No awards for guessing which is the most commonly prescribed drug for rheumatoid arthritis, it's the very popular disease modifying anti-rheumatic drug called Methotrexate.It is used to modify the inflammatory effect of arthritis, and apparently it does this very successfully, but at what cost? It is also a very efficient modifier of your immune system, one can only imagine the possible consequences if this is compromised. Various studies have linked RA to an increased risk of Hodgkin's and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, leukemia, myeloma, and lung cancer. But is this correct to assume that because you have RA you are predisposed to all of these diseases? I don't think so, I think it would be more honest to state that the medication used to treat RA has caused these diseases. When Methotrexate has been withdrawn from use, tumors have disappeared, surely this is an indicator that this drug is very dangerous.
Researchers in Australia have found an increased risk of melanoma, as well as other malignancies, among RA patients treated with Methotrexate. www.interscience.wiley.com/journal/arthritis Researchers found that RA patients treated with Methotrexate were found to have " to have a fifty percent risk of developing cancer in any form. The risk of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma was more than 5 times higher in RA patients than in the general population. RA patients also had a 3-fold increased risk of melanoma and almost a 3-fold increased risk of lung cancer". Are the alarm bells ringing? No way, they are advising increased use of sun screens! Whose interests are being served here? I wouldn't think the RA patients interests were being served by prescribing such a toxic drug, which compromised their immune system to such a degree that cancer developed. How much more proof is needed before the FDA declares this drug as a carcinogen, and removes it from the market ASAP?
Below is a warning about the dangers of Methotrexate in the Medline Drug Database: "Methotrexate may cause very serious side effects. Some side effects of methotrexate may cause death. You should only use methotrexate to treat life-threatening cancer, or certain other conditions that are very severe and that cannot be treated with other medications. Talk to your doctor about the risks of taking methotrexate for your condition. Tell your doctor if you have or have ever had excess fluid in your stomach area or in the space around your lungs and if you have or have ever had kidney disease. Also tell your doctor if you are taking aspirin or other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) or naproxen (Aleve, Naprosyn) or are being treated with radiation therapy.
These conditions and treatments may increase the risk that you will develop serious side effects of methotrexate. Your doctor will monitor you more carefully and may need to change the doses of your medications. Methotrexate may cause liver damage. Tell your doctor if you are taking any of the following medications: acitretin (Soriatane), azathioprine (Imuran), isotretinoin (Accutane), sulfasalazine (Azulfidine), or tretinoin (Vesanoid). Tell your doctor if you drink or have ever drunk large amounts of alcohol and if you have or have ever had liver disease, Your doctor may tell you that you should not take methotrexate unless you have a life-threatening cancer. Also tell your doctor if you have diabetes. Do not drink alcohol while you are taking methotrexate. Call your doctor immediately if you experience any of the following symptoms: nausea, extreme tiredness, lack of energy, loss of appetite, pain in the upper right part of the stomach, yellowing of the skin or eyes, or flu-like symptoms. Methotrexate may cause lung damage. Tell your doctor if you have or have ever had lung disease. Call your doctor immediately if you experience any of the following symptoms: dry cough, fever, or shortness of breath. Methotrexate may cause kidney damage. Be sure to drink plenty of fluids during your treatment with methotrexate, especially if you exercise or are physically active.
Call your doctor if you think you might be dehydrated (do not have enough fluid in your body). You may become dehydrated if you sweat excessively or if you vomit, have diarrhea, or have a fever. Methotrexate may cause a decrease in the number of blood cells made by your bone marrow. Tell your doctor if you have or have ever had a low blood count (decrease in the number of blood cells in your body), anemia (red blood cells do not bring enough oxygen to all parts of the body), or any other problem with your blood cells. Your doctor may tell you not to take methotrexate unless you have a life-threatening cancer. Call your doctor immediately if you experience any of the following symptoms: sore throat, chills, fever, or other signs of infection; unusual bruising or bleeding; excessive tiredness; weakness; pale skin; dizziness; confusion; fast heartbeat; shortness of breath; or difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep. Methotrexate may cause damage to your intestines. Tell your doctor if you have or have ever had stomach ulcers or ulcerative colitis (condition in which part or all of the lining of the intestine is swollen or worn away). If you develop sores in your mouth or diarrhea, stop taking methotrexate and call your doctor immediately.
Methotrexate may cause a severe rash that may be life-threatening. If you develop a rash, blisters, or a fever, call your doctor immediately. Methotrexate may decrease the activity of your immune system, and you may develop serious infections. Tell your doctor if you have any type of infection and if you have or have ever had any condition that affects your immune system such as human immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV) or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Your doctor may tell you that you should not take methotrexate unless you have a life-threatening cancer. If you experience signs of infection such as a sore throat, cough, fever, or chills, call your doctor immediately. Taking methotrexate may increase the risk that you will develop lymphoma (cancer that begins in the cells of the immune system). If you do develop lymphoma, it might go away without treatment when you stop taking methotrexate, or it might need to be treated with chemotherapy". How alarming is all of this, and yet so many millions of people dutifully take this drug, because the doctor has told them to do so, for it's their only hope . Isn't it about time individuals took responsibility for their health problems, instead of leaving it in the doctor's hands. Many millions are made from the sale of these dangerous drugs, so unless people vote with their feet, the prescriptions will continue, and so will the deaths. http://www.sayno2arthritis.com
