Yes, Bob. This is the autoimmune protocol for using methotrexate. It is thought to minimize side effects, etc.
It is used for rheumatoid arthritis too, and other autoimmune disorders.

Sorry, I thought it was a typo with 8 a week listed then once a week stated.
Now I see, 8 tabs the same day, once a week.
I think I've been getting a bit confused, lately. ;(

I used to take 7 medications every day,but after doing much research,I am down to just 2,and what a difference in my life! No more passing out every afternoon,no more dopey conversations,no more humiliating my kids in public,just a few.My doctors prescribed all of them,but I am soo much healthier without them.You sure have a long list,Macophile,maybe your doctor should re-think some of them?m Just a thought.

Today's medicine is directed not towards nutrition or cure, but to treat symptoms. that's the pill pushing way.
If someone has many different symptoms over a period of time,
and complains enough to his, or her doc(s) - they'll invariably Rx something.
This can get to the point where someone is taking so many medications they don't know if the pills are helping or cancelling one another out.
Sometimes the side effects of some meds can give a person symptoms exactly the same as the condition being treated for - by another med.
There is a type of doc, a physiatrist, (who normally is in sports medicine) that is a coordinator of all one's docs and meds, as well as a detective for finding causes and possible treatments and cures.
We need more of this type of medicine being practiced,
rather than just a doc Rx'ng away without regard for the whole picture.

IN my opinion Macophile is taking too many drugs. Any one drug could cause problems, but with so many drugs, it becomes more likely that a problem would appear.

hi there

It is pretty usual for someone with a autoimmune disease to have a long list of medications that they take, and I notice that the Macophile has an autoimmune disease.

I take a vast array of medications also for an autoimmune disease (lupus), but seeing I have central nervous system disease, reynauds, a blood clotting disorder, seizures, sensory motor axonal peripheral neuropathy, brainstem disease, asthma, sjogrens syndrome, spasticity (hands and feet), premature menopause (due to chemotherapy for my sle in my early 30s) etc etc then all these things need to be treated to keep me functioning.

Systemic disease is just like that, which is unfortunate, and weaning down to a couple of drugs is just not possible because then I would have to choose which disorder/ set of symptoms I would like to treat - seizures, blood clots, reynauds or neuropathy???? It's vital that they all get treated.

It's a pain, but it is an unfortunate reality for some of us. I wish I could be on just two medications too, but I don't see it happening any time soon.

cheers
raglet

Does anyone know if there some kind of neuropathy that can cause weakness? Or is there some kind of neuropathy that only affects one part of the leg (thigh) but not the rest? The neuro mentioned something in passing in the ER, but I didn't quite catch it.

there is mononeuritis multiplex, which can cause a pretty random pattern of weakness.

But, there is also lupus myositis which can cause weakness in the thigh, and is painless. I don't know a lot about it, but I would rather suspect that it would effect both sides. It shows up in blood tests. I think there is also a primary version that can occur without lupus.

Have you had that mri yet? It would also be good to rule out small stroke seeing it affected your arm and leg on one side. Any facial weakness?

cheers
raglet

I had the MRI and it was clean. And there is no facial weakness. I will look up those. Thanks!

and neuropathy that's autoimmune can flare up and cause additional weaknesses. That happened to me in June resulting in a fracture, then the following month a dramatic break or two.
Only thing that's helped me in these instances is to work out with those Therabands and/or hand and ankle weights. Keep whatever muscle tone you can, and ideally either go to outpatient or get in-home PT to KEEP GOING! IF you lose that muscle tone? It can take MONTHS to get it back, and I'm speaking from experience...still working on it after 3 months! We tend to lose that tone much faster than 'normal' folks, for sure! I literally lost inches from my legs during my 'lay-up's and am learning to walk all over again!
Nerve conduction tests are usually the best indicators of function deteriorating.
Don't panic yet! Things can and do help at times! 's - j