Subject: Re: Should I take Methotrexate?
Sorry this reply is a little late. Like Colin said every drug that we take for RA and I am assuming here it is RA with you having to take MTX runs the risk of side effects. It is a worry I must admit reading what could happen. All I can say here is that RA is a serious disease and it has to be treated with serious drugs, simple as that. If this disease becomes severe it can cause heart and lung problems. It is a systemic illness, it effects all of your body, internal organs included. Don't want to frighten you here, just telling you the facts. I knew an elderly lady who developed Pulmonary Fibrous from taking antibiotics. A very rare side effect, the odds of her being run over by a bus would of been less. I did google the illness when I found out what it was and read that RA can cause it, then later in the text, yes I read it could also develop from taking MTX, but like Colin said, we only take small amounts of the drug unlike cancer patients and we are monitored very closely and are told any problems with our chest must be reported immediately. Since reading your post I've googled the illness again and to my surprise they treat it with MTX, I wish that links on here would work because I would put the link up for you. I was scared about taking MTX, said I never would never take it, but I read about it on RA Warrior website, (if you google it you will find the link across the top of her homepage). Reading that changed my views. I can't remember if it was there or somewhere else I read it, but over 90% of people with RA have at sometime taken MTX (it is classed as the number one drug for RA), so if you read forums, you will read more reports of people having side effects because more people are taking it. I've been taking it for two years and have only just started having problems, my dose was too high and my liver didn't like it. I came off the drug, liver returned to normal and have just started taking it again. This picked up with the monthly blood test, didn't feel ill at all, bit of a shock really, so that just emphasis how important it is to have blood test done. Apart from that I have had no sickness at all and none of the most common side effects that people report when they first start to take it. I have read of people taking this drug for over 20 years and having no problems at all. For some this drug has given the their life back. I keep putting this phone number up for people with RA to ring, but I've found them most helpful in the past. They will talk to you about the drugs, answer any questions you have, if you ask, get a volunteer to ring you who is taking the drug for you to talk to. National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society 0800 298 3969. There is other drugs available to take for RA, I didn't take this one at first, if you are still not happy to take MTX why not ask for one of the other DMARD's? Hope this helps. Paula
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