Hi Pam,

First off, let me tell you that I have not had OC - that hit my brother. However, I have Rheumatoid Arthritis and have been taking 25 mg MTX per week since 2001. I can at least tell you what my experience has been.

My medicine comes in 2.5 mg pills, so I take 10 pills per week. I have been told by my rheumatologist that 25 mg/wk is the maximum that one should take. MTX has been used for over 20 years as a standard treatment for RA. There are stronger treatments, but they are harder for people to take.

You used to have to get a liver biopsy every 5 years, but my rheumatologist at Northwestern University doesn't think that is necessary. I'm not sure if that is because of my experience with RA or because of a change in treatment protocol.

I have to get blood work every 6 weeks. Not a big deal.

I used to take the pills all at once, but now I split my dose into 6 pills on Sunday night and 4 pills on Monday morning. This is OK with my doctor. If I didn't split it, then I would have moderate stomach discomfort. Other RA patients have told me that they have experience thinning hair. That has not happened to me. So, basically, the MTX helps me a lot with very few side effects!

One more thing - the label says that you're not supposed to drink when taking this. My rheumatologist told me not to worry about that and it was ok to have a drink once or twice a week.

Jean