• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Johns Hopkins Arthritis Center

Show Search
Hide Search
  • Disease Information
    • Rheumatoid Arthritis
    • Psoriatic Arthritis
    • Ankylosing Spondylitis
    • Osteoarthritis
    • Gout
    • Osteoporosis
  • Patient Corner
    • Drug Information Sheets
    • Managing Your Arthritis
    • RheumTV – Patient Education Video Library
  • Our Research
    • Patient-Centered Outcomes Research
    • Current Research Studies
    • The Camille Julia Morgan Arthritis Research and Education Fund
  • About Us
    • Appointment Information
    • Contact Us
    • Our Faculty
    • Our Staff
    • Rheumatology Specialty Centers
  • Donate
Home / Ask the Expert / Is methotrexate enough for RA?

Is methotrexate enough for RA?

January 28, 2009 By Arthritis Center

Question

I have recently been diagnosed with RA and am currently on Methotextrate 15 mg. If my symptoms are pretty well controlled, how do I know there is not underlying joint damage still going on? My feeling is I should have some x-rays of my joints to show joint damage and possible inclusion of a biologic like Humera in my therapy. Does that make sense?

Answer

Hi Regina,

Methotrexate is a great first-line drug and about 50% of folks who are started on it for RA have a perfectly good response, at a dose of about 15-25 mg per week.  There are several things that go into the decision to increase a drug dose or to add a second dose (such as Humira).  These are:  1) does the patient feel better?  2) are the joints less swollen and less tender?  3) are the markers of inflammation in the blood down?  If these are all a “yes”, then the drug is most probably working very well.  We would still recommend getting an xray of the hands and feet every 1-2  years, though, as you suggest, just to make sure that no significant damage is occurring.

Arthritis Center

Founded in 1998, the Arthritis Center at Johns Hopkins is dedicated to providing quality education to patients and healthcare providers alike.

Primary Sidebar

Ask The Expert Topics

  • Alternative Therapies
  • Ankylosing Spondylitis
  • Associated With Other Illnesses
  • Bursitis and Tendinitis
  • Corticosteroids
  • Diet and Exercise
  • Disease Modifying Antirheumatic Drugs (DMARDs)
  • Enteropathic Arthritis
  • Fibromyalgia
  • General Arthritis
  • Gout, Pseudogout, Other
  • Infectious Arthritis
  • Myositis
  • Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs)
  • Osteoarthritis
  • Osteonecrosis
  • Osteoporosis
  • Polymyalgia Rheumatica
  • Psoriatic Arthritis
  • Reactive Arthritis
  • Regional Pain: Back and Neck
  • Rehabilitation
  • Rheumatoid Arthritis
  • Surgical Therapy
  • Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE)
  • Systemic Sclerosis
  • Vasculitis
RheumTV Logo

Rheum.TV is an informational platform created to educate patients living with a rheumatic disease. With over 100 disease education videos produced by the team at Johns Hopkins Rheumatology.

Visit Rheum.TV

Footer

Johns Hopkins Rheumatology

  • Johns Hopkins Rheumatology
  • Johns Hopkins Lupus Center
  • Johns Hopkins Lyme Disease Research Center
  • Johns Hopkins Myositis Center
  • Johns Hopkins Scleroderma Center
  • Johns Hopkins Sjögren’s Syndrome Center
  • Johns Hopkins Vasculitis Center

Connect With Us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Johns Hopkins Medicine

© 2023 Johns Hopkins Arthritis Center
Patient Privacy