been advised to start weekly methotrexate injections as DAS score is 5.82 as not responding to oral meds.

[tessintrouble]

Have been on methotrexate and steroids for 4 years and gradually getting worse. Just started sulfasalazine 2 months ago and still no improvement. Are the weekly jabs effective? Thanks. I just started with pain in my hips and an x ray will done next week. So fed up.

[nellysgran]

Hi I have just done my 4th mtx injection ,and am also on sulfa, and I still have a lot of pain, but my rheumy said it would take a while to kick in even though I had been on the mtx tabs for a while now.

Hope you sorted soon,

Wendy x

[Hidden]

Hi - I pushed my way onto injections last September after about ten months of oral plus Hydroxy and still having a high ESR in 50s consistently - although not hugely in pain but with pins and needles everywhere. Within a few months my ESR dropped to 26 and stayed there until a month ago when I came off both drugs to try and get to the bottom of other stuff.

Going back on injections next week and almost looking forward to it as presently living on Naproxen 24/7 which makes me bloaty and my ESR is going back up too. A rheumy told me that 15mg of injection = 25mg oral in terms of effectiveness so I would say you're in with a good chance of these working. And side effects are less and it really doesn't hurt and in some ways is much easier than counting out pills - helped me to take the drug and RA more seriously somehow as it does feel heavy duty. I often wonder why more people on here aren't switched too instead of battling on with pills while waiting to qualify for biologics. Hope this helps. Tilda x

[jeanabelle in reply to Hidden]

What is ESR?

[Hidden]

Ps when I say pushed I asked rheumy and he gave thumbs up but GPs were a bit resistant.

[helixhelix]

I changed over from tablets to injections a few months ago, and has been great for me. Seems to work better and with fewer side effects too. Polly

[Hidden]

Hello there, given that your DAS score is more than 5.1 and you have tried two DMARDs, just wondered whether you and / or your Rheumy have considered Biologics??

Luce xx

[jilly1]

hi tessintrouble , I have been on the injection for a couple of months and feel better than when on pills they made me sick all week. My DAS was 5+ and has come down nicely in the last couple of weeks . good luck , jilly xx

[tessintrouble]

thanks everyone. Biologics haven't been mentioned (yet). I presume because of cost? I will try this new combo for a few months and if still high on the DAS I will ask about it. I just worry a bit because once joint damage is done it can't be "undone" can it? X rays for hips on Friday, I was so hoping it was just muscle pain due to walking with a limp - but rheumy thinks it is probably RA that has spread to hips.