Health Boards
Sun-24-04-2016, 20:42 PM
MTX is now regarded as the “gold standard” against which conventional DMARDs and the newer biologic drugs are measured, and it is generally agreed that it should be used early in the course of RA in most people with the condition. There is also evidence that its use will reduce the risk of death from cardiovascular disease in people with RA.
It is doubtful whether MTX increases the risk of serious infection in the doses typically used to treat people with RA.
Methotrexate (MTX) was introduced in 1947. Because it slows down the growth of rapidly dividing cells it was used in high doses to treat people with leukaemia and other forms of cancer. In the early 1950s it was used in much lower doses to treat people with the skin condition psoriasis. Some people who had an inflammatory arthritis associated with their psoriasis noted that their joints improved as well as their skin, as did a few people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who were given MTX.
MTX is used in much higher doses for RA than for people with P.
Just like every other drug on the market it has good and bad especially if abused by people using other things like alcohol with it.
It is doubtful whether MTX increases the risk of serious infection in the doses typically used to treat people with RA.
Methotrexate (MTX) was introduced in 1947. Because it slows down the growth of rapidly dividing cells it was used in high doses to treat people with leukaemia and other forms of cancer. In the early 1950s it was used in much lower doses to treat people with the skin condition psoriasis. Some people who had an inflammatory arthritis associated with their psoriasis noted that their joints improved as well as their skin, as did a few people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who were given MTX.
MTX is used in much higher doses for RA than for people with P.
Just like every other drug on the market it has good and bad especially if abused by people using other things like alcohol with it.