Methotrexate efficacy waning
Hi all- I was finally diagnosed and started on methotrexate last year. At first it was an incredible relief, but now a year later the symptoms are nearly completely back to pre-medication levels. Is this common with methotrexate or other DMARDs?
Submit your own question!
Hi
. Unfortunately, that is not uncommon. PsA medications often become less effective over time. The good news is that methotrexate is the frontline drug. It is the medication doctors usually choose first because it is relatively inexpensive and many insurance companies require that you try it before you move on to something else. There are many other medications out there that might be more effective for you. Have you talked with your doctor about your worsening symptoms? Thinking of you and wishing you the best. - Lori (Team Member) good to know about the strings attached to methotrexate. I will be seeing my rheumatologist in a couple of weeks so I hope to switch, yes.
I was on methotrexate for about two years. I did feel like the effectiveness was waning and the GI side effects were increasing after about 18 months. I ended up going off it because my liver enzymes started going up as well. I will say that once I stopped it I realized it was working better than I thought, meaning my pain and fatigue levels definitely increased! I would definitely talk with your doctor, they may want to add to or switch your therapy. Good luck!
good point- just because it’s waning doesn’t mean it’s completely ineffective. Thanks.
Did you switch to a different DMARD that gave you better results?I actually switched to Humira, which has been working really well. I’m also on sulfasalazine, started it about 6mo after the MTX and am still on it. My half-sister has PsA as well, and she recently switched from MTX to leflunomide (Arava) and seems to be doing pretty well. There are several options!
