Rheumatoid Arthritis Support Group

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic, inflammatory, multisystem, autoimmune disorder. It is a disabling and painful condition which can lead to substantial loss of mobility due to pain and joint destruction. The disease is also systemic in that it often also affects many extra-articular tissues throughout the body including the skin, blood vessels, heart, lungs, and...

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SusieG 10/07/2016

I've only been on MTX for 3 weeks, but stiff neck getting worse with every passing day. Anyone else?

californialynn 10/08/2016

It takes a while for the MTX to kick in. What dose are you on?

Were you given a short dose of Prednisone just to tide you over?

SusieG 10/08/2016

20 mg once a wk. Nothing else but folic acid. Is the neck RA or drug effect?

MarleneJ 10/09/2016

I have never had a stiff neck with mthx, but I remembered that some people do!

It is listed as a side effect here:

http://www.webmd.com/drugs/2/drug-3441/methotrexate-anti-rheumatic-oral/details

Please see your rheumatologist as soon as possible!

MarleneJ 10/09/2016

RA does not attack neck muscles, and rarely the neck joints, so I doubt that is the problem!

Zee 10/09/2016

I've not had a stiff neck on MTX, and as others say, it is listed as a side effect. If it were me, I'd speak to doc / rheumatologist asap.

SusieG 10/09/2016

Thanks all. I wasn't expecting so many drug troubles so soon (already off meloxicam ). Afraid my doc is going to think I'm a hypochondriac.

californialynn 10/09/2016

I do not believe it's related to RA or the drug.

It could be: strain, OA, cricoarytenoid arthritis, or Ankylosing Spondylitis.

I would have an HlA-B27 test run. It is not conclusive for AS, though 95% of all AS patients are positive.

SusieG 10/09/2016

WTH?

californialynn 10/09/2016

WTH - referring to what?

SusieG 10/09/2016

Everything you said. I know it's not strain, and it started the day after I went from six pills to eight pills. Just didn't seem like a coincidence so I wondered was it a side effect. All those things you said have nothing to do with RA (you said), then where did you come up with them?

californialynn 10/09/2016

I don't understand "where did you come up with them?".

I don't believe, in spite of coincidental timing, that it has anything to do with RA or the drug. I'm giving you alternate possibilities as to what might be causing the stiff neck.

Are we on the same page now?

WarriorGal 10/09/2016

I seldom disagree with Marlene, but looks did up and found this on WEB-MD, a reliable source: "When rheumatoid arthritis affects the neck joints, particularly those located at the top of the spine, complications can occur. ... Pressure can cause numbness, pain, tingling, weakness, loss of bowel or bladder control, and unusual head and neck sensations."

Having said that i do agree that it i likely something else altogether, and not related to MTX. Try a new pillow and/or ask your doctor to prescribe PT. PT helped my neck tremendously after a car accident.

MarleneJ 10/09/2016

Interesting, WG. I know it can affect the two cricynoid joints in the neck, but they are very small. And of course AS involves the spine. It just didn't sound like she was talking about flares, but a stiff neck, which would be the mthx, not the RA. Or who knows, maybe both or neither as Lynn says??

Best advice, which we all gave - see your rheumatologist.

As for drugs, when you have failed, or had bad side effects for 10 or more RA drugs, that is the time to start worrying. Right now, the OP has a huge number of meds to choose from. And that is a very good thing!

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