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Methotrexate and Mental health

Hi all, Sorry if I already posted yesterday- I am new here to this site and I cant seem to find my post. Soooo, I have read side effects and it seems to be a thing. RA makes me feel awful but the MTX is really knocking me around mentally. Grumpy, down in the dumps. the fatigue is smashing me as well. only week 3 ish of 20 mg per week. Is it fair to say that most of the RA meds have pretty yucky side effects? Thank you

  1. Hi - first welcome to our RA community! There are many voices here who understand life with RA and they will be a big support for you. Here is an article from one of our RA Health Leaders describing similar fears about side effects from RA meds (https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/living/infusion-side-effect-concerns).

    Just know that when it comes to RA. It really can vary from person to person in that someone may experience side effects from an RA treatment while another person may not see side effects from the same treatment. So a lot of it will come down to the med that works for your body and often, it is a game of trial and error.
    Warmly, - Reggie, team member

    1. Hi Reggie, thanks for the link to this article. I appreciate it.

      1. , here's the link (which may or may not work ) -- https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/forums/methotrexate-and-mental-health.


        And, just to be safe, here's Rick's comment (he's a moderator here and also lives with RA) -- L rick Phillips Moderator

        1 day ago

        Most everyone has this requirement. Mine told me first off that i had to last 6 months before we could get to a biologic. Like you I was miserable. But i found that as time went on things got better. I was so ill for the first 4 weeks. It is worth it to stick it out.


        Consider asking your docotr for increased dosages of Folic Acid. It is not something that helps immediately. But when it does work, it can lessen some of the issues. You might also ask using Sulfasalazine. A third common DMARD. It is generally far better tolerated.

    2. Hi, ! First, I love your profile pic! Secondly, here's a link to your first post, if you're interested. One of our moderators replied on that post, so I thought you might want to see it -- https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/forums/methotrexate-and-mental-health.


      Best, Erin, RheumatoidArthritis.net Team Member.

      1. link does not work 😔

      2. ugh! Sorry! I'll give it another try, but I'll also copy and paste Rick's comment over here.


        Best, Erin, RheumatoidArthritis.net Team Member.

    3. Yep I read that one, thanks nate

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