Posted , 4 users are following.
I've been on methotrexate for 5+ years taking doses between 17.5mg to 25mg. Was on 20mg and consultant recommended reducing to 17.5 and even 15 if can tolerate. Have been on 17.5mg for 4.5 weeks now, and am feeling rubbish. Don't know if it's related or not or if RA is just more active due to weather, stress, etc. How quickly do you think I'd feel the effect of reducing the dose?
0 likes, 7 replies
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Goose_Girl lesleybt
Posted
Hi Lesley,
When they reduced my dosage from 15 mg to 12.5 it took my body about 2 months to start hurting again because it wasn't enough. Sometimes you body will adjust so you might want to give it another couple of weeks and see if your symptoms calm down or not, that's if the pain is bearable. Good luck, I hope your body adjusts. Although some of your symptoms might be aggravated by the cold weather. Have you noticed if you have any food triggers as well, that could affect your symptoms as well. Your body will tell you if your on the right dosage based on your symptoms.
lesleybt Goose_Girl
Posted
Thanks for your reply. No food triggers. It's been on/off rain for past few days and my fingers were really swollen for 2 days which is unusual for me as well as fatigue, so I didn't know if it was the reduced dosage or not. Maybe I'll give it another few weeks.
karen612 Goose_Girl
Posted
Hello,
I hope you don't mind me contacting you after seeing your response to Lesley, but I was searching for posts on Methotrexate and see that my dosage is the same as yours. I have been happy/fortunate to see a good degree of relief for 9 months with this medication, and am curious to know the experiences of others who perhaps have taken it over a longer period of time. If you wouldn't mind sharing, I would appreciate it!
Goose_Girl karen612
Posted
Hi Karen
Of course I don't mind you contacted me. I have been blessed with really no side effects(when so many people have terrible side effects and their body doesn't tolerate the meds). I have been taking methotrexate for about 14 months now and it has been the ONLY thing that has stopped the pain. My brother who also has RA has been on methotrexate for over 20 yrs with hardly any side effects- it really is a miracle drug for RA patients to manage the extreme pain that accompanies it! Do you have RA or another kind of auto immune disease?
karen612 Goose_Girl
Posted
Thanks so much for replying! I also have RA, sorry to have not noted that. What a shame that both you and your brother have the disease. I suppose the bright side is having someone who understands it; it can be a difficult to describe the symtoms to others. I agree with you the methotrexate is a miracle drug. I've been taking 12.5-15 mg. since being diagnosed in May of '16. My symtoms are not completely eradicated, but it's close enough for me. Considering the problems others seem to have finding a med that works without too many terrible side effects, I'm very thankful to have found relief with the first medication I've tried. My first dosage of 12.5 mg. was good for the first few months, then my symptoms seemed to creep back. Bumping up to 15 mg. helped, and I have been comfortable at that dosage for the last 5 months. I thank you also for telling me about your brother; I am heartened that it is possible to have continued success with the same med over a period of time. I live in the US, and we are looking at significant changes to our health insurance system, so I am just trying to be as informed as possible about how my condition may change and what the costs will be if my insurance situation changes. Methotrexate appears to be very inexpensive; I've looked into a few of the newer biologics and they are thousands of dollars a month. If the methotrexate would continue to work for me it would a relief all around. Again, thank you so much for replying, and I wish you and your brother continued relatively good health!
Best Regards,
Karen
Goose_Girl karen612
Posted
You are very welcome, having a support system is so vital on our path to healing. ONLY a fellow RA patient understands the indescribable pain associated with having RA. I am very grateful that this med has helped me so much. I'm sorry you also have to go through this, but having someone to talk things over with and empathizes with you makes this disease manageable. I read time and time again patients that have horrible side effects and it makes me feel blessed that I can tolerate this drug.
Best of luck with your RA, keep in touch!
maid_mariane lesleybt
Posted
I have pmr but my mother in law has RA and on methotrexate. I know when i trapper i use a method call the drop dead slow method.
My question is what method do you use in methotrexate.
I also know there are new drugs can you name me some.
Many thanks i need to be her advocate.
Mariane