It has been interesting week. Wednesday night I fell outside. I hit the knee I dislocated last February. Lots of pain and swelling. Thursday I saw my Rheumy. She diagnosed me with undifferentiated connect tissue disease. I started Methotrexate today. Any thoughts or advice?
I have been taking methotrexate for about a month. I take it once a week, and so far haven’t had any serious side effects. Also haven’t had a huge relief either. Staying hopeful for next month! Good luck to you!
Sorry about your fall. I took methotrexate for two months and didn’t think it was helping, so I discontinued it. Then I realized, with help from my pain diary, that I felt worse off of it. So, I’m on my second week of restarting it. My rheumatologist says it may take a couple of months to show a difference. I keep a pain journal that helps me keep track of how I’m feeling. It’s an app on my phone called “my pain diary”. I find it helpful. I believe it’s free or costs very little. My rheumatologist added the anti-inflammatory meloxicam to my list of meds and that seems to be helping a little as well. I also take prednisone, but am trying to taper. Best of luck. Feel free to email me if you’d like to speak in private. Kim
Prayers for comfort and healing......
Lori
I too have the diagnosis of UCTD. I've been on methotrexate since... August of last year, I think? Something like that. No, you don't notice a difference right away, but give it time. I myself have never had any trouble with my stomach on MTX, though I do notice that it can affect my appetite, make me not hungry. This isn't so bad, since I'm also on prednisone. My doctor has raised me from four pills to six pills, and now up to eight pills once a week. The goal is to get me off the prednisone. I can say for certain that while just on prednisone, I felt a little better. But on prednisone and MTX, I have felt MUCH better. I even had six weeks where I felt NORMAL. It was exhilarating. I understand that it doesn't work for everyone, but it's a boon for those for whom it DOES work. Hang in there!
Make sure to take the folic acid supplements they tell u too. The dr told me it would prevent hair loss, and I was on it 3 months and no hair loss issues. Didn’t like the way it made me feel, weird I felt poisoned… but some people have great success on it. Good luck!
I was on it and know many people on it and no one got sick....person who's hair is falling out, i have that checked to make sure not due to another reason.
People hear word chemo and think extremes, in truth, they are lot more mild than many other drugs they might ask you to take, like steroids. It just depends on what chemo drug it is and what kind of cancer. Many chemos now target only the cancer cells...which is excellent.
I was on it and did help slow down my RA and i was able to work more hours at my job...so i did feel bit better on it. It can cause nausea but my doctor just told me if it did let him know and was drug stop that side effect immediately. I did have mild case off and on but nothing serious.
So good luck to you and hope your knee heals fast as well...one point is you might wait till knee is healed before you start using it.
I think it is fairly safe and helpful drug for us with lupus looking to slow down RA or flares.
I am very clumsy,I lose my balance and fall a lot,I did discover that I couldn’t stand and close my eyes and bow my head and pray…I found this out at a friends graveside service after she passed.I thought maybe it was caused from the stress of her passing away…it turns out that was not the case…I have tried on many occasions after that…is it the meds??? Or is a part of the lupus?? Or is it vertigo??? At this point I’m not sure…I took a bad fall last week and landed on my elbow with a cast on that arm ugh!!!.“SO SICK OF MEDS AND LUPUS”. Really I’m so over it…I’m angry because every time I go to the dr I get a new cast 3 months and 3 casts later…you are not alone in this Mari…methotrexate is a great weight lose program…Eating is hard…than add all the other meds,give it sometime to see how it make you feel…I pray it works for you…so far I’m sick…I’m really not sure if I’m going to keep taking it…I just don’t feel like myself…
Thank you all for the advice. I am so sorry you’re having a hard time Celeste. 
I am hoping Methotrexate helps bring down my sed rate and I start feeling more like my “normal” self. My Rhuemy prescribed folic acid since she doesn’t like OTC brands. I am making sure I take it. It’s with my morning meds.
I was told undifferentiated connective tissue disorder, then they said Lupus. Now they are calling it Sicca Syndrome, along with Rheumatoid Arthritis. I have been on Methotrexate for 6 years. Giving myself the med in an injection weekly, but now every other week,helps with the nausea side effect for me. MTX side effects for me is that 24-48 hrs I will feel flu like.
It is one of the meds that is used first step up from your meds like Celebrex, Mobic and etc have failed.
It depends on your body responds to the new medicine for you. Hope this will help you.
You must give MTX time to work, it took my body 3 months to adjust to it and you must take the Folic Acid along with it as well.
Good Luck, and give it time.
The pill form made me nauseated and we are trying the injectible kind now. I give the shots to myself. We had to stop them due to my getting infections, but I think we will try again soon.
Take the folic acid for sure!
Hugs,
Lori
The folic acid help to keep your while blood cells from getting low
I was diagnosed with the same in October 2013. I was put on Plaquanil which helped a bit, but not enough, the Methorexate was added in December which again has helped but, the pain is still too much, not sure how long it takes before the full affects are noticed. I was given a daily folic acid vitamin as well as a weekly folic/calcium Rx so that I won't loose my hair.
Please review the new lupus website; lupusofnevada.org As you stroll down tap in face book and check like or dislike. More information every month will be on the site.
Live Well
Dr. Williams, D.D., Lupus survivor
I need more advice. I have been taking Methotrexate for 5 weeks now. I take it Sunday afternoons. Mondays and Tuesdays I am horribly nauseated and extremely tired. Does anyone have any suggestions on making these less severe? I took last Monday off work and spent all day in bed. I am hoping someone has ideas that will help. Thanks!