they increase it to an effective dose than you pretty much cont. as along as your liver counts are ok and it still works for you.

I also started at 4 tabs weekly, increased to 8 after a couple of months, and stayed at 8 for a couple of years. However, Humira has been working well for me, so I've been able to gradually reduce the MTX to 4 tabs again. The doc says he doesn't think I'll ever be able to stop completely though. So I'm on it as long as my liver can handle it.

And here i thought i would take this for six months or so, then go off until I needed it again. I have heard people go into a remission with RA. I wonder if they stop MTX when this happens. Thanks for your replies :)

I was diagnosed in April 2010 and started MTX shortly after. I started with 4 tablets a week (10mg.). After about 6 months, my doctor increased it to 5 a week which is what I am taking now. I am also on a low dose of prednisone. My blood work has been coming back okay. I see my rheumy in 2 weeks. I still have a lot of stiffness in my left hand. Maybe she will increase it. I think she wants to work with this before moving to something else. I will see what she says.

I was comfortable at 6 tabs weekly and i also take 1/4 of the Pred. tablet (almost not worth taking) but she wanted to get my inflammation down in my wrists and suggested i take it. i have noticed since she raised my MTX dose to 7 weekly my stomach seems to be bothering me. I have to go for my blood work in a couple weeks and see her on the 24th of March. I might ask if I could go back down to the lower dose because of the stomach issues. I guess my blood work will show if it is affecting my liver. I sure hope not.

Certainly talk about your stomach bothering you.
To Me that sounds like a lot of mtx (I am NOT a doctor). I was at 6, then they dropped me to 5. I asked if I could go to 4, and they said no. So I stopped taking it all together because it bothered me so much (not something I encourage at ALL - and don't like to advertise). The thing is this, if something happens and a flare hits me all over again, I am Screwed. Better you take it and be on it as long as your liver and stomach can tolerate it. Also there are so many other things your doc can try with you if this doesn't work out for you.
A note: I am also trying alternative help, some of which my doc is on board with, other things he feels studies don't support yet. I am my own guinnea pig - do not try this at home!!!

MTX is a long term medication (as long as you are not having adverse affects, not affecting your liver, etc). I know ppl who have been on it for 15+ years. It protects your joints from the damage of RA. I've had heard about drug induced remission, but (again, not a doctor) I believe remissions are difficult to sustain when not on meds.

MTX is one of those life long drugs if your liver can tolerate it. I have been on injectable mtx for over 10 years and going strong.

Is the injectable less harmful?

I started on 4 pills a wk also then up to 6 pills but my liver does not like. My alt keep going up the more I take. I have been on it for about 6 mths. So now I am only taking 4 pills. I am down to 10 mgs of prednisone hopefully will be off it in about 6 wks. I also doing the antibiotic therapy.

Injectable MTX was prescribed to me because the pills did nothing at all. The MTX gets directly into your bloodstream and like any medication that doeswn't have to be metabolically absorbed by the body works much better\. That's my opinion anyway. I once asked my rheumy if she had RA if she would take MTX pills or inject herself and she didn't hesitate to saqy injection would be her method of choice.

What is antibiodic therapy?

I have been on MTX for over two years. After starting Enbrel, my MTX dose was lowered from 6 to 4 per week, but I had to go back up to 5. Eight does sound like a lot! The Enbrel/MTX combination with Celebrex occassionally have gotten me to a medically induced remission. (Thank you, Lord!) But my rheumy says that there is no remission without the meds.

I'd like to know more about the antibiotic therapy, too.