Methotrexate & alcohol

[janieann]

Hi just started taking methotrexate for rheumatoid arthritis & was wondering if anyone knows whether it is safe to have the occasional drink. All the formal advice is NO but was hoping someone could tell me what it is in practice. Thanks

I've been on methotrexate for 14 years and for the first 3-4 years didn't drink at all because I was so scared about all the warnings. When I then asked my consultant about it he said I could have 1 drink 5 times a week or 4-5 on a big night out. In practice I probably have 2 drinks every 2-3 weeks or so and then a bit more maybe 4 times a year. Not sure if it's methotrexate or my age but I can't handle drink / hangovers anymore. Hope methotrexate works for you - it has made a big difference to my life.

Many thanks I hope it will make a difference I take plaquenil & prednisone & have steroid injections & nothing seems to work. I thought I'd give methotextrate a go. Could you tell me how long it took to start to work please.

I didn't drink for the first year, but my liver tests were all coming back so healthy (after it settled down) that it was okay. You get so well monitored that it would be pretty hard to do any liver damage. When I first started the methotrexate my liver readings were high, nowhere near liver damage levels, but even then I felt like hell. I think you get quite a good feel of your own body after a while. I would definitely not drink until the steroids are removed, as they kind of mask how you are really feeling.

Good luck, I have been where you are and the methotrexate got me back to the place where you start to take your health for granted. I'm off it temporarily (TTC) and I'm looking forward to going back on it as I have a better perspective now on how much difference it made. It took me about 6 months to get it working properly without any side effects but that was 10 years ago and I haven't had a single steroid shot in a joint since. Before methotrexate I was having roughly 2 joints drained and injected a week.

Thank you for that you have given me some hope that I will start to feel better soon, I was getting so fed up feeling so unwell all the time.