i have just been diagnosed with RA and have started methatrexate 2 days ago anyone in the same situation ?

[ohbother69uk]

[Julie1]

Hi-I was diagnosed 14 months ago . I found that part of my journey so far has been to find out everthing i can about RA and also to learn how it affects me,i have had to make changes in my life but best to have some knowledge.Also was important my family were also informed as it can be a relief to know whats wrong but also a bombshell .My meds have been a bit like trial and error but hopefully geting there. inject methatrexate as found i felt less sick with it . x x

[LavendarLady]

Hello there and welcome to the site. We are here to help from our own experiences and from the information given to us.,

Go onto the NRAS website - they have a lot of booklets about RA which are extremely helpful, particularly booklets for when you are working.

Are you on MTX tablets or injections? If the tablets, they may make you feel a bit sick. If that continues, the doctor can give you anti sickness pills and if it gets really bad, you can be switched to the injections. What other meds have they put you on? You will have to have regular monthly blood tests to monitor the effect MTX has on your body.

Also some of the internet sites have very useful info about RA and the medicines used to treat it.

I was diagnosed nearly 4 years ago - it is a steep learning curve with a lot of ups and downs. Your GP is there to help as well as your rheumy consultant and nurse. Don't hesitate to contact them (they should have given you a phone number for help) if you feel ill and don't try to struggle on when you are in pain - that will only make things worse.

Let us know how you get on from time to time. Good luck. LavendarLady x

[Hidden]

Make sure that you have a blood monitoring booklet and go for regular blood tests..

Have a good read of your patient information lealet.. and I hope you had some good explanation re how to take it and the side effects of note.( a ONCE a Week only medication!)

There are lots of helpful people on here.

welcome to the site and hope every thing goes well with your treatment..

Alison x

[Hidden]

Hello and welcome to HU.

Many of us on here take MTX (Methotrexate) it is one of the more popular and effective DMARDS.

Being diagnosed with RA is a very frightening and confusing time for you, but the main thing is your not alone. There are many other newly diagnosed who also come on here for advice and support.

It is almost impossible to try and learn everything about RA, and my advice is to take everyday one step at a time, trying to learn to much about the disease can be very confusing and only upset you more.

I've had RA 17yrs and and I'm still learning new things about the disease, new treatments are becoming available all the time so getting you on the right regime of drugs to help control the disease for you is better now than ever.

Joining the NRAS is a very good start and they will give you all the help and support you need.

Also your GP/nurse and consultant will answer any questions you may have, ask anything you want if we can help you on here we will.

Take care

mand xx

[ohbother69uk in reply to Hidden]

thankyou for the reply when i was diagnosed i dont think it sank in im feeling a bit battered at the moment having had my first week on the methotrexate , but im hoping it works , chin up ..x sharon

[Hidden]

hello and welcome ohbother69!

I was just diagnosed this year also and on methotrexate along with another called Enbrel, I've been very lucky as no side effects with it, just a bit yucky for a day but worth it as I feel so much better

[ohbother69uk in reply to Hidden]

thankyou so much for the reply , whats enbrel? i have posted at the bottom of this wasnt sure if thats ok im pretty new to this .x sharon

[ohbother69uk]

thankyou so much for all the reply's , im on 6 methotrexate then 1 foilc acid 3 days later this has been my first week and i have had sickness but not extreme headaches and felt off color but i had expected worse , has anyone had very dry eyes like you cant open them in a morning i have had this for a while wondered if its to do with the RA. I dont think any of it sank in when i was diagnosed i have felt awful for a couple of years and they said it was fybormyalgia ! im hoping this methotrexate will give me some relief im 42 years old so life in me yet lol.

Methotrexate is the only thing in on at the moment tablet form , i use co codamol for pain relief soluble form there not as good as they used to be though .

[Hidden in reply to ohbother69uk]

Hi Sharon, having dry eyes is a common part of RA, it's known as Sjogren's Syndrome. I'm not sure if this is what you have but it may well be. See your GP and he may be able to prescribe you some drops for this that will help.

Or see consultant/nurse whichever appointment is nearest.

If the sickness and headaches get any worse with the MTX you can increase you foilc acid intake, upon the consultants or GP's instructions of course. The increase certainly helps with this side effect, folic acid is increased to every day apart from MTX day. But like I say your GP or consultant has to ok this, it may however settle down and you may not need the increase.

The other option is MTX by injection, but that can be discussed later.

Take care

mand xx

[ohbother69uk in reply to Hidden]

have you found your symtoms to the RA have improved alot over the years of taking the mtx , i really appreciate the advice i shall start again monday with my next mtx and see how i go ,

sharon..x

[Hidden in reply to ohbother69uk]

I'm on MTX and Rituximab now, have been on the MTX for about ten years but when the Anti-tnf came along I went on those too along side the MTX.

Your symptoms should improve fairly quickly it was many years before I was put onto MTX.

Having had RA for 17 yrs+ now there wasn't much around when I was diagnosed and MTX was used very scarcely.

Now, consultants use meds available to attack the disease very early on in order to prevent any joint damage and erosion.

Try not to worry and let the MTX do it's job, I'm sure everything will be fine, that's the only thing with this disease we have to wait for the medications to work, anything from 4-12wks everyone is different as to how soon they see improvement.

Mand xx.

[fizzy]

hi, I'm also new on here....and I was diagnosed RA last xmas after about 3 or 4 years or so of joint pains....I'm 35 now, and I had my 2nd child 5 years ago. I'm on methotrexate, have been for 9 months, 25mg....it has gradually been upped as I can't genuinely say it has helped....still heavily rely on diclofenac, but am swapping to methtrexate injections next week. Not because of side effects, but to check out if it actually improves its effect. I have been very fortunate that I haven't had ANY side effects at all!! But then, I was hoping it was going to have some beneficial effects as well, and it hasn't really! I've just had a synovectomy (a removal of big cyst) on my knee as that has been really problematic since my first BIG flare up last xmas...its supportive to read about other people in similar situations to myself....I feel like I'm not alone in what I have to deal with....x

[ohbother69uk in reply to fizzy]

hi fizzy im on my third week now and have had some side effects im on 15mg slight sickness but very sick ,mouth ulsers have been a problem and i have had a face rash but i can cope with all those things most of the time im just hoping this med helps with the flare ups eventually ,im glad you havnt had any side effects .

Im not sure the diagnosis has sunk in yet to be honest i keep thinking maybe there wrong , did you feel like that .?

sharon ..x