Question
I have had RA for 5 years. After the birth of my second child I started taking enbrel. It worked wonders. At the time I was also taking Methotrexate. I stopped the methotrexate about one month after I started the enbrel and I still felt just as good. Now that I have just had my third child I have started taking enbrel again. I have been on it two months and not noticed much help. Is it because I am not doing it with methotrexate. It worked fine when I stopped the methotrexate the last time.
Answer
Dear Jodi,
The severity of chronic illnesses like rheumatoid arthritis can change over time. It is not unusual for someone to be on one medication (e.g., Enbrel) and over a few years experience a ramping up of RA activity. This will necessitate the addition of a second drug (e.g., methotrexate). Given the high safety profile of methotrexate, it is very reasonable to add it to the Enbrel if Enbrel alone is no longer controlling the symptoms. But, this decision should be based not just on your symptoms, but also on what the treating physician finds in bloodwork, xrays, etc.
