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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Symptoms worse with meds?

Lifeis2short
Lifeis2short
Hi all! I hope everyone is having a good day. I'm not here much because I've been so busy and generally doing pretty well, but of course whenever I need help I know you all will be here. My question and problem is that when I use my injectable methotrexate and my monthly Simponi in the same week it takes me 4 days to recouperate! All of my joints get inflammed and hurt; my feet, ankles, hips, fingers, and neck. Sometimes when I just use the Mtx I get worse for a few days. Does this happen to anyone else? I think the MTX is helping sometimes because I actually do feel better most days. Any help is appreciated!
ILoveHuskies
ILoveHuskies
When I tried MTX I found that I felt worse instead of better. Just like you it made all my joints hurt more. It did not agree with my stomach. Now I'm on Enbrel and have no side effects. Usually when someone takes more than one med they separate the days they take it.
altoclef
altoclef
How long have you been on them? The first couple of months on MTX I felt the same way- that everything was worse for a couple of days, then better, then worse again right before the next dose. It's lessened or gone away, or maybe I'm just not paying attention as much. Don't have any experience with Simponi.
Dreamchaser-Linda
Dreamchaser-Linda
Mtx the devil drug I call it. I feel so bad for 3-4 days, joints hurt worse, foggy brain, bad mood, I just hate the stuff. Including memory loss.
Just recently I took myself off mtx just to see if my orencia will work without the mtx. So far so good, been 2 months. I feel terrific as in no fog, and memory is better. I have same pain, with or without it.

Lin
aprilraven
aprilraven
This is interesting to me as I've recently been dx'd and started Enbrel last week. I had the same reaction. I felt a great deal more joint pain the following 2 days. I told my Rheumie, but they said it's not on the list of side effects, but that's not what I've found online. Anyway, I'm going to try it once more to see.
Dreamchaser-Linda
Dreamchaser-Linda
My rhuemy told me, I was his only patient that complains about mtx. I told him to google mtx, and he would see hundreds of people complaining, and joint pain is the biggest complaint. They should listen to their patents instead of saying we are wrong. It's us taking the medicine, we should know what is happening to our bodys.

I can live with my RA, I'm having a harder time listening to doctors tell me, if it's not on paper, it can't be true.

Lin
Angelpuss
Angelpuss
I was Taking MTX and Enbrel (now Orencia injections) for six months on the same day without problems.
Enbrel has given me drug-induced Lupus which is, apparently, a very rare reaction - hence the change to Orencia).

For those people whose Rheumy's tell them something isn't caused by the med because it's not on paper, I'd be looking at finding a more compassionate Rheumy who would listen to what you say. After all, we know our own body best.
Gentle hugs
Lifeis2short
Lifeis2short
Thanks for all of your responses. The MTX I use is in injection form so it doesn't affect my stomach. I'm blessed to have a good doctor who will listen to me and she'll switch me if I insist but I've been on about 10 different meds with side effects and this is the one that has actually helped the most with the inflammation and pain. I guess I can live with 2 or 3 days of pain out of 7. I've been on it for about 5 months so maybe with a little more time those symptoms will lessen. I don't know...sometimes I just get so sick of all of it! I know you can all relate. Thanks so much!