arava and methotrexate

I have read too much bad stuff about this medicine and I am hoping someone has had a good experience with it. I have tried methotrexate and Diclofenac, but now I am just on the Diclofenac and the Arava. Hope everyone is doing well.

About 1 week after stopping MTX, I stopped my folinic acid and my hair loss seems to be worse and also my nails are splitting and my tongue is sore. ( I also had 2 Remicaid infusions 2 months ago in August and 1 week of Arava in May and am on Plaquenil (past 4 months and for awhile in the past).

I started out on plaquenil but have added methotraxate low dose prednisone and arava to the mix.. My knees still feel like rubber and in the evenings i head to bed early. But it is helping with the pain dring the day. I just pray that the disease will eventually burn it self out.

Examples would include Methotrexate, Imuran, Arava and Plaquenil. Another approach you may want to try is to have the doctor add a medication to protect her stomach and keep her on the Lefora since it is controlling her arthritis.

I have heard that it can cause nodules also. I am now on enbrel,and arava, folic acid for my RA. I have not been able to get my RA under control as of yet. When i have flare up where can't get out of bed, need help dressing i usually take steroids, that is a great drug for giving you your mobility back. I hope you don't end up with them everywhere, they are painful on the bottom of the feet, and palms and fingers, makes it difficult to do anything.

I am on Cellcept 2000 mg a day and I have noticed a that it has worked better than Plaquenil, Arava, Methotrexate did. How long have you been diagnosed and without meds?

Hi this is my second year of retuximab my infusion is due next week it has helped me so much i have tried endless drugs for my RA and the retuximab helps the most a few weeks after the infusion my blood result was normal i cant speak for everyone just my own experience i allso take methotrexate.

I was also diagnosed with RA in 2002. Just recently my Dr put me on methotrexate injections and arava after which my symtoms got worse.I went back to the RA DR and now she thinks I have Polymyalgia Rheumatica.Right now I'm in the processs of finding a second opinion. They say the symtoms of Polymyalgia can come on rapidly like the symtoms you discribe.

I would absolutely seek a second opinion and try and find a Rheumotolgist (sp) that spends time with you and takes his/her time finding the right combination of meds and physical therapy for you. Your Arthritis seems to be progressing rather rapidly and I can't understand why you are still on basically the same meds with little to no releife. Have you tried, Remicade, Rituxan, Humira, Enbrol, Arava, Cortisone shots and or creams? Theraputic massage? Anything for the pain?

I recently started taking Arava for my rheumatoid arthritis. My dr. added this to the Methotrexate and Prednisone I am already taking because I really wasn't getting much relief. Now I am getting a read rash behind my knees, ankles and calfs. has this happened to anyone else? Also, occasional bruises to my stomach area.

Right now my doc is tring Cellcept. The jury is still out. But I have been on steroids, Plaquenil, Arava, Methotrexate and now Cellcept.

Prior to that she was on Arava for five months and it almost killed her. She lost 60 lbs, had heart issues, urinary tract infections, had no appetite and was incredibly weak. Her RA doctor said it was not the Arava. It was. I took her to the Lahey Cllinic and they confirmed it. I had taken her off the medication before going to the Lahey Clinic but it was a binding med. so it stayed in her system for months afterwards.

are you on any other medications? i was also on arava when i started the humira and got a terrible rash on my hands and feet. i stopped the arava, took cholestyramine to get it out of my system. rash went away. still taking humira. no more rash, so that's good, but i'm not sure where these twitches are coming from. they started about three weeks ago. i'm so sorry you've been having this reaction. sounds like you've had quite a history. i wish you the best. hang in there.

I was diagnosed with RA last June and was put on methotrexate. Recently, the RA flared up and my doctor added Enbrel. I have severe headches and feel like my heart is beating so fast that i get dizzy. The doctor thinks that this is because I am on yet another medication and my body has to adjust. Is anyone familiar with this drug? Has anyone gone as far as to have a second opinion for their RA? I just find it scary to give you one drug to have to counteract side effects with another.

I am trying to get her to have her lithium levels checked but she thinks she is fine (part of the disease), she is not sleeping well and not resting, physically pushing herself which makes swelling and pain from RA worse (had to stop Enbrel, Arava and Methotrexate to begin chemo). Still using patch and morphine tabs for pain, ambien for sleep and there are more meds.

Hi Jen I am 23 and was DX with PA beginning last year. Probably had it since 17 cause that is when my back pain first started. I am currently on Arava. Methotrexate didn't work, was on it for a year. Worked fine in small joints like my fingers but did nothing about my back. I don't think the Arava is working either. Doctor wants to start Humira end of the year. My diet doesn't make the pain better, certain things does make it worst though like alcohol.

I have an Auto Immune Disorder of the connective tissue as labeled by my Rheumatologist. I take Plaquenil 200mg, and Arava 20mg daily. I have been on the Plaquenil for over a year and the Arava for 5-6 months. I am still having flares and experiencing pain on a daily basis. I'm a 28 year old male. My tested positive for ANA but the doctor hasn't labeled me with Lupus. I see my Rheumatologist on the 18th of December and I'm looking for the next step in my treatment.

Has anyone else taken this drug for arthritis? I started it several months ago and and seem to be getting a large amount of side affects.I have had upset stomachs with lots of reflux.When I exhale the air from my stomach it tastes horrible...like a decaying tooth.There is a horrible metallic smell consistantly with my stools.I have lost weight.I have constant tingling all over my body.I have had many headaches and low grade fevers.

I started on plaquenil and then went to methotrexate. After awhile, I stopped the methotrexate and discovered the plaquenil was managing my symptoms fine (unless I do not get regular sleep, get stressed out and/or it rains - then I go into flare.) Prednisone was not something they used for me, but I did have several steroid injections to deal with my most troublesome spots. How is your daughter doing now? When is her next shot?

I have gone through several coarses of Peg Interfeuron, Riboviran and so forth, The side effects were so bad , I lost my hair, I had chills and shakes and vomiting and aches and it felt like the worst flu ever. I made it through a Year once, the other two times I had to stop the treatment because ( this is just my opinion) the doctor was sick of hearing me complain about how crappy I felt. I have so much more to say but I'm a bit overwhelmed by actually finding this site.

I was given my first dose of Lyrica last night and I slept brilliantly for once, today I've been very sleepy and when I took a nap I couldn't stand up when I awoke because my hip just flared up so badly I couldn't even walk. Luckily I am in hospital, so they gave me morphine straight away and its feeling much better. I really don't know very much about Lyrica and I'd like to hear what some people have experienced with it.

I have been taking prednisolone on off for years for sinusitis/allergies and have read some people have started taking methotrexate for Rheumatoid Arthritis. Does anyone know if this would also work for chronic sinusitis conditions?

We had to wait 4 months of hell to be seen by a pyschiatrist and then had to wait about another 3 months to see some benefits from meds - clonidine and sulpiride. The tablets made him very tired and down and didnt go to school very often as he couldnt concentrate and fell asleep in class. He is very good at keeping in his vocal and motor tics when in public and with his friends but now he cannot do that. His motor and vocal tics are worse than ever.

I, too, have been on Arava for a month with nothing but worsening pain and symptoms. I have been told, as drbob992 said, that it can take quite some time to begin to help, if it is going to help. Usually, when it fails to help much or takes longer than "expected" a biologic will be added. You may want to discuss this with your rheumatologist. Aggressive treatment is needed to slow down progression of disease activity and erosion. I'll be starting one in January 2013.

I had a sonogram and a Hida scan (sp?) They told me I had Fatty Liver, to lose weight and to stop taking my Arava. I did and levels went back down. This was maybe a year ago. Now it is back and it sometimes it makes me sick to my stomach and I have a lot of gas. Also, my bowel movements are mostly yellow soft to almost runny (sorry). My urine is bright yellow almost neon. Recently, my husbands ins plan changed and we have to pay a lot more now.

I know I have all the symptoms and do get worse when I am off of my Arava but I also wonder if I could have Lupus because I have a lot of the symptoms of it and my sister has it. My mother has fibro so I wonder if maybe that is what I have instead as well. Things are continuing to get get worse and my dr is wanting to start injection therapy for my symptoms. I just want to be sure I have ra before I begin these injections they really scare me!

My husband has ankylosingspondilitis and takes enbrel injections and has considered taking methotrexate before. Best of luck. Could be a real blessing from God :) and a healthy baby!

Arava and methotrexate

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