Reducing MXT

[JEM95]

Hi lovely people, I don’t post very often but read posts daily (commenting now and then when I feel it adds!).

Four the past five weeks I have been on a reduced dosage of MXT. I was on 22.5mg and have dropped to 17.5mg.

I have no experience of reducing, just galloping upwards! I’ve been on 22.5 for over five years.

I have felt great for a while now, until reducing MXT. I’m aching again - but I don’t know if it’s a case of my immune system battling with a bug, a flare or as a result of my reduction.

I had bloods done on Thursday and am intrigued as to whether they will show anything.

I don’t really know what to expect - might it be a case of it hurts at the moment but my body will get used to less MXT?

I’d really love to hear any feedback from anyone lucky enough to have coped with less MXT, or any useful advice in general.

Thanks in advance xx

[helixhelix]

I was on triple therapy for years, and every time I reduced even a dose of anything I flared...I kept trying as I would reach a point of feeling so good that I was convinced the RA had gone. Every time it took a few weeks and then the grumbles would start up again. And my body certainly didn't get used to less.

Anyway, I'm now on Enbrel and MTX and doing well. So have just dropped a single dose (2.5mg) of MTX....only a week so far so too early to tell.

Fingers crossed for you blood test.

[stbernhard]

Hello, I have gradually dropped from 20mg to 10mg in the next delivery. Still on 15 at he moment. So that is going to be the biggest step down so far. I am in remission and I hope it will stay that way. Five weeks is not that long a time, but I would contact my rheumy to talk about it. All the best.

[Oneta]

Like you I feel quite good and I get confused as what pain or stiffness is what, as the more I feel better the more exercise I introduce and the more muscle or RA stiffness, I feel. Is it from too much swimming or cycling or walking or my RA playing up. But I have never felt as bad as my first flare up, so onwards and upwards I reckon, I am kee; to slowly reduce my mx to see what happens.

[Simba1992 in reply to Oneta]

When you feel better and you increase excersize you need to be very careful. Excersize is antiinflammatory but can if overdone be inflammatory. In RA we often overdue. There is a very fine line, I have noticed.

[nomoreheels]

Could be any you mention but when I reduced dose by 5mg it was too much & had to go back up 2.5mg. It's only when I go up it's by 5mg now. That said last time I went from 17.5mg to 20mg. I'd contact your nurses, see what they make of it, they'll advise.

[Dodo1943]

I went up to 20mg Mtx tablets from 15mg to thwart Prednisolone successfully and have reduced Mtx in 2 stages back to 15mg, where I expect to remain indefinitely, having achieved clinical remission.

My knuckles are sometimes a bit ‘clunky’ some mornings but I haven’t resorted to painkillers since March 2017. This has been achieved with the consent of my Rheumy but I smiled at his foonote arrangement for my next routine appointment date ‘or SOS’.....!!

[JEM95]

Thanks everyone for your replies. I’m seeing my GP tomorrow (she’s super - her mum has RA so she understands).

I suspect I need to go back to 22.5 for a while at least. Maybe next time I’ll try reducing to 20mg.

Thanks all! X