Methotrexate for Rheumatoid Arthritis User Reviews (Page 2)

• Goo...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 2, 2018

"I have been on methotrexate for 6 weeks and have had no side effects. Has greatly reduced my RA symptoms along with 5mg daily dose of prednisone. I can walk again and no pain in hands. It’s worked well for me."

• pet...
• January 12, 2011

"This medicine is wonderful. Without it, I could not move my fingers, wrists, knees, and ankles. I feel normal, and people cannot believe that I have RA. The only downside is my skin on my arms is thinned and very easy to bruise, bleed, and mark. But this is a small price to pay for a normal lifestyle and to be able to work."

• Dor...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 4, 2014

"Just taken my third dose of methotrexate this week (upped to 20mg after 2 weeks on 10mg)... take folic acid 5mg 3x a week. So far, side effects have been manageable. Not sure if it's the medication or the steroid injections, but I am starting to feel like my old self again. No swelling and little pain now, so I am now able to do the things I used to take for granted again. Feel hopeful about this medicine."

• Mis...
• July 19, 2015

"I got my RA seven years ago and have taken MTX since then. For me, it has worked great. I had no weird side effects either. I took 8 tablets a week for seven years, but now I'm down to 6 tablets... and it works great too. I am Swedish, and our MTX looks a bit different."

• Anonymous
• October 19, 2012

Methotrexate "Took methotrexate for 6 months after diagnosis for Rheumatoid arthritis, seemed to work fairly well for the pain/stiffness, but I had terrible side effects including nausea, fatigue, mood swings - almost couldn't get to work, coming up stairs felt like my feet weighed 500 pounds each - almost could not function at all. Now going to try an injectable form to see if that will not cause the side effects - hopeful."

• Pea...
• October 23, 2016

"I was started on Plaquenil when diagnosed with RA about two years ago at the end of summer. I told the doctor there was no way I would take MTX. By the following late spring, I had what took me a while to realize was a major flare-up. I already had one pointer finger that couldn't bend, and now the other one was stuck in the out position. I couldn't make fists. So, I started on MTX once a week, along with 1 mg of folic acid per day. After about two months, I began to see improvements. After a longer time, my doctor said I was in remission. I take both Plaquenil and MTX, with few side effects. On my MTX day, and the day after, I'm sometimes low energy, and often slightly queasy. Not enough to keep me from eating entirely."

• Anonymous
• October 13, 2011

"I'm 30 years old and have been on 20mg of methotrexate for 2 years now. While I have experienced some side effects (mainly abdominal pain), I would not and will not stop taking it. So far for me, the benefits have far outweighed any costs of being on methotrexate. The disease activity has dropped, and I have far less swelling in my wrists, fingers, and shoulders and have been able to get back into bowling leagues which I love."

• Lar...
• May 14, 2016

"I had taken methotrexate for 21 years through the VA, plus Enbrel, Humira, folic acid, and more. Well, this is a warning. I now have NASH, which is a disease caused by the medications, leading to cirrhosis of the liver. It is incurable. Just change foods. Pray it doesn't get worse."

• Nig...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• February 8, 2016

"I am 62, and was diagnosed with RA about 10 years ago. I have been through a battery of drugs to suppress my immune system, ending up on subcutaneous methotrexate 10mg. I originally had a 'bad day' the day after my injections, however, it seems to be getting to be a bad couple of days lately. Intense pressure headache (I'm also a migraine sufferer), nausea, confusion, tiredness, and now really troubled sleep, nightmares, and some visual disruption (almost hallucinations), feelings of panic, unease, and claustrophobia. I know the alternatives, stop and face RA full on, but I would rather get 3/4 good days than be on the road to being completely disabled."

• Nak...
• July 1, 2013

"I have taken methotrexate for 17 years and am now on 20mg per week. I have also been on Rituximab infusions for the past 3 years, and together, the two medicines work very well. I am mostly pain-free, except for mornings."

• ACS...
• July 5, 2014

"I have been on methotrexate for almost a year. I am up to 20 mg a week. I take folic acid and leucovorin calcium 12 hours after the methotrexate. I was taking Enbrel but now take Xeljanz. Before the biologics, the methotrexate wasn't working very well. I take prednisone too. I am only 36 but at least I can function better than I did. I still flare about twice a month. I suffer side effects from methotrexate. My hair has severely thinned out and I get very tired after taking it. It looks like I'll be on it for a long time though. Hopefully it gets better. I would really like my hair to come back."

• Uk ...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 15, 2012

"I have only been taking this medicine for a short while and the benefits are good so far. I am still able to keep working as a paramedic, which is physically demanding. Without my 20mg, I slowly turn into a statue."

• JJa...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• January 3, 2020

"I was on methotrexate for 5 years. I started with pills, then injections, as I couldn’t handle the taste and it felt like it poisoned me. It made my brain feel awful - I couldn’t eat - it was the worst. I had 4 car crashes from poor judgment, either on the day or day after using it. I developed a bleeding disorder and exploded through my skin, they have called it abnormal platelet dysfunction. They don’t know what the cause is, but I think it was from methotrexate. I have had heart surgery and was diagnosed with angina and had a stent. Added to this, I have ulcerative colitis, as well as Raynaud's syndrome and SLE. I don’t work or even look sick, but I know one thing: methotrexate was a nightmare compared to all the heart issues I have had and am having. I’m still looking for a job, I’m not disabled but have no energy to even type this."

• Tur...
• September 14, 2016

"I had taken MTX in the past, but it did not work out for me due to rash problem caused by MTX. So, the doctor recommended Sulfasalazine, and it worked out very well for about 4 years. However, the effectiveness of Sulfasalazine diminished. I met a doctor who practices natural medicine, and also an ER doctor at the local hospital. They recommended three natural supplements for RA and pain - Turmeric, Wobenzym N, White Willow - and they have been very effective for me. I have been off those medications for 5 months now."

• Ano...
• March 19, 2015

"A couple of years ago my husband was at the point where he was limping severely, with swollen joints in his hands and feet. He was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis and began taking methotrexate at 20 mg once a week; he has since cut back to 17.5 mg. It has made a huge difference in his functioning, and he's pretty much back to normal. (Regular strength training at the YMCA has also helped a lot). He was also told to take folic acid once a day, which he does. The only negative is that his hair has thinned quite a bit, which is a common side effect. He is in his 70s."

• Nan...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 18, 2020

"Been on methotrexate for five months now. It still makes me nauseous, and I hate continuing with these injections. I see my doctor in March. If I have to continue with them, I'm going to ask for oral instead. I still have a lot of pain in my hands, hips, back, and knees. Everywhere. Is this medication helping anybody?"

• Jen...
• June 2, 2015

"I have been on Methotrexate 25mg for 6 weeks now, but 6 months for 20 mg, and I have seen much improvement with my back pain. I do have severe rib and chest pain still, but the back pain is much better. I feel like a zombie though every day. I can barely make it through the day. I am so upset about my hair. I have cut almost 6 inches off and still have dry, damaged hair from the medicine. I lose handfuls of hair daily, and the GI problems sometimes are pretty bad. So I don't know if the side effects outweigh the benefits. I wish I could have someone help me fix these side effects, and I would be okay. I think the fatigue is one of the worst though. :("

• Anonymous
• March 1, 2012

"I have been taking the medication since June 2011. I like it, but I'm always sick. It minimizes the pain and swelling, but it doesn't take it all away. I wake up every morning, and I can hardly move my ankles. I'm way too young to have to deal with this. I'm only 22 years old. Some days I feel like I'm suffering, and if I'm sick, I can't even walk."

• Sha...
• July 19, 2015

"I was diagnosed at 10 months old after a knee biopsy. I have been taking methotrexate on and off since I was 16 years old and I am now 41 years old. This medication has greatly reduced the activity of the disease and has increased the quality of my life greatly. I have just changed from methotrexate oral tablets to methotrexate injections. The tablets were making me feel nauseous so my specialist decided to put me on injections to bypass my stomach. The injections are easy to administer and relatively pain-free. I am presently just trying to find the right dose for me due to suffering side effects. 15 mg has caused me severe sore lips and mouth, nausea, dizziness, lethargy, and abdominal cramps. 12.5 mg is the correct dose for me."

• Anonymous
• June 19, 2010

"It definitely helps with the pain and mobility part of rheumatoid arthritis, but I am nauseous usually 2 or three days after I do the shot. I'm also tired a lot and feel weak after I take my weekly shot. Sometimes I don't take it consistently because I don't feel like being sick that week. I do enjoy it when my fingers actually bend though."

• Ano...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 2, 2018

"Methotrexate can ruin your lungs very quickly. I now have pulmonary fibrosis because two doctors insisted that it would be fine. They lie and tell you, 'Oh, you just have interstitial lung disease,' but it usually stops. Do not believe them! Take something else!"

• Mac...
• March 6, 2016

"Been taking Methotrexate for almost 3 years now. Last fall, I felt good enough that I went off it without my Dr's knowledge, because it made me feel pretty ill for a day or so after. What a mistake! I started taking it again about 2 months ago, and although it still makes me sick, it sure beats the pain I'm in without it. (on 25 mg a week, along with Hydroxychloroquin and folic acid)"

• Ron...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• May 12, 2016

"After a severe case of Ross River Fever for which I was taking 50 mg Prednisone daily, I developed chronic degenerative Polymyalgia Rheumatica. The pain in my arms, neck, hips, knees, hands, and ankles was intense and never-ending. I tried all the usual painkillers, including Oxycontin and Methadone, with varying short-term success. However, the mind-numbing daily struggle associated with taking opiates was taking a toll on my life. My Rheum trialed me on 15 mg MTX weekly for 2 months, and the results were incredible. The pain in my neck and knees almost disappeared after the first week, so the Rheum increased the dose to 15 mg in the morning and 15 mg at night once a week. Wow, what a difference! I had few side effects and was almost pain-free. Thank you, MTX."

• Wal...
• August 11, 2016

"Roughly one year now and methotrexate has been working miracles. I started at 10 mg/week and eventually moved up to 12.5 mg/week. From the outset, I was tapering off of 10 mg/day of prednisone but could not completely eliminate it until I moved the methotrexate up to 12.5 mg/week. Per doctor's recommendation, I'm also taking 5,000 IU of vitamin D daily and 1,000 mg of calcium daily (I don't eat much dairy). Side effects: None, except that I sometimes take a short nap after dinner on 'methotrexate day' (I take it after lunch so as not to interfere with my pre-dinner martini(s)). Without methotrexate, I could barely walk!"

• kpa...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• January 9, 2014

"I've had rheumatoid arthritis (RA) for 35 years. I finally found a rheumatologist that was very good. I started on Plaquenil, which was great, but I developed an allergy to it. Switched to methotrexate oral, but had a hard time tolerating the nausea and diarrhea. Switched to injectable methotrexate, and had no nausea, limited diarrhea. It worked moderately well for the RA. Not completely pain free, but could do most things most days. I got cellulitis while on it, so had to go off for about 3 mos. When I went back to it, it didn't seem to work quite as well, and I realized I was experiencing more side effects than I was aware of the first time: thin skin, dermatitis, bruising, bleeding, hair falling out. New rheumatologist (my good one moved) decided to try Arava."