methotrexate and lung lesions

[Belle76]

hi my dad has been using the metojet injections for 3/4months his dose was upped from 20 to 25mg.

He has recently been in hospital with pneumonia and had breathing problems, whilst in hospital they found he had lesions on his lungs. He has never smoked either he has to have a tube down to have a look. The doctors are saying that it could be the methotrexate injections that have caused this. He has stopped using the injections for 3/4 weeks now.

Has anyone had this happen before?

Thanks

[Lolabridge]

I developed lung problems on methotrexate and had to come off it. I’m now on a biologic drug for RA.

[Angels54]

Hi I was on methotrexate tablets and developed lung problems , never had problem before .

[oldtimer2]

For some years it was thought that methotrexate might cause interstitial lung disease but doubt has been raised more recently. It seems now to be thought that it may be a result of the Rheumatoid Disease itself. The more recent articles suggest this. There's one here: academic.oup.com/rheumatolo...

The conclusions from this (2020) study: The SIR (this means the standardised incidence rate) was three to four times higher for ILD in MTX-treated persons with RA, but similar to the whole RA population compared with the background population. That is that the condition is more likely to be due to the Rheumatoid Disease than the treatment with methotrexate.

It is awful when you think that the treatment might be making things worse and certainly people have been taken off methotrexate because of developing lung disease in the past.

I hope your dad improves and can find some good treatment for his Rheumatoid Disease.

[stbernhard]

Hi Belle, I am on Methotrexate since 2010. A chest xray in 2015 showed some lesions in my lungs, but they haven't changed since then. I have an xray every few years to check, but I am not worried about it. RA is a systemic condition and I believe it's more likely to be that than MTX. Maybe it's a combination. I hope you and your dad find a solution which suits him.

[Belle76 in reply to stbernhard]

Hi thanks for the reply that’s reassuring to hear, it was as still is a worry but good to hear a positive about such lesions, if there can be.

Me and my dad are both sufferers from PSA but are on completely different journeys.

[MorganCat]

I’ve just come out of hospital with pancreatitis, when they did a ct scan they found a 2cm nodule on my lung which has been marked down as suspicious, back to hospital in 2 weeks . I’m hoping it’s nothing .

[Belle76 in reply to MorganCat]

I hope so too I will keep my fingers crossed for you.

My dad has to have a bronchoscopy in a few weeks to have a look and get biopsy

[grumpygirl]

I have rheumatoid lung nodules that may or may not have been caused or exacerbated by the combination of methotrexate and leflunomide that I am on. I had the largest and growing nodule removed at Papworth in 2020 as they were worried it had become cancerous but at biopsy it was confirmed as rheumatoid. I have lowered my Mtx dose and had rituximab for 12 months which is known for helping lung nodules and the remaining two nodules are now stable. Unfortunately my blood health has been affected by the rituximab so I have been moved on to Baricitinab instead. Lung nodules are fairly uncommon but not unknown. Mine have never affected me and were just picked up by a random chest X-ray.