I was fortunate enough to only have to take the metho for about six months I think. Wait, it might have been a year. (It's been so long) All I can tell you is that I really hated the stuff, it really didn't work for me. I have to say though, you must be doing pretty good with it if your on only four pills a week after five years! Fantastic! Since the pain starts when you miss it, and stops when you take it, it might be the RA. I would definately ask the Rheumy about it.

-Tanya N

Mtx seems to work for me the way it works for you. Sounds like it's working! I am happy with it, not least of all because it's relatively cheap and easy...

Oh Yes!..I had to get offa Mtx for 4 months ( on Remicade)..because of fatty liver
thru diet, my numbers came down dramatically

OMG, the joint and tendon pain was the worst i ever had..and had to take high doses of prednisone.

I understand NOT everyone can take MTX, but for me, it works, well, on it 17 yrs in March coming.

So i have same dose as u, for now 10mg, have done injectible also in the past.

I have to loose 10 more lbs, rheummy says, heck i'll go for more!...i'm trying hard,..and she may be able to increase mtx..in 6 weeks

but finally, taking my 5th dose, restart of mtx today, as 11/29 liver labs wre dramatically better....AST got to 33

and it's starting to kick in, slowly!

Ive been on mtx for 3 months, not sure yet f its working but Ive been sick since I got on it...mostly colds, this last 2 weeks upper resp. and cough all the time, its like I catch every thing anybody within a mile has ! seems like its lowered my immune system even lower than it already was. has anybody else had this problem? or is it coinsidence? Ive been treated with antibiotics twice from my regular dr and infections come right back. when my p.a.called me to change my pain meds, I told her about being on different antibiotics and she asked if I stopped the mtx while on them, I did not know to stop, no one told me ! tomorrow back to see rhuemy and see hopefully whats going on.If anybody has had similar problems, Please let me know.

YES!!!!!..call your Rheummy, if you catch anything....He /SHe are the experts on when to get off meds.

I did have a Yahoo rheummy, #7...and i did pick up a bad sinus infection..because i had to travel to my sons Army base, and transfer planes, at Delta/Atlanta...ppl behind me were couching, while i dived to avoid germs..LOL

He gave me bad advise, to take the Humira/Mtx......and i was on Augmentin Abx, when i saw him, i was still sick

well it went into a bad pnuemonia, and i got hospitalized. Doesn't matter,w as it the Humira or the MTX

I would check with your RA doc..about taking the meds while sick. At least wait a week...Mtx, can be delayed, and a new day can be made to start it
Also, a pharmacist can assit you...Too bad the doctor didn't advise you of this

Thanks so much..I feel sometimes like Im going crazy. Im on alot of meds. bipolar meds,thyroid med, and mtx, folic acid, plaquenel,sometimes steriods. all together its like 8 different pills a day and mtx shots once a week. never had any problems with all the others untill mtx. I do want to treat the R.A. aggresively. especally since my fingers have deformed alot over the last year...but Im not sure which is worse.its so confusing not knowing whats really best for me. Thanks again.

I very rarely go off the MTX and Enbrel when I have a cold or bronchitus. I did go off of it when I had a urinary infection. I do know either the MTX or Enbrel or both make me more likely to catch anything anyone has. After close to 5 years on MTX my liver enzymes are o.k. The only side effect I can tell from the MTX is thinning hair and very tired the next day. my Rheumy wants me to try to lower the dosage of MTX. I have tried to go dow to 3 pills weekly and the pain came back big time. So 4 seems to be the magical number for me.

I am on the MTX.. my liver enzymes were really good...Then I had a blood test the day after I took the mtx.. did it again 2 days later the next time I was due for the blood test...Both times it came back as high..I got a call from the doc.asking if I had been drinking.. Then I go to another rhummy as mine was not here and I am told that that is normal..If you get the blood test soon after you take the mtx the enzymes are high..if it is like 4 days later they are fine...so who knows which way to go..they just seemed to blow it off as normal..