After gruelling MTX for a year I finally snapped throwing up, nausea, tired all the time eventually I suffered an anxiety attack to the needle it was taking 3-4 attempts to put it into my stomach, I was already on anti-depressant to help me sleep but my GP finally told me I had endured enough after seeing my Rhumy thanks to GP letter I was seen quickly and more understandingly I'm not on any thing yet but should start a new one in about a weeks time.(Sulf- something or other) I'm half happy and half scared as I have various drug allergies which we found out after given antibiotics which were penicillin free still reacted to them, hospital thought I had a chest or lung infection but came back clear while my other GP thought I had a dicky ticker had to have a heart trace and bloods and x-rays just to be told 5 hours later it was all normal I could have told them it was inflammation due to Psorasis but apparently you can't get it on the inside yeah tell mine that! Anyway I hope the new meds work.
That's a long time to be stuck on a med that was giving you such side effects. I lasted 6 months on MTX, feeling nauseous all of the time, and no difference in inflammation. You may be working your way towards biologics, but right now you're likely starting sulfasalazine.
Wow. Have you tried to take the MTX pills? Of course, the biologics that I know of are either self-injected or given via IV infusion, so they might not work for you either, given the needle anxiety. My stomach has always been particularly sensitive, so I inject the biologics into my upper thighs each time, alternating thighs (of course). That seems to be working well. If you do get put on Humira or Enbrel, they have sure-click pens that hide the needle. I ended up preferring the pre-filled syringes because I can control the speed of the injection - the meds burn a bit as they go in. Lots of deep breathing, my new friend! Most everyone that knows me is amazed that I am able to self inject (have had a bit of needle phobia my whole life), but seeing as I'm also a control freak....self injection seemed like the best option over having the doctor or a family member do it for me :)
I was first put on plaquenil and I grew horns on my scalp . . . seriously . . . horns and my scalp turned oily which I never had oily hair. I couldn't deal with the horns popping up everywhere on my head or using a tar based shampoo so they changed me to sulfasalazine which worked until I got a UTI which I had no symptoms but the infection then went into my kidneys and I landed in the ER. They put me an IV drip to hydrate me, took a urinalysis, and gave me a sprite to drink along with a few crackers and meds to keep me from throwing up. They sent me home after 2 hrs. I got 2 miles down the road and got sick again but I made my husband take me on home because I couldn't afford 2 ER trips in one night. That night was horrible! I perspired excessively that my husband had to help me change all the bedding as I was dripping. The next morning my husband took me to our GP and he asked me what they sent home with me and I told him a can of Sprite and meds to keep me from throwing up. He asked if I was given any antibiotics and I told him they didn't. He said that the papers he had faxed to him from the ER showed that the infection had gone into my blood system and I was fighting 3 infections at one time and was going to admit me to the hospital but I wouldn't go as they failed to read the urinalysis and sent me home so my trust in them wasn't worth a nickel. He finally agreed that if I would come in every day to see him, he'd treat me but he strongly suggested that I go to the hospital. I said I'd take my chances with him. I went every day to see him (Sunday included) and got antibiotic injections and he got me over it. I had to go off the sulfasalazine. So, please watch carefully for any infections. I was on Humira for 2 years without any problems but one day it just quit on me. I was then put on Enbrel and once again a UTI and then a yeast infection which I'm still battling as it won't clear up and it started in May and this is Oct 29th. I'm now on Celebrex alone and feel wonderful with no side effects at all. I'm moving better, feeling better, and my daughter said I'm like I was years ago. I've been on it since June 2nd. Hopefully, no more DMARDS or biologics. Good luck and please be aware of infections as I didn't know I even had a UTI that started my whole mess with infections but it didn't have to get that bad had the ER docs read the urinalysis. Take care!!