RA drugs and covid and flu vaccines

[Mybirthday1975]

hi all!

I’m currently taking 15 ml of metratrexate and 40ml of adalimumab but have been requested to have my covid vaccine and flu vaccine are any of you on the same meds and do you stop the drugs or carry on?

All advice really appreciated 👍

[KittyJ]

you asked this question a couple of weeks ago? What have you done for past vaccines? Have you spoken to your rheumy as no one here can tell you what to do, only their doctors advice for them which may be different for you.

[Neonkittie17]

Hi there, Sorry if you didn’t get a satisfactory response if you posted before (haven’t checked) but I’d say it depends on how much you feel you’d flare if you stopped your meds, but we can’t give medical advice, only say what we’ve done on our own meds and why. We are not always experienced/established enough with our RA to know our own meds sufficiently and that’s not insulting anyone/ourselves, but we learn as we go along over the years, and still always best to ask our consultants and rheumy nurses about these things. Some RA immunosuppressant meds can affect the Covid, flu, pneumonia vaccines’ efficacy much more than others, too.

Have you paused before for vaccines and had a flare as a result? I’m currently pausing mine but my situation is going to be different to yours, as my biologic is Abatacept sub cut, and I am not going to flare badly as my CRP is <5 for years now and RA stable. So I’d say DO ask your rheumy nurse re this. Then you know for sure what applies to you and don’t get any confusing and conflicting replies on here! I asked my rheumy and immunologist. Good luck. 🩷

[bpeal1]

I have just copied this reply i wrote on your previous post as it still applies.

A lot of people are advised to stop methotrexate before/after the flu vaccination (not so much biologics). However, as with most things to do with RA there is no ‘one size fits all’ advice. If stopping methotrexate will make it likely that you will flare the advice is usually to stay on it as flaring will have a bigger consequence to the effectiveness of the vaccine than the methotrexate will. I’d advise contacting your rheumatology team and asking their advice.

[Spanelmad]

Normally stop mt for the covid vac for a week the flu jab I carry on.But like others have said this is my choice.

[RAGuy]

If this helps. I have two friend that are stopping their meds for a week after their boosters. There is advice that says stopping after the jabs significantly improves their effectiveness.

However, we are all different. I would stop if I felt my RA was well controlled. But is I needed my meds because I was struggling with RA, I would not stop them.

I don't know for certain but there might not be a right or wrong answer to this question. Just a judgement to make.

[junik53]

I was going to stop MTX in covid /flu jab week but only just started back on it after 2 colds/chest infections in 6 weeks , and it was flipping painful, so I will keep taking MTX in jab week as I have done before and was all ok. But this is just me and not medical advice . Good luck

[Mybirthday1975 in reply to junik53]

Thanks 😊

[Seabird1]

Hello. I have always been told by pharmacist, GP and rheumatologist to continue my normal routine of weekly methotrexate. However a couple of times I felt rather ordinary as in so tired and flat that I decided to miss one dose of methotrexate and I have since continued to do it.On medical sites in the US they suggest it helps the immune system to fully take up the flu or Covid vaccine to withhold for a week citing research from studies. It's a minefield so good luck.

[Mybirthday1975 in reply to Seabird1]

Thanks 😊