I've also heard that mtx can cause diabetes and anemia, anyone experience this or heard of this?
I started MTX Jan 14 and three wks to the day I was able to move my fingers close to a fist formation. It is now the end of the week and the gains so far remain. My back hurts less as well. All is not well but improvement noted !! My Rhumy set a nine week return date saying it took that long to work. Keep in mind that everybody's body is different and the nature of their disease is also unique to them --- so variations from one of us to the next is to be expected.
Never give up hope said:
I cant read all the comments from my phone but I am starting mtx today also. I was wondering how long does it take for you to see a difference. I am on Humira weekly and medrol. I still have inflammation in my ankles and new patches of psoraisis coming up. Hoping for relief soon. Although, I have had improvement but its not as much as I hope for.. I am able to work about 3 days a week at the moment. I hope once the mtx kicks in I can have a full week.
Yes, you need to get monthly blood work done to ensure your kidneys and liver are tolerating the medication well.
Pamela Corini said:
For anyone on MTX do you get monthly blood work ??
Yes I get blood work every 2 months. tb- I have never heard of those s/e. I have used it for a year without any s/e and do notice benefit.
I am on Mtx and get bloodwork every two months. I had to do Mtx before any biologic could be started.
Tb,
Cancer is a risk listed in the prescriber information for Humira and cases of leukemia have been noted. The risk for cancers go up with the dose of medication. Patients on lower doses, like psoriasis pts, have a 1.4- fold risk and pts who receive higher doses, like for Crohns, have a 4.3-fold increase over the non treated population. This is from a study done in 2006 with 3000 pts on Anti-TNF therapy and 1500 in the control group. It breaks down to one additional case of cancer per every 154 people on anti-TNF therapy. There is a more recent study from 2012, but I couldn’t find a summary and didnt want to read the whole thing. Hope that helps…
tb said:
Yes, I've put it off for at least two years and was able to function normally. Now the pain is just too great. I ahd some massage therapy done on my knee as I thought it wasn't PsA, I think that may have made it swell worse, as It had gone down previous.
Yes, it's the same here in Canada, you have to start on mtx first before they will move you to something else.
Question about Humria. My wife says her friends mother was on it and now has luekimia of the blood and is now looking for a bone marrow donor. I don't know all the facts, but does that sound like a possibility?
Thanks for your input
When i was on mtx - i had blood work every month, without a problem - then after 5 or 6 mths of perfect blood work results - the rheumy changed the frequency for blood work to every 3 months, since I was doing so well on it! I also didnt suffer any side effects while on mtx !!! I was on 15 mg per week (6 pills) by the way. I think max dose u can be prescribed is 25 mg weekly. Dont quote me though. ....Anyways mtx helped me in the way that i had less painful episodes & made morning stiffness not an issue...(but not the stiffness I may get at other times) And mtx didnt do anything for the inflammation, & the mobility issues in my feet. I have mild-to moderate PsA by the way. Everyone is different though & will have different experiences with different drugs.
Ive heard RA goes into remission for many women when pregnant but big flare ups are common within 6-8 weeks after delivery. I am wondering if anything else can make it go into remission. I have also read and I think it happened to me too that some autoimmune diseases are triggered by stressful events and even pregnancy in women. I seemed to suddenly develop celiac disease thru pregnancy. It is also could have been a major move across the world that triggered it.
And what about PsA...I am wondering if its the same...you mentioned you can not go into remission with PsA. Is that a fact? Was wondering if it's similar to RA and pregnancy ...not so sure if you would know about this. Really would like to know if it's true fact u cant go into remission with PsA. If so, what makes it so different to RA then.
Psoriatic Arthritis Guy said:
Remission? Not sure if this is an option. I've never heard of psoriatic disease in remission. Just to keep it mind.
Hope your MTX works great.
And, hopefully you didn't go CRAZY on the prednisone! LOL.
Lucky Mamma said:I hate being on a steroid and am definitely concerned about it. But my dr really wants to get the P under control ASAP and MTX takes about eight weeks to kick in. Hopefully this will help me go onto remission,
Louise Hoy said:I've been on MTX for over a year now and other than fatigue after dosing and occasional nausea I've been fine. To be honest I would be more concerned to be on steroids as they can cause a lot of problems long term, short bursts are better, but to me they are big guns that should be handled very very carefully.
My P was best helped by UVB therapy and the topical cream dovobet together (after 30 years of various lotions and potions that didn't work) but we are also different what works for some doesn't for others.
I'm primarily on MTX for the joint problems but it does also help the few areas of P that returned last year
good luck with the MTX you will be closely monitored, more so than the steroid in my experience x
My doctor had me call the insurance company and ask what they needed to approve the biologic. I called and all they needed was my diagnosis and a pre-authorization form completed by the dx and a clear TB test. I did not have to take the methotrexate first. Also, I called the prescription drug segment of my insurance. I have BCBS with Caremark as the drug part so I called Caremark. I had my Simponi within a week.
Sherry said:
So you started the Enbrel before the MXT? My doctor said that the insurance companies (I have Blue Cross/Blue Shield) like for them to try MXT first before moving on to the Biologics such as Humira and Enbrel. I’ve read a LOT of great things about the Enbrel. My doctor doesn’t feel I’ll be on the MXT long and wants to move me to one of the others as soon as possible. Nonetheless, I sincerely hope the MXT works well for you. It’s all about each of us finding what works for us, no matter the medicine or combination of medicines!! Here’s to less pain and inflammation!! Best wishes!
I took MTX oral for 1 year- 20mg. Then we switched to injections. HANDS DOWN injections for me were WAYYYY Better for the nausea.
Dr. told me through pills you absorb 30-40% and through injections you absorb 80-90%. I will say that my hair loss increased WAY more on the injection. However after 1 year of injections it is tapering off. Exciting ;) Small victories need to be celebrated!
If I could do it over- I would inject from the get go- it bypasses the GI tract = less vomit/nausea...
Actually I’m on Simponi. It seems to be working OK. I have had three doses. The pain is significantly reduced, the swelling also reduced but not gone. My toes, for example used to be straight little digits but after PsA arrived a few months ago are bulbous. Still in all I am so much better. FYI it wasn’t an instant change. Just one day about two weeks after first shot, I noticed my feet and hands felt OK. My shoes stopped hurting and I could close my hands without wincing too badly. My rheumy doc indicated 1) maintain even doses of NSAID, and 2) use anti-inflammatory cream (voltaren). If I wanted to I can use topical like Bengay (has the right % mix of pain relievers).
The doc said the insurance company prefers you to be on mthx first but to call and see if they required it. They did not. Just the diagnosis, clear TB test and pre-authorization by doctors office which he gave.
This is not a 100% cure. Twice I have had lower back pain attacks during my Simponi use. They lasted about a week each time. But my quality of life is overall so much better!
The P is also somewhat better. I switch between taclonex or clobex (steroidal creams) and calcipitriene (non-steroidal cream). I also had UVB to the body and excimer treatments to the scalp (stopped when I left the area my derm doc is located). Not sure if the Simponi or the topicals are the reason for my improvement so I do both. Hope this helps.
I so needed thi discussion this
Morning! I am on my 2nd week of MTX I took on Friday and want to thank everyone for there suggestions. I ached all over last night but today is Sunday a new day. I was scared but can’t live the way that I am. Last night I was pissed off that I have this disease and told my hubby thAt I am not taking the meds I know in my heart I have this disease and need to address it I am sure I have had this since I was teen. I don’t think I would of believed my diagnosis till the docs about my diagnosis my feet X-rays came back ok and feet always hurt but my sacroiliac joints are inflamed. Last year I could barely walk I was on vacation but wasn’t diagnosed yet I thought I had bone cancer I hurt so bad. I can do this I have to try and trust!! I have had so many surgeries on my elbows due to tendon damage I wonder if this is part of the disease? All I can say is I am gonna give this MTX a try! I will never know if I don’t. Thank you all for listening I hope I feel better later and I think this MTX is making me thirsty.
Lucky Mamma I do understand how you feel and this support group is here for you as well. I think we need to trust but to also give yourself time. I know it’s difficult with kids at home! Hoping you get relief soon. I am praying your medication starts to work soon I don’t have kids at home my son is 24 and out in his own. But my husband is very active so it’s difficult. Keep us posted on your progress. 
Both psoriasis and PsA can go into remission from what my Rheumatologist has told me.
beecreek said:
Ive heard RA goes into remission for many women when pregnant but big flare ups are common within 6-8 weeks after delivery. I am wondering if anything else can make it go into remission. I have also read and I think it happened to me too that some autoimmune diseases are triggered by stressful events and even pregnancy in women. I seemed to suddenly develop celiac disease thru pregnancy. It is also could have been a major move across the world that triggered it.
And what about PsA...I am wondering if its the same...you mentioned you can not go into remission with PsA. Is that a fact? Was wondering if it's similar to RA and pregnancy ...not so sure if you would know about this. Really would like to know if it's true fact u cant go into remission with PsA. If so, what makes it so different to RA then.
Psoriatic Arthritis Guy said:Remission? Not sure if this is an option. I've never heard of psoriatic disease in remission. Just to keep it mind.
Hope your MTX works great.
And, hopefully you didn't go CRAZY on the prednisone! LOL.
Lucky Mamma said:I hate being on a steroid and am definitely concerned about it. But my dr really wants to get the P under control ASAP and MTX takes about eight weeks to kick in. Hopefully this will help me go onto remission,
Louise Hoy said:I've been on MTX for over a year now and other than fatigue after dosing and occasional nausea I've been fine. To be honest I would be more concerned to be on steroids as they can cause a lot of problems long term, short bursts are better, but to me they are big guns that should be handled very very carefully.
My P was best helped by UVB therapy and the topical cream dovobet together (after 30 years of various lotions and potions that didn't work) but we are also different what works for some doesn't for others.
I'm primarily on MTX for the joint problems but it does also help the few areas of P that returned last year
good luck with the MTX you will be closely monitored, more so than the steroid in my experience x