I started methotrexate after the plaquinel didn't have any effect. The metho was awful I had such bad stomach pain and broke out in a horrible rash I was sweating profusely Unfortunately I am not on any medication just pain medication shoved down like tic tacs to make it through the day.

I was put on mexotrexatre for a brief period. Had to be taken off quickly due to extreme gastrointestinal side effects. On Humera now for several months and felt fine but lately starting to dwindle downward again.

I am on plaquenil and it had no effect on my symptoms. I began to take mtx orally, was too nausea. If you can handle givin yourself injections and request levocoverin (vitamin ) it may help with your side effects

I was diagnosed in 2008 w/ MCTD. I am now on plaquenil & methotrexate injections. I take folic acid & levocoverin for the nausea & to decrease the chances of my hair falling out. W/o the methotrexate I couldn't even move in the am. I started on methotrexate pills but it caused me unbearable nausea & vomiting but everyone is different. God Bless.

I have been on MTX for 3 weeks. I take folic acid every day and I take Phenergan for Nausea. So far I just deal with feeling slight Nausea every day but the day after I take MTX I can't get out of bed. Has anyone else had that feeling?

I just started a larger dose and I'm having stomach problems. When I was on a lower dose it wasn't so bad. I didn't associate the sweats and the meds until Jaylene just mentioned it. I'm going back to the doctor in a couple of weeks, gonna have them change it back. My stomach hurts and the digestive problems have been awful . Thanks for the help!! I just joined and I'm hoping you all will be a support for me.. this stuff sucks!!

I've been taking methotrexate since April 2016, starting at 5 2.5mg pills a week as well as taking Plaquenil twice a day. I noticed no change with the Plaquenil but still take it as per the doctors directions. Over a period of five months, the mtx dosage increased and I didn't notice any difference until I was taking 9 pills a week. Doctor finally put me on the max dose of 10 pills a week and for a few months I was finally living with a bearable amount of pain until recently when I started having untolerable pain on mtx day. Doctor says its a "flare". I have hair loss and some GI discomfort. I have certain foods I can no longer tolerate, especially on the day I take mtx. Eggs, milk, yogurt, and too much cheese can cause me to have immediate diarrhea some days. Some smells and perfumes can instantly make me nauseous. I am always cold and have terrible issues with the Reynaud's Syndrome. Hope this helps. I'm allergic to pain meds so I supplement the Rx meds with vitamins: Folic acid, (except on mtx day), turmeric, biotin.

Very useful thread, thanks so much to everyone who posted.

It does seem like dramatic positive results to MTX are the exception, not the rule. I met one woman at a training site who nearly died from another autoimmune disorder who is convinced that MTX saved her life and is now in full remission. But if you'd asked the same question here five years ago, I think the responses would have been very similar.

So I was on MTX for 5 months I had to switch to injections after the first month because of gastritis. I had to stop mtx because of severe side effects. I tried to just not take anything but I can't hardly function at this point. I have now been put on leflunomide 20mg. Has anyone taken this drug? If so does it work?

It really doesn't matter which immuno-suppressant you take, they all have side effects. The trick is to find the one with the least amount. I took predisone, plaquenil, and methotrexate in the beginning to get the swelling and pain under control. Once I had a better handle on it, I was taken off the predisone. After 3 and a half years my skin started turning grey so they took me off the plaquenil. I'm supposed to do an injection of the methotrexate once a week, but like everyone else here, I have side effects. Mostly weight loss and fatigue. I just do a shot once a month now and closely monitor my flare ups. If they start getting more frequent I do an extra shot. Not sure this is the way for everyone to go, I just don't like taking medicine that lowers your bodies ability to fight off stuff. I take a lot of Advil to keep the swelling down too. When I get a flare up I soak with Epson salt and alternate cold and heat to bring down the swelling. I was also diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, which caused sever nerve pain in my neck. They put me on gabapentin for that. I don't take that unless I'm in sever pain either cause it makes my brain foggy. I say he instead of she and east instead of west. I don't like feeling out of it, or lowering my bodies natural defenses so I try to take only what I need to. I don't live a pain free life, but I feel like I'm not trading off one symptom for another.