Rheumatoid arthritis.

Thank You Kay, I am definitely in a full blown flare. Both knees, right wrist, both shoulders. I haven’t gone to Zumba class in months. Go into pool and do some work out but doesn’t take away the pain. You have found a system that works for you, that’s great, I hope I do too. Do Doctors help you or just give pills? Trying to stay away from heavy duty pills but the pain is getting to me. New RA Dr Wednesday, hope he is the one that can give me a diagnosis.

I was recently diagnosed with Polymyalgia Rheumatica (PMR, which my mother also had) with blood tests: CRP >20 (H), ESR 43 (H) , as well as Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) (IgM RF of 51 (H)', ANA titer 1:80 (Homogeneous pattern), and MRI showing "erosion of Lunate" bone in wrist. I also have subclinical autoimmune thyroiditis (Thyroid Peroxidase Antibodies at 34 (H).

I am currently on 5 mg Prednisone/day (2.5mg in Am; 2.5 g in Pm) which helps with the morning stiffness and pain from PMR. I will be going on Methotrexate (MTX) next week, once a week starting with weekly 75 mg of MTX along with 1mg Folate/day.

I will be doing this regimen of MTX and Folate, while continuing on Prednisone, for at least 6 months, to see how I respond. My rheumatologist explained that the MTX will help stop the progression of RA and hopefully stop any further bone erosions in my hands and wrists.

I will be having my liver function enzymes checked once a month as MTX is hepatotoxic.

I am just interested to hear anyone else's experience with RA and the Methotrexate/Folate regimen.

Also, has anyone else had both RA and PMR and been on MTX and Prednisone at the same time?

Just curious to hear other people's experiences and journeys, as this is the beginning of my Autoimmune/RA/PMR journey.

Thanks in advance.

Hello! I was on methotrexate up to 20 mg for a year. I didn't have much of a response to it. I used Mega folinic from Source Naturals instead of the prescribed folate because it is more bioavalable.
I was on methotrexate and Humira for about 6 month, with barely measurable difference.
I'm off meds since January, until 2 weeks ago, when I started low dose naltrexone at 4.5 mg. I'm hoping it will help with fatigue and inflammation.
I had low-grade nausea from methotrexate. I read that taking dextromethorphan along with it can help with side effects.
My liver enzymes were checked every 3 months, and didn't rise until the last month I was on methotrexate.
This is just my experience. Many people have experienced success with these treatments, and I hope your experience is successful!

I was recently diagnosed with Polymyalgia Rheumatica (PMR, which my mother also had) with blood tests: CRP >20 (H), ESR 43 (H) , as well as Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) (IgM RF of 51 (H)', ANA titer 1:80 (Homogeneous pattern), and MRI showing "erosion of Lunate" bone in wrist. I also have subclinical autoimmune thyroiditis (Thyroid Peroxidase Antibodies at 34 (H).

I am currently on 5 mg Prednisone/day (2.5mg in Am; 2.5 g in Pm) which helps with the morning stiffness and pain from PMR. I will be going on Methotrexate (MTX) next week, once a week starting with weekly 75 mg of MTX along with 1mg Folate/day.

I will be doing this regimen of MTX and Folate, while continuing on Prednisone, for at least 6 months, to see how I respond. My rheumatologist explained that the MTX will help stop the progression of RA and hopefully stop any further bone erosions in my hands and wrists.

I will be having my liver function enzymes checked once a month as MTX is hepatotoxic.

I am just interested to hear anyone else's experience with RA and the Methotrexate/Folate regimen.

Also, has anyone else had both RA and PMR and been on MTX and Prednisone at the same time?

Just curious to hear other people's experiences and journeys, as this is the beginning of my Autoimmune/RA/PMR journey.

Thanks in advance.

Hi, I see two of you mentioned taking folate. Please explain why folate is good for patients with RA as my husband has it and is only on plaquinil. His hands are most affected by the RA.

My doctor of 17 years is lovely. She does push plaquinel and methotrexate quite a bit. However, she’s always encouraged me to eat gluten-free, stay away from red meat, eat lots of salmon and sardines. She’s always encouraged me to stay away from the nightshade’s like tomatoes and eggplant. She asked me to refrain from eating processed foods and anything with sugar - that’s the hard one. She’s great with watching my labs like my SED rate, C-reactive protein, and a vectors score all of which are inflammatory markers. I hope you have a good first visit with your new doctor. Compression gloves, sleeves, and knee wraps have always been my friend with pain. I hope you feel better soon. It can be tough.🌺🙏💜

It’s not so much that folate is recommended because someone has a diagnosis of RA, it’s because it’s a requirement for patients on Methotrexate to mitigate side effects. MTX depletes folate which can lead to fatigue, nausea, vomiting, and mouth sores, so taking it alongside MTX helps patients better tolerate the drug.

I have an overlap of RA, psoriatic and spondylitis - I started methotrexate with folic acid and take 8mg of Medrol with it (that’s about 10 mg of Prednisone). I just started Remicade infusions yesterday (my 7th or 8th bioligic). My rheumatologist added 6mg of low-dose Naltrexone, and I think it does help. We’ve tried repeatedly to taper from the steroid each time before I start a new biologic drug but my symptoms return, so she thinks I just need more immune suppression which we hope the Remicade can provide.

The goal is usually to try tapering the steroid once you’ve had some time on the MTX, but I think it’s a different regimen for PMR. Hopefully it’s a smooth transition for you. Best of luck 🙂