Methotrexate
 

Has anyone just stopped methotrexate? If so can it cause symptoms?

I have never taken it. I just looked it up. It seems like they really got out the big guns with you. Have you tried milder treatments?

Yes, I think I have tried them all, this was a last resort

Is it causing problems? If you get off of it, won't your MG get worse?

I've been on it for almost a year. It worked for my MG: not as much as a nice high dosage of prednisone, but it worked better than all the others - which all didn't do a thing (azathioprin, cellcept, etc).
I just stopped cold turkey, had to because it already caused irreverisble damage to my liver, and is not like prednisone where you cannot stop just like that.

I did not have any problems, though after a few weeks my MG got a bit more room to play around. But just to compare: 2,5 mg less of the prednisone is much more MG problems than stopping the MTX 25 mg I took (injected) weekly. For me anyway! I do not know or can predict what will happen to you - just so you know.

Are you on any other drugs? Because if the MTX is the only one you use, and it works good for you, fat change stuff will get worse if you stop. Again; no diagnosis or whatever.

Why do you have to stop?

Stopping Methotrexate
 

I stopped because I was worried about the damage it can cause. I am having a lot of trouble with my ankles this week.

You (hopefully with your doctor) need to look at risks versus benefit. All these drugs we take are a bit hazardous. We are taking risks when we take them. You and your doctor need to weigh the risks against the benefits and look at your quality of life.

What will your life be without drugs? Will you even live?

Is there something else you can take that is safer?

For my own life, I don't really want to keep going if I am totally incapacitated. If I can't keep some normalcy to my life, then I will take high risks with drugs that might help.

My sister, on the other hand, is perfectly content to sit on the couch watching TV letting other people wait on her hand and foot.

You just have to weigh the costs and what you get out of them.

Good luck with all this.

What about your ankles? Are you sure it is caused my the MTX?
Did you talk about this with your doc?

There are risks, but not more than any other immune suppressant has. I had the unfortunate luck it caused irreversible damage in only a few months. But there are a lot of people who use it without any problems whatsoever. For years!
You just have to be very careful and check your blood regularly and take folic acid.

Anyway, if you do not have severe MG problems without it, it's up to you.