Connect
← Return to Methotrexate / Actemra
Discussion
Comment receiving replies
Hi. I took methotrexate as an adjunct drug to my biologic for Rheumatoid Arthritis. It caused nausea and other mild GI symptoms initially, but they subsided in a week and I had no adverse symptoms at all. But over time it began to affect my liver function and I had to stop taking it. It was also preventing my body from developing antibodies to my biologic Humira, so of course I promptly did develop them - and had to change to a biologic that didn’t tend to produce antibodies. But I tolerated methotrexate well after the first week or so. Keep some peppermint candy and things you can settle your stomach with ( so with real peppermint, not candy with artificial flavoring only). Otherwise, sip seagrams ginger ale with real ginger.
Good luck!
Replies to "Hi. I took methotrexate as an adjunct drug to my biologic for Rheumatoid Arthritis. It caused..."
I am on 5mg of prednisone and 10 mg methotrexate and trying to get off prednisone. I have thought that methotrexate helped with few if any side effects for me. But the problem of profound weakness with cutting back on predn below 5 has me concerned. Does anyone have any ideas?
How is PMR diagnosed I’ve had osteoarthritis for years but severe joint pain has my rheumatologist thinking it’s pmr I know very little about it and cannot take prednisone
Connect
I took methotrexate as an adjunct to prednisone. In my case, it was used as a steroid sparing medication. It was the first medication used in an attempt at getting my prednisone dose lower.
My experience with methotrexate mirrors your experience. It worked for lowering my prednisone dose. I tolerated methotrexate for about a year until my liver enzymes increased. It gradually made me nauseated to take it. Then I developed "morning sickness" because I retched every morning when I woke up. My rheumatologist scoffed at my morning sickness and she insisted methotrexate was working for me. I eventually decided to discontinue methotrexate myself.
A couple of years later, my rheumatologist wanted me to try methotrexate again. I took it for a few weeks the second time but I would retch whenever I attempted to put it into my mouth. I think it was an aversion to methotrexate.
I admire anyone who can take methotrexate because it does work for some people. Its effectiveness for PMR has mixed results.
My rheumatologist also wanted me on methotrexate for preventing my body from developing antibodies to my biologic Actemra. I think my expression was all it took for my rheumatolgist to decide not to start it for a third time. The idea was nixed and wasn't pursued. As far as I know, I haven't developed antibodies to Actemra. How do they test for that? Actemra still seems to work for me so I doubt I have developed any antibodies against it.
I have minimal if any side effects from Actemra and got completely off prednisone. Prednisone came with many side effects. I think there might be a greater risk when Actemra and prednisone are used in combination. This seemed true for almost any medication I took with prednisone for its steroid sparing effects. Fortunately, I was able to taper off prednisone relatively quickly after Actemra was tried.