Today I am starting methotrexate 10 mg along with folic acid once a day. I am optimistic this is going to bring my flares under control. Just wondering if I will have to be on it 3 months to see the results. I've been having back to back flares since July so I figure 3 more months is ok. I talked to a lady that took metho for 10 yrs and she loved it. Here's looking to a brighter future 
Also just about to start. I've only to take folic acid 1 x week tho... Wonder why that is? Anyone have any ideas? Also feeling optimistic that things might become more controlled. terrified too tho...
Work in a school and worried about how my immune system will cope.
What other medication are you taking?
Yes same as 2f70804 I was only on folic acid once week.side effects for me was thinning of hair and raised liver levels so I had to come off it but wish you well as they refer to it as the golden drug as its most effective.Your immune system will be lowered so make sure you have your flu and pneumonia injections
All the best! The arthritis research site says it may take 3 to 12 weeks to notice any difference from methx
I have folic acid on day after methx, same as f70804. I ve discovered on forums several different folic acid regimes- So I think rheumy depts must have different systems, all of which work - or can be adjusted.
i worked in a school too ( and also look after grandchildren)
i was very thorough about hand washing and aware of making sure I wasn't t sneezed on( occupational hazard! ) but only got 1 cold which also turned into a chest infection in the 18 months I was on methx and in a school. It cleared up with a week on anti biotics.
Thanks for that rowbirdie. It's really good to know someone else who has first hand experience of that.
Yep, my rheumatologist referred to it as the gold standard... So hoping it might well make a difference to me. My hair has already been thinning for the last few months and I've not even started the MTX yet. Brought it up with GP and at the hospital but I have a massive amount of hair to start with and they didn't seem too concerned. Were you given any advice regarding that side effect?
My experience with Mthatrexate has been fine. I take 20 mg once a week and two folic acid every day. My hair was thin to begin with so the only side affect I don't like is the thinning hair. I started it in January.
My daughter is a pharmacist and she agrees that methotrexate is the gold standard for RA. My pain is still there but tolerable. I just added another medicine because I don't want the RA to destroy joints.
Good Luck .
I am taking folic acid once a day along with 200 mg of Celebrex
Fixing to take the flu shot this next week. Doc said it is not good to take a steroid shot and flu shot the same day, sometimes the flu shot doesn't take so it is on my schedule. As for the pneumonia shot i took that last year.
No, I wasn't given any advice concerning hair thinning. if that does happen i will take it as it comes. I am thinking positive as i can. I took my first dose yesterday and by evening I felt the difference, I was not nauesaed (sp) and started getting my appetite back. I felt like i took 100 hits of no doze. I could hear the blood pumping in my heart and it was so loud it was deafening. yeah, wow! Went to bed and woke right up still wound up. Got up and still wound up, Then....I crashed and have been sleeping all day and hour or two at a time but really hard sleep. I'm keeping a journal of everything. That is the first thing I learned here and it does come in handy!! I'd like to ask another question to those who have switched medicines,... what kind of adjustment period do you go through? Do you go through more flares until your body adjusts from taking plaqineil to mtx? Seem I am having some flare pains tonight. Just wondering if i will go through an adjustment period? Also with taking mtx once a week..do you notice a difference in how you feel the first day after you take it and say the 5th day?
yes Thank you Rowbirdie and all the rest of the gang here. You are really a God send with your experiences. It makes it easier for the rest of us. Maybe someday i can be more helpful to someone here 
I am glad to hear that some of you are taking this med Methatrexate with fine results... I am newly diagnosed and I am pretty sure my Rheum will mention it... I am stil digesting all the info to learn more about this condition. I don't have much pain...yet.. Only on my distal finger but got the RA factor positive