Hello everyone… I tested positive for Covid this morning and have fairly manageable symptoms… just a headache and sore throat. But… I am due to take 15ml of Methotrexate today so should I stop the methotrexate for a week to let my immune system try and clear this. I’ve had three vaccinations but never had covid before?
thoughts welcome…
Thanks Jayne 🙏
With the caveat I’m not medically qualified and proper advice should always be sought. My understanding is that you stop any arthritis medication when you have covid e that you would normally stop for any other kind of infection. This was the advice I was given when taking mtx for the first 12 months of the pandemic, as well as what I’ve read from the NHS in recent months and seen on here from other members taking methotrexate. I would personally not take it, at least until you’ve spoken to someone qualified to advise: if they say differently and that you should continue as normal, the worst case scenario is you end up taking it a day or two late.
thanks Charlie… I’ll try and get thru to the Rheumy Team tomorrow and see what they say 👍
I had COVID recently and had the same question, I was also having a flare with new area affected (my Jaw). I did put a couple of calls into the nurse advice line for both the flare and COVID.
On this occasion I didn't get a call back for a couple of days, they are usually very quick. So I took my MTX as planned. I was fine and I tested neg for COVID after 3 days but when they did call me back I got told off for taking it. "you should stop taking it if you have a runny nose - you will have been told that when it was first prescribed". I remember being told to stop it if I needed antibiotics.
You do need to check with your Rhuemy team
I'm new to MTX so was told 'everything' only a month ago but I've not been told anything about what to do with an infection. If I stopped taking it for a runny nose, I'd never be on it! I don't know why but since I've had RA I've had a runny nose all the time. I keep thinking that I'm coming down with something that never appears.
they tell me, any virus/infection, don’t take any meds. I can do that easily so manage it myself. My rheumy says “you’re a veteran now, you know what to do”. Some people with severe symptoms simply can’t cope without something on a regular basis. Talk to your team if you’re unsure.
I was phoned by clinic nurse and told to stop my methotrexate for two weeks when I caught covid.
Yes I stop my mtx with vaccinations and infections inc Covid. The trouble is I had covid at the beginning of October and have barely taken it since! I stopped for 2 weeks while I had covid, took it for 1 week and then stopped again when I had my (postponed) flu jab. Then I had my (postponed) Covid booster so stopped yet again and now I’m debating whether to stop again as I have a ‘bug’!
Fortunately, my RA is fairly well controlled atm.
Snap, covid in October, off for 2 weeks, flu and covid vaccinations this week so off again for a fortnight. Totally bad timing.🙈
Why are you getting a Covid vaccine only 6 weeks after having Covid? I thought we were to wait 4 months?
yes advice is to stop, and not restart till you test negative and feel well. It’s really not worth it.
I’d say phone your rheumatologist for advice. Although my RA was diagnosed in 2004, it still wasn’t really well controlled, and I have frequent flares. My rheumatologist advised me to continue with my RA meds after my Covid diagnosis.
Most people seem to be advised not to have their methotrexate if they have an infection.
But there is little evidence that it makes any difference. And if you are likely to have a flare then that is more dangerous to you. If it takes 3 months to build up your blood levels, then stopping for one, or sometimes two, methotrexate doses, it will only make a marginal difference to your immune system.
I think it's up your rheumy team and you to decide on the balance of probabilities that you might have a flare if you stop.
My over twenty years experience of taking methotrexate is when necessary for example to help fight off flu etc a short holiday from methotrexate say miss a week is advisable.
don’t take the methotrexate… I had covid recently and had to stop the methotrexate with covid until felt well but the covid gave me secondary chest infection so had to stay off methotrexate longer so as to have antibiotics. I was told to carry on taking all other meds especially the prednisone x
I recently had covid and stopped taking my methotrexate and Benapali for 2 weeks. Talk to your GP or rheumatologist. It depends on how well controlled your condition is, if you are likely to have a serious flare, what dosage you take etc etc. That is why we can’t really advise you, we are all different and respond differently. With experience over the years I have become confident in what works for me if I have an infection but this won’t necessarily work for you. Hope you recover quickly but meantime get plenty of rest.
I got Covid and was prescribed antivirals. I was advised to continue with my methotrexate and recovered far more quickly from Covid than my partner did, though I put that down to the antivirals.
My rheumatology nurse advised me to stop for a week while I had covid, but as my symptoms were very mild I just carried on taking my Mthx as normal anyway to no ill affect. I suppose it all depends on how your covid symptoms are? If I had felt awful I probably would have stopped for a week to give my immune system the chance to fight back.
Covid vaccination and taking Methotrexate 
Covid jab and methotrexate break 
Do you stop Methotrexate whilst you have Covid?
Pain and stiffness in hand after covid booster
