Rheumatoid Arthritis: Risks and Benefits of Chemotherapy Treatments

Have you tried chemotherapy for your RA? Any success? Opinions?

Feel free to read the article and post your thoughts!

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I have not tried chemotherapy for my RA.  However, my sister has.  She was on it for several years, but it really did not help much.  It was experimental when she began.  Her RA has affected her lungs severely that’s why they were trying such a treatment. 

@zrjsval‍ Thank you for sharing your experience with your sister's use of the drug for RA. I am sorry to hear how her RA has spread and is now affecting her lungs too.

Is she on any other experimental treatments?

I don’t have any knowledge of the medications she’s taking other than the chemo.  I’ve never asked her about the names of medicines. As far as I know, she is not on anything else experimental. 

I have tried methotrexate and I had a severe allergic reaction to it so I’m not willing to try again and I don’t want the severe side effects 

I m on Methatroxate since last 3 years but I don't feel any improvement rather I can say that it's flaring up I took leflenomide*20 mg daily also

I take a very low does of methotrexate once a week along with my remicade infusion every 6 weeks. I was first only on remicade but starting coming up with a very itchy unexplainable rash that didnt get better or worse after an infusion. With the work of my amazing "rheumy" we thought it was my arthritis trying to cause an inflammatory response somewhere else in my body (ie my skin). So I started methotrexate and the rash cleared right up! I was leary about trying it after reading about it but my sanity and not itching won this one!

Wow everyone seems to have had bad experiences. Thank you for the helpful comments everyone.

So @Vettech07‍ you feel it is helping you though?

@rtr097u1‍ it's hard to say because I also get Remicade infusions. It did stop my itchy rash and i dont have any nasty side effects from it. So it's not all bad but I dont think it would completely control my symptoms on it's own. I'm also not comfortable with taking a bigger dose as chances for side effects can go up.

Good morning, 

  I am on my third week of methotrexate and just took my third shot a few hrs ago . I dont believe it yet set in but I for sure have been tired , dizzy & fell sick sometimes . I really do not want to take it but Blu Cross will not let you take Embrel unless nothing else works. At this point I just dont want the RA to spread to my heart or lungs considering it hit me hard several months ago when I woke up with it one day. I am wondering if Embrel would even be any better.