About Methotrexate - Bob's story
About Bob
In this video you'll be introduced to Bob, a 39-year old carpenter. His rheumatoid arthritis started suddenly in his hands, wrists and elbows about six weeks ago. Bob wants a treatment that will help him continue working. At his appointment with Dr. Stevens, Bob learns about Methotrexate as a treatment option.
About methotrexate
Dr. Stevens has given Bob some information about Methotrexate to help him in making his decision. The main points are that:
- Methotrexate is one of the most often used medications to control rheumatoid arthritis.
- It takes 4 to 6 weeks to know how well Methotrexate is going to work.
- If Methotrexate works for you, it will:
- Reduce or stop the pain and swelling in the affected joints.
- It will also slow or stop the disease from progressing to healthy joints.
- If Methotrexate does not control your disease, you may need to add another DMARD medication.
Research has shown that people who take 20 mg of Methotrexate or less per week had less pain, better physical function, and had fewer swollen and tender joints. The benefits of Methotrexate are better than the benefits of a placebo, which can be a sugar pill.
Studies have shown that:
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- 46 out of 100 patients taking Methotrexate improved by 20% while only 26 out of 100 patients reported the same improvement after taking a placebo
- This means that 20 more patients taking Methotrexate had a small improvement than did those taking a placebo.
Studies have also shown that:
- 23 out of 100 patients taking Methotrexate improved by 50% while only 8 out of 100 patients reported the same improvement after taking a placebo
- This shows that 15 more patients taking Methotrexate had a moderate improvement than did those taking a placebo.
Bob's story
