Other Immunomodulatory And Cytotoxic Agents
Some additional immunomodulatory drugs are used in RA including azathioprine , and cyclosporin A . Rarely cyclophosphamide and d-Penicillamine are used. Because the potential of high toxicity, these agents are typically utilized for life-threatening extra-articular manifestations of RA such as systemic vasculitis or with severe articular disease that is refractory to other therapy.
Azathioprine has some activity in rheumatoid arthritis but may take 8-12 weeks to see an effect. It is a purine analog that can cause bone marrow suppression and lowering of blood cell counts particularly in patients with renal insufficiency or when used concomitantly with allopurinol or ACE inhibitors. Increased risk of secondary malignancy due to azathioprine is controversial. Screening for levels of the enzyme thiopurine methyltransferase is recommended before initiating therapy with azathioprine. Certain individuals have deficiencies in this enzyme that metabolizes azathioprine with a concomitantly increased risk of toxicitiy for the medication. Side effects include nausea, and alopecia. Blood tests to monitor blood counts and liver function tests are necessary for patients on azathioprine.
Common Causes Of Hair Loss In Rheumatoid Arthritis
Limited evidence suggests the use of weak oral opioids but the adverse effects may outweigh the benefits. Read more : Methotrexate can inflame the liver and this can be seen on blood testing. CopyrightAbbVie Inc. People taking rituximab had improved pain, function, reduced disease activity and reduced joint damage based on x-ray images. Does turmeric relieve inflammatory conditions? Wikimedia Commons has media related to Rheumatoid arthritis. Symptoms include hhelp very tired, skin learn more here eyes that look yellow, poor appetite or vomiting, and pain on the right side does methotrexate help rheumatoid arthritis your stomach abdomen.
How To Reduce Methotrexate
- To help the feeling of nausea, one of the more common side effects of methotrexate, it is recommended that methotrexate is taken after the evening meal so that the nausea will therefore be less on waking. The most appropriate day for the individual needs to be considered
- Folic acid is important as explained above, but it also helps to reduce the nausea
- Anti-nausea medication may also help
- Stay safe on methotrexate and remember to have regular blood tests and check-ups as advised by your consultant and clinical nurse specialist
- Injected methotrexate can improve the side effects of taking tablets, so if you are experiencing side effects, ask about sub-cutaneous methotrexate
Read Also: Whats Rheumatoid Arthritis
Mechanisms Of Cardiovascular Disease Reduction By Methotrexate
The exact mechanism of MTXs anti-inflammatory action in RA remains uncertain. It is probably mediated by accumulation of adenosine , a potent endogenous anti-inflammatory mediator, but there are also significant effects on T-cell activation . Systemically, MTX has been shown to reduce CRP, IL-6 and TNF, cytokines known to drive the development of atherosclerosis . In vivo, MTX has been shown to downregulate foam cell production and increase expression of antiatherogenic reverse cholesterol-transport protein .
This suggests that the antiatherogenic actions of MTX may not be confined to an anti-inflammatory effect. MTX does not appear to have a significant effect on the levels of serum LDL and HDL cholesterol and does not appear to affect platelet function or other procoaguable factors that may be contributing to excess CVD in RA . These findings are summarized in .
Can I Drink Alcohol While Taking Methotrexate
Methotrexate can affect liver function, which is why doctors will monitor your liver health closely while you take it. Methotrexate isnt recommended for people who already have chronic liver disease or who are heavy drinkers and have alcohol-related liver damage. Because there is potential for liver damage in people taking MTX, they shouldnt consume alcohol excessively.
For occasional drinkers, Dr. Feldman says the rules about how much alcohol is safe to drink while taking methotrexate depends on the rheumatologist. Some doctors insist on no alcohol at all, he explains. He tends to be a little looser with his patients. I tell my patients you can have a few drinks per week, just not all at once.
And dont have the alcohol two days before you get your blood drawn at the office, he adds, because the alcohol can mess up the liver function test and confuse your doctor. But he thinks a drink here and there is not dangerous for patients without any liver issues.
You May Like: Are Eggs Bad For Psoriatic Arthritis
Read Also: Stopping Arthritis In Fingers
Other Side Effects And Risks
Pregnant women should not take methotrexate because of the potential risks that a folic acid deficiency and other side effects can have on a developing fetus.
Those with alcohol use disorder should also avoid methotrexate because it increases liver enzymes and can be toxic to the liver.
Other side effects that can occur as a result of taking methotrexate include:
- anemia, or low red blood cell counts
- changes in mood
Treating Ra With Methotrexate
Methotrexate is a type of DMARD. DMARDs are a class of medications often used in the early stages of RA. A few drugs in the DMARD class were specifically made for treating RA, but methotrexate was developed for a different reason. It was originally created to treat cancer, but its been found to work for RA too. Its sold under the brand names Rheumatrex and Trexall. It comes as an oral tablet and a solution for injection.
Methotrexate and other DMARDs work to reduce inflammation. They do this by suppressing your immune system. There are risks linked with keeping your immune system in check this way, though, including an increased risk of infections.
While methotrexate comes with the chance of side effects, it also offers great benefits for people with RA. DMARDs can prevent joint damage if you use them early enough after your RA symptoms first appear. They can also slow down further joint damage and alleviate symptoms of RA. Most doctors and people with RA think the benefits of this medication are worth the risks.
Methotrexate is a long-term drug when used for RA. Most people take it until it no longer works for them or until they can no longer tolerate its effects on their immune system.
Recommended Reading: How To Slow Down Arthritis In Hands
How Long Can You Take Methotrexate For
Methotrexate can be taken long term to help treat rheumatoid arthritis symptoms and also to help slow disease progression and joint damage. Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic illness that does not have a cure, so medicines like methotrexate are taken to reduce the symptoms and reduce that damage caused by the disease.
There have been clinical trials that have lasted 11 years which have studied rheumatoid arthritis patients taking long term methotrexate.
These studies showed:
- sustained positive response with a 50% improvement in joint pain
- greater than 65% reduction in joint swelling index
- 11% of the patients left the study due to methotrexate toxic effects.
Common Questions About Methotrexate
Methotrexate calms your immune system, to help stop it attacking your body’s cells. This helps reduce the inflammation that causes swollen and stiff joints in rheumatoid arthritis, thickened skin in psoriasis or damage to your bowel in Crohn’s disease.
Methotrexate is not a painkiller. However, by reducing the inflammation caused by the condition, you may notice a reduction in pain as your symptoms improve.
When used in cancer treatments, methotrexate stops cancer cells reproducing. This helps prevent them growing and spreading in your body.
Once your dose of methotrexate has been increased to a full dose, it may take up to 12 weeks before you notice any benefits.
It’s important to keep taking methotrexate. The medicine is working, even if you do not feel any different for a few months.
If methotrexate works for you, you may need to take it for several years to control your symptoms.
Methotrexate may increase the risk of problems with your liver or lungs, especially if you take a high dose.
However, your doctor will monitor you very closely while you’re taking methotrexate. Any concerns or problems will be found during routine check-ups.
Speak to your doctor or specialist nurse if you are worried about taking methotrexate.
There is no evidence that methotrexate increases the risk of developing cervical cancer.
When you start your treatment, your hospital consultant will usually give you the first few prescriptions for methotrexate. You will get 1 week’s supply at a time.
Don’t Miss: What Does Arthritic Changes Mean
How Do You Take It
You can take methotrexate in either pills or shots. There are prefilled methotrexate shots that are easy to take at home.
You will take 7.5 to 10 milligrams each week. Your doctor may raise that to 20-25 milligrams per week if needed.
The pills will come with directions about how many to take and when. If youâre not sure about those instructions, ask your doctor or a pharmacist.
Shots work better for some people, especially if you forget to take your pills on schedule or if the pills cause nausea. Methotrexate liquid comes in vials with a hypodermic needle or in prefilled pens with various doses.
You inject the drug under the skin on your stomach or thigh. Your doctor or nurse will show you how to do this at home. If you use a prefilled pen, youâll stick the pen into your stomach or thigh and press on it to inject the drug. Try to give yourself your shot in a different spot each time. This will help you avoid skin reactions.
It can take 3 to 6 weeks to start to feel your methotrexate work. It takes even longer — 12 weeks — to get the full effects.
Your doctor will test your blood often to check on how well your treatment works and to make sure itâs safe for organs such as your liver.
What Are The Symptoms Of Rheumatoid Arthritis
The symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis include the following:
- Stiffness, especially in the morning or after sitting for long periods
- Fatigue
Rheumatoid arthritis affects each person differently. In most people, joint symptoms may develop gradually over several years. In other people, rheumatoid arthritis may proceed rapidly. A few people may have rheumatoid arthritis for a limited period of time and then go into remission .
Cartilage normally acts as a shock absorber between the joints. Uncontrolled inflammation causes the destruction and wearing down of the cartilage, which leads to joint deformities. Eventually, the bone itself erodes, potentially leading to fusion of the joint . This process is aided by specific cells and substances of the immune system, which are produced in the joints but also circulate and cause symptoms throughout the body.
Read Also: Remedy For Arthritis Pain In Hands
What Is Rheumatoid Arthritis
In rheumatoid arthritis , your immune system recognizes your joints as foreign to your body and attacks the fluid inside them, called the synovium. This can affect people in different ways, depending on how severe the disease has gotten. RA can cause:
-
Inflammation, redness, and swelling
-
Bone damage
-
Joint deformities
There is no cure for RA, but certain medications like can help slow down how quickly the disease worsens.
How Do I Take Methotrexate
Methotrexate is typically taken once a week for RA. It is available as both a tablet you take by mouth and as an injection. With the tablets, most people start with one 7.5 mg dose once a week, but your provider may recommend up to a maximum dose of 25 mg once a week depending on how you respond. To reduce the risk of side effects, they may ask you to split the dose into smaller doses that you take throughout the day of the week youre scheduled to take your medication.
If youre using the injection, thats once a week, too. Youll inject the medication either into your muscle or right under your skin, depending on what your provider recommends. The injection is available as either an auto-injector or as a vial. You can find instructions on how to use Rasuvo from the manufacturer here.
Don’t Miss: How Early Can You Get Arthritis
Folic Acid A Must For Ra Patients Taking Methotrexate
Though it may not seem like a supplement could do much to ease methotrexates potentially uncomfortable side effects, the Arthritis Foundation calls folic acid an absolute must. This is because it doesnt interfere with the drugs positive treatment effects, yet it does ease the angst that some people with RA develop in their gastrointestinal tract when taking this prescribed medication in its normal dose.
Additionally, one piece of research published in the journal Arthritis Research & Therapy explains that methotrexate toxicity can become an issue for patients with RA, especially if they take this drug over long periods. Essentially, one of the main problems occurs when it comes time for patients to be taken off methotrexate as withdrawal occurs as much as 50 percent of the time.
As a result, some doctors are hesitant to prescribe this drug as a treatment option to patients with RA. However, folic acid reduces this concern for these doctors in that it helps reduce methotrexate toxicity. Even in smaller doses, it has proven to be effective in this regard. There are other ways to reduce toxicity as well, such as by taking additional substances, like calcium folinate for instance.
What Should I Tell My Doctor Before Starting Humira
Tell your doctor about all of your health conditions, including if you:
- Have an infection, are being treated for infection, or have symptoms of an infection
- Get a lot of infections or infections that keep coming back
- Have diabetes
- Have TB or have been in close contact with someone with TB, or were born in, lived in, or traveled where there is more risk for getting TB
- Live or have lived in an area where there is an increased risk for getting certain kinds of fungal infections, such as histoplasmosis, coccidioidomycosis, or blastomycosis. These infections may happen or become more severe if you use HUMIRA. Ask your doctor if you are unsure if you have lived in these areas
- Have or have had hepatitis B
- Are scheduled for major surgery
- Have or have had cancer
- Have numbness or tingling or a nervous system disease such as multiple sclerosis or Guillain-Barré syndrome
- Have or had heart failure
- Have recently received or are scheduled to receive a vaccine. HUMIRA patients may receive vaccines, except for live vaccines. Children should be brought up to date on all vaccines before starting HUMIRA
- Are allergic to rubber, latex, or any HUMIRA ingredients
- Are pregnant, planning to become pregnant, breastfeeding, or planning to breastfeed
- Have a baby and you were using HUMIRA during your pregnancy. Tell your babys doctor before your baby receives any vaccines
Recommended Reading: What Can I Take For Arthritis Pain In My Hands
How Long Can I Safely Take Methotrexate
The American College of Rheumatology recommends that most people continue taking methotrexate even if their arthritis symptoms have disappeared. This usually means that the medication is working.
Some people worry that taking methotrexate for too long may cause cancer. Research suggests that people who take methotrexate may have a higher risk for certain cancers compared to people who dont take methotrexate. However, its important to know that people with RA already have a higher risk for cancer, whether or not they are taking methotrexate. So its hard to say whether methotrexate is the cause.
In general, the benefits of methotrexate outweigh the risks. In a study, researchers followed more than 5,600 patients with RA for 25 years, and those who took methotrexate for at least 1 year had a much lower risk of dying than those who did not take methotrexate or took it for only a short period of time .
Why Is Methotrexate Popular With Ra Doctors
As early as the 1940s, methotrexate was formulated for use in various cancers, like lymphoma. After that, it was used experimentally for rheumatic-type diseases. It was not officially approved by the FDA for Rheumatoid Arthritis until the 1980s. Although it is still unknown exactly why it helps, there are decades of history to examine. And there are many patients who have used it for a long period, which makes doctors more comfortable with it.
Methotrexate works well in combination with other DMARDs, including a newer class of them called Biologics. A higher percentage of patients successfully achieve reduced symptoms by adding methotrexate to another therapy. So, other drugs work better with methotrexate than those same drugs work alone. Combination therapies like this are highly recommended by the American College of Rheumatology for moderate to severe Rheumatoid Arthritis to slow disease progression and reduce pain and inflammation quickly, often within a few weeks.
Sound so fantastic that you want to give some as a Christmas gift? Not so fast. There are some drawbacks. Next well look at some of those issues and how they can be addressed.
Don’t Miss: Vicks Vaporub For Joint Pain
Measures To Reduce Bone Loss
Inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis can cause bone loss, which can lead to osteoporosis. The use of prednisone further increases the risk of bone loss, especially in postmenopausal women.
You can do the following to help minimize the bone loss associated with steroid therapy:
- Use the lowest possible dose of glucocorticoids for the shortest possible time, when possible, to minimize bone loss.
- Get an adequate amount of calcium and vitamin D, either in the diet or by taking supplements.
- Use medications that can reduce bone loss, including that which is caused by glucocorticoids.
- Control rheumatoid arthritis itself with appropriate medications prescribed by your doctor.
What Is The Prognosis For People Who Have Rheumatoid Arthritis
Although there is no cure for rheumatoid arthritis, there are many effective methods for decreasing the pain and inflammation and slowing down the disease process. Early diagnosis and effective treatment are very important.
Extensive research is being done to learn the cause of rheumatoid arthritis and the best methods of treatment.
Last reviewed by a Cleveland Clinic medical professional on 11/17/2017.
References
Recommended Reading: What Rheumatoid Arthritis Feels Like