks, had more injections in my knees, this time they done nothing at all, the knees got worse and more painful, if I went out it had to be in a wheelchair, managed to bring my appointment forward and asked to go on Methotrexate again. I went back on it in December 2016, since then I can now walk about unaided, get on and off buses, coaches, now starting to live a life again, I am not fully recovered, but pleased how I've come on in the last 9 months, I don't take any painkillers. Methotrexate can take a few months to start working, but I think its worthwhile, I hope you get on ok with it, its worth a try.

                      Good luck,

                            Maureen .

no need to worry ,just always test your electrolytes,creatinine and other tests that ur doctor will give you. And you can also do this technique,that you can maintain a diary where you can maintain your problems day by day,like if u got a headache or pain or fever,you write down this in ur diary and when u go to ur doctor,tell them or show them ur diary or the problems u have faced. I think this will help ur doctor to diagnose ur problem properly.May u stay safe and sound and ive long

Hi all

I can't thank you all enough for responding to me. I really appreciate it.

Yesterday I met with a nurse who told me my xrays and bloods were clear, ready for me to start methotrexate.

On 24th Oct I start the injection. I'm beyond scared.

I'm heathy, active and happy. I'm so scared this is going to ruin me, and me as a mom to my boys.

The nurse said yesterday just pretend your taking aspirin and try to get on with it.

Does anyone inject methotrexate and how to you feel doing it and please be honest about sickness.

Thank you xx

Stacy, Methotrexate has been shown to reduce psoriasis and the symptoms of PsA, but there is only scant evidence that it is able to slow or alter overall PsA disease progression (joint damage) the way that biologics can. however, it's been around for a long time, so the risks and side effects are well documented. Plus, it is much cheaper than biologics. It's standard to start with methotrexate and then move to a different DMARD or a biologic if you have adverse side effects or your symptoms get worse. I think that these days fewer people stay on MTX for as many years as they might have in the past. There are a wider range of treatments available and more recognition that MTX doesn't prevent damage as well as biologics. That being said, although there might be fewer side effects with biologics, they come with really high price tags and a greater risk of serious complications.

Hi Stacey I was diagnosed with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis about 2 years ago , I didn’t get on with methotrexate tablets  but found the injections a lot more tolerable .  

Unfortunately after about 18 month on it, i had to stop taking it as one month out of the blue my blood results came back as showing my liver  alt levels had tripled !  I’ve now been off everything apart from an anti inflammatory twice a week for 3 months and still feel fine . 

I think it’s worth doing methotrexate for a year or so to get the disease under control, but come off and see how you do like I have .  I’m finding beetroot every day , Turmeric tablets ( has to have high content of curcumin)  and keeping fit via swimming and early nights work very well . 

I’m not ruling out having to go back into maybe a biological in the future, but I do firmly believe here are lots of things you can do naturally that work very well .

Hope it all goes well and don’t worry this disease can be managed very successfully.

Head up Stacey you won't know until you try ,being an older male I do like a drink and that's the one thing I find hard the doctors do like to stress that you shouldn't drink on methatrexate but he ho , take when you think it's right for (which day that is) you if you can't stomach the pills you can ask for an injector pen it's now very easy and you won't be squeemish honest good luck ,ps you may have no bad symptoms at all

Wow, that seems like a big jump. You can question the treatment? Get a second opinion. Did the X-rays show joint damage?

Hello Methotrexate is very old school. There are so many better things out there. I have the same as you do. MY toes are really bad. Its hard to walk for me. I have psoriasis in my scalp also and a little on my body. IT started when I was young the Psorisis and then came the arthritis. Had two surgeries on my toes. One was a nightmare but the other was good. It was called toe fusion. See how you feel on the Methotrexate at first you will feel sick like