How long until symptoms return after stopping mtx?

[adunley7]

[earthwitch]

It depends. Probably not the answer you want. If you still have active disease, then it may come back fairly quickly. But if it really has calmed down your RA a lot, or put you into a remission, then it might be a while before you really notice a return of problems.

Are you changing drugs, or have you had to stop for pregnancy or other reason?

[sydney15 in reply to earthwitch]

I have had very severe side effects with methotrexate injections am now on Plaquinil. Still feeling nauseous and exhausted just a generalised feeling of being very unwell.

[sydney15 in reply to sydney15]

I am new to all of this. I was only diagnosed with RA 3 months ago due to the fact that I had been on prednisolone for quite some time for Bronchiexitis and the pred had masked all symptoms of the RA and blood tests kept coming back negative. Once I was off the pred for about 2 months completely all arthritis symptoms appeared very quickly and inflamation levels rose quite dramatically. I have been diagnosed as seronegative inflammatory arthritis. Unfortunately I have always been super sensitive to strong strong drugs.

[adunley7]

Dr were not sure it was still working. Thought id try go without. I was good initally but last few weeks. All joints going mad. Jaw been agony last few days....

[helixhelix]

Why did your doctors think it was no longer working? Odd to take you off it without offering anything else. Anyway you have to wait three months after you've taken MTX before getting pregnant to be sure that it's out of your body, so that suggest to me that it does take a while to completely clear. But if you're getting aches so soon, then seems your RA is still well and truly active. I do think quite a few people get to a medically controlled remission, so are ok as long as they keeping taking the drugs. But the research papers I've read suggest that full remission (ie without drugs) is not that common, sadly, and symptoms creep back. Hope you'll be able to contact your rheumy and get further treatment. Polly

[adunley7 in reply to helixhelix]

Thanks Polly. Yes they felt that mtx wasnt working as well and we thought we would not start a new one as i wanted to try for kids but sadly 8 weeks on and over last few weeks going round all joints. Elbow,wrists,fingers,toes,and now jaw. Not settling as big flare just painful 2/3 days then moves. Diagnosed with rheumatoid then fybromyalgia. Then new dr thought palandromic but was wondering if 8 months mtx had given slight remission so confusing diagnosis!

[cathie in reply to helixhelix]

Polly can you remember where you read this? My consultant thinks im in remission and wants to take me off everything too and i think shes taken decision too lightly

C

[Coulson]

I took Methotrexate for six years and Dr. advised that RA had not been active for the last twice he had seen me. He suggested I might like to stop taking the drug giving me reassurance that if I had proplems he would see me straight away. It is three years at the beginning of December since I last took Methotrexate.

[Janeye]

I have been off my medication for the last 3 months as I too would like to try for a baby. I was on Enbrel which controlled my disease really well. My joints have flared since being off it so I am on a reducing course of oral steroids. Things are still active but nowhere near as bad as they were. Have you asked your doctor about going down this route to get some relief? I hate taking them and was concerned about taking them if I am to fall pregnant but my consultant was very reassuring and told me that the aim would be to get me off them in the second part of pregnancy and they won't harm the growing baby. Let's both hope we fall pregnant quickly and go into remission for a while! Good luck!

[helixhelix]

This is the research paper about sustained remission being uncommon, but it does exist so worth a try to make it without drugs??

You could be one of the lucky ones.

arthritis-research.com/cont...

[adunley7]

Thank you to all responses. See gp on tuesday and take it from there. Best wishes to all. Such a horrid disease.

[drummer in reply to adunley7]

Just to let you know I have been off MTR since Dec last year. Never felt better. By taking meds your whole attitude changes and you can only think of the RA diseace and nothing else. Now I am back to my normal self. Adunley think positive and how you was before. Good luck and I hope that you are in remission for a long time.con x

[Kathyfitz12]

I have been off 20Mg Mtx for one month and I am almost back to square one after 5 pain free years........... I have stiffness, hot achey joints and splitting headache - am off to see Rheumy next week - when he stopped the Mtx he said I could go straight back on a lower dose if I had problems - so we'll see what happens. I am furious with myself for just doing as I was told - I feel as if I should have asked if I could come off gradually - but hindsight is a wonderful thing isn't it?

[2169]

my symptons lasted 6 months