Just a month after taking MTX 10 mg, I feel so tired and now have an urinary tract infection. I never get UTI's and am feeling that it must be the MTX. I was supposed to increase the doseage of the MTX to 20mg/week injection today but since I have bacteria, blood and yeast in my urine with chills and back pain thought that I should not take the MTX at all. Am I right about that? Why can't we just treat PsA with NSAIDS and not all of the other toxic meds? Forgive me for whinning, it's just that I want to do the right thing for my health and these drugs seem so serious.
The drugs are serious, you are quite right about that. Some people are able to treat with NSAIDs for some time, but this doesn't impact the course of the disease at all. And for many people, the realization that they should have been taking DMARDs or biologics comes after there is substantial joint damage. The meds are what is needed to slow the progression of the disease.
In terms of the MTX and being sick, this is one of those discussions that you will need to have with your rheumy as to when you should skip the week and when you shouldn't. If you have a fever above a low fever, the general rule is that you don't take the meds. It sounds as though you have a kidney infection from what you're saying. Can you call your rheumy or your GP? It sounds as though you saw a doctor regarding the UTI, or is this not correct? You should definitely call tomorrow.
You're not whining. I don't think there is anyone here who likes to take these meds, and some of them do have side effects, sometimes serious. But I remember what I was functioning like before I started taking a DMARD, and how bad things got before I added in another. I have some joint damage, and my PsA is progressing fairly slowly, but progressing it is. I wish you luck. It took me a while to feel comfortable with the idea of taking these types of meds, but it needs to be controlled, and this is the best way to do it.
We take these drugs so we can function.
We take these drugs to prevent serious damage. I’d had two knee replacements and erosions in my feet before they realized something was very wrong with me. The pharmaceutical nasties they gave me at that point (mtx and arava) came too late to forestall the hip replacement I had last week. Now I’m going on Enbrel, in the hopes of slowing the serial destruction of my joints. According to my orthopedic surgeon, it may already be too late for my other hip.
You’re not whining, and you are absolutely right that these drugs are toxic and horrible. But if you decide not to acceptt them, you’re taking your chances with permanent and painful damage.
That’s why we take them, reluctantly maybe. Good luck with this, julittle
Seenie
The drugs are serious, but the disease is more serious. Besides damaging your joints, the disease goes after other organs, such as your circulatory system. Psoriasis can kill us though it's a slow process.
Some somewhat good news is that the biologics generally won't give you side effects. I never liked how MTX made me feel, but on Enbrel I feel great. Unlike MTX, the biologics don't do much to your immune system, so you're not likely to get sick much more often than usual. I've been on Enbrel 18 months and I've had one cold that whole time and nothing else. My wife has had 4-5 colds and she's not on any meds.
Thank you for the responses. I spent some time talking to my husband about this and we read your responses and see the insight and compassion that so many of you have. It's just so hard right now as everything is so new and I still find myself slipping into a denial phase. I work in a hospital and so went to the er last night with abd pain and blood in my urine. I will fax the urine results to my rheumy doc and ask him what to do about the MTX in the morning. I did read that you are not supposed to take Bactrim and MTX together. I want to say I'll be glad when this is all over but that doesn't make sense, does it? You folks are the best. Thanks again.
I know,julittle. It’s hard and sometimes denial is the only place to hide. I still slip into it from time to time.
Look after yourself.
I’ve done my 3rd week back at work after 3 months off at the worst of my flare. S/E are the price we pay for getting better…Ive finally stopped gritting my teeth just to get by 
I remember I acquired a nasty sinus infection after being on Mtx for about a month. I was so discouraged like you are, and I envisioned a future of being ill all the time. I stopped the Mtx not too long after that, and I’ve been on the biologics for about one year and a half. I have not been any sicker on the biologics than I was before I was taking them…and I work with sick children as a nurse!
It is very hard to analyze this disease and all it’s treatments. I wish you all the best as you begin this journey.