How much methotrexate should I take for rheumatoid arthritis?
How much methotrexate should I take for rheumatoid arthritis?
How much methotrexate should I take for rheumatoid arthritis?
Methotrexate Dosing About 90% of RA patients use methotrexate at some point. Typically you will start with a weekly dose of 7.5 to 10 mg taken by mouth – equal to three or four pills. If that doesn’t help with symptoms, the doctor may raise your dosage to 20 to 25 mg per week, or as high a dose as you can tolerate.
How long do you take methotrexate for rheumatoid arthritis?
It’s not immediate. Many RA patients will start to experience an improvement in symptoms after six to eight weeks on methotrexate, but it can take up to six months before you would reach the full benefits of taking the drug.
Is 5 mg of methotrexate a lot?
Optimal Methotrexate Dose for Rheumatoid Arthritis The usual maximum weekly adult dose for oral methotrexate is 20 milligrams (due to increased risk of bone marrow suppression). The usual oral pediatric dose of methotrexate for rheumatoid arthritis is 5 to 15 milligrams once weekly.
Why do you take methotrexate once a week?
Methotrexate, sold under the brand name Methoblastin, is an antifolate drug, which means it inhibits the activation of folic acid in the body. It is taken once per week to treat a range of conditions. These include rheumatoid arthritis, the skin disorder psoriasis and inflammatory bowel disease.
What happens if I stop taking methotrexate for RA?
There is a small but increased cancer risk, particularly lymphoma, for patients taking methotrexate. It may – but not always – regress on its own if methotrexate is stopped. This risk is likely no greater than the increased risk of cancer in poorly controlled rheumatoid arthritis itself.
What if methotrexate doesn’t work for RA?
Treatment with methotrexate alone isn’t working well enough. Your doctor will regularly examine your joints and test your blood for signs of RA. If methotrexate isn’t helping enough, he or she might add a biologic. Studies suggest that the combination of drugs is more powerful than either on their own.