Pros and Cons of Methotrexate Treatment
| Pros | Cons |
| Improves pain and function. 46 out of 100 are helped at least a little 23 out of 100 people are helped a lot |
Side effects and adverse events include nausea, hair loss, infections, liver toxicity.
10 out of 100 people had to stop methotrexate due to side effects |
| Slows progress of disease.
70 out of 100 people show less joint damage on x-ray |
Extra clinic visits and blood tests needed. |
| Relatively low cost compared to other RA medications. | Affects development of the baby during pregnancy, so must stop methotrexate at least 3 months before attempting to get pregnant. |
Used with permission from John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Suarez-Almazor ME, Belseck E, Shea BJ, Tugwell P, Wells G. Methotrexate for treating rheumatoid arthritis. The Cochrane Collaboration. 2009, Issue 3.