Hi @A MyLupusTeam Member, in spite of, possible dangers of any medications, I loved the way Methotrexate made me feel. It did hurt my stomach a lot at first and took about 3 good months to work. After that time my stomach got better and I felt like my old self again to a certain degree. I took it for 8 months. Due to my relentless swelling my new rheumy wanted me to try Imuran. After 4 months of Imuran, I do not feel as good as I did with Methotrexate. Just my 2 cents. Peace, katcove

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A MyLupus...

Omygosh, it actually changed your speech? I haven't ever read that as a symptom of Imuran. Benlysta infusions have changed my whole lupus situation, I have three really excellent weeks and the one after the infusion is tough, I have no appetite and the food smells bad (even my favorites) and my joints hurt really bad for the first two days. I find that a good tradeoff for the three good weeks.

Side effects on this medication is less via sub-cut (injection) - however to be honest, the side effects are, in any count are pretty grim.
Hair loss, nose/mouth sores, vomiting, to name a few.
My LFTs (liver function) should have had an average range upto 50 - mine came in at 850 - so quickly taken off MTX. Its a cruel drug and has left me with permanent liver damage.
Would suggest trying something else if possible

Goodl uck xxxxxxxx

I took methotrexate for about 6 months. It worked until I had to stop it to get my aortic valve replaced. About 5 months after the surgery My anti-bodies went wild attacking my heart, kidneys, Bowel, and brain. I am just starting to get a handle on it with the new medication. The verdict is still out whether this Celcept will work or not. When I took methotrexate It seemed to wipe me out the next day. So much so that I made sure that I didn't have to work the next day after taking it. After a while taking it the next day seemed to get better. Good luck. I know that it works well for some people.

I'm on methotrexate, I have awful nausea, stomache problems, ulcers, headache, fatigue and lots of hair loss. I'm frustrated as I did come off for a few months and felt so much better, but also noticed that my pain was worse. I didn't notice when I was on it that it did help me, I guess because that side effects were bad I was focusing on the side effects. Any medication will have side effects it depends on what you can tolerate. I do not take my full dose anymore I never will again, as I'm trying to find that balance for me. Plus methotrexate is very damaging to your blood and liver, so that is a concern also.