BTW, I see my rheumy Thursday so I'll get to discuss another DMARD if Humira can't work alone. Though I'm actually scared of the dmards since this fiasco with mtx.

hope the rheum guides you. I was allergic to plaquenil, allergic to sulfasazaline, and allegic to avara. so i plowed right through those dmards. the mtx is it man for me as I aint doing gold. i wish you a speedy replacement on your end.

angela, i don't know why. my lungs are like your feet. i get intractable pneumonia, collapsed lung, and I hate being on oxygen. the mtx screws just enought with my immune system that for my own personal healing journey from collapsed lung cannot be done while on continued mtx therapy. that's the reason for my getting pulled off off mtx in hospital and the reason I have to remain off it so long is for its body shelf life.

I am sure that I also feel like I need a mtx hit every week as I get closer. but while recuperating from pneumonia and collapsed lung, I heal quicker over 16 weeks if not on it.

that is also the reason that I cannot have remicaide. every rheumatology decision that is made for me has to be made in concert with my pulmonologist. and the short shelfers are best for me, because of my particular lung episodes.

right now I am approaching my 12 month anniversary (November) of not having a pneumonia incident. so happy. going to have a party.

Ros

MTX was weird for me. I tried it twice for 3mo at a time. At first it was fine, no adverse effects. However after around 6-8 weeks on I started to feel weird, I mean REALLY weird! Like I was at sea (nauseous, dizzy) and my brain was melting. Also my body developed these weird buzzing sensations... it all made me very anxious. Both times my rheumy stopped the medication, I also had consultations with a neuro-otologist. I have read many experiences with this drug, but none like mine!

I was on MTX for a few months. It definitely, signficantly helped my RA -- but had to go off due to severe side effects. Within a few weeks of going off MTX, the RA returned to many joints again and got much much worse. I wish I could be on MTX! According to all the research I've read, people have much better results with biologics if they are also on MTX concurrently.

But - very interesting to learn MTX depleted your B12. I have just tested as low in B12 and am receiving daily injections. I am hoping that low B12 will turn out to be the cause of my neuropathy, which started one year ago along with my RA. However, I had the neuropathy before I ever started MTX, so possibly my B12 was already low. We'll see. So far I've had no improvement from the B12 treatment.

Anyway, glad you've improved so much being off the MTX. It can be very toxic, and if it doesn't help you or makes you worse then you're lucky to be off of it!