Methotrexate and Weight Gain????

Hello Everyone:

I had RNY over 2 1/2 years ago.  I have RA and Fibro.  Recently my Rheumie put me on celebrex 200mg twice a day and methotrexate 5 pills per week and prednisone 5 mg daily and folic acid to get the inflammation under control and tramadol for pain.  My WLS doctor ok'd me to take the celebrex, methotrexate, and prednisone but didn't want me to take the tramadol. 

I've already begun taking the celebrex but have NOT started taking the methotrexate and prednisone.  I'm so afraid that I'm gonna gain weight if I start taking the MTX and prednisone.  I talked to the rheumie about it and she promised that the MTX and prednisone would not make me gain she said because of the low dosages.  But I'm afraid to even start them.  I need some relief from this pain!!!  Please help.

Anyone taken MTX and prednisone after WLS and gained weight????

Any comments would be appreciated.

Hi there....

I too am on prednisone and MTX and Folic Acid and also Plaquenil & started Humira injections about 2 months ago.

Unfortuately, when I started on my prednisone pills at 10mg it was very hard to lose the weight. I even think it contributed to it as well.

I went to the Rhumy and he told me that my arthritis is much better and said that instead of 10mg to do 5mg and we will start tapering off in December-that was music to my ears as I need to loose the weight desperately.

My all time low was 209 and when the arthriti**** and I started the meds, I went up to 230 and basically was at a standstill there. I then had a baby and am up to 280 and for the life of me, i cannot loose the weight.

email me anytime you wanna talk.
take care and hope you get some relief... the pain is brutal!

Irene :)

 

Uggh...  I am in the same boat...  I have bechets disease which is sort of like lupus.  I had my gastric bypass october of 2008 and I have lost 100lbs.  I have had horrible flare ups of sores, arthritis and I was on all of those medications you mentioned... the humaira,  and even infusions monthly..   The Rheumy wants me to go back on the methotrexate and humaria and prednisone.  and I am refusing.   I did not go through all of this to gain that weight back I would rather be crippled GRRRR..   Im sorry your going through this too..

Hi itz_mmci,
I have not had the surgery yet I am still on my journey to having it done. Only thing I wanted to say is that I have been diagnosed with rheumy for about two year and have been on Predinsone, Methotrexate, folic acid and tramadol and I have actually lost weight being on all those meds. My metho is 6 pills weekly, Predinsone 5 mg daily, 10 mg if I am having a bad day, folic acid 2 mgs, and tramadol 4 pills a day, but I only take one a day. Hope after being on those meds that the weight will start tapering off you.
I went to the seminar and talked with one of the surgeons and I told him that I was interested in the Roux-en-Y or the banding he told me that because of the meds that I was on that they would only do the gastric sleeve but they did not talk about that type of surgery that day. I am going to make my appointment for my consultation on Wednesday so hopefully I can get in and talk more in depth about it.
Good luck on the losing side. If you ever need to talk I am at [email protected].

I have taken methotrexate before and after surgery, but I havent noticed any weight gain because of it.

I have had RA for 5 years.I just had rny surgery Oct 22 (im 15 days out) at my pre-op I went to a Pharmacy consult.b4 surgery I took the following
CELEBREX 300 MG ONCE DAY
METHOTREXATE 8 PER WEEK ONCE WEEK
PREDNISONE 5 MG ONCE PER DAY
I am now on
NO CELEBREX (CAUSES ULCERS)
METHOTREXATE BY INJECTION ONCE PER WEEK
PREDNISONE (STILL SAME)
I have had no RA pain YET..my Rhuemy is going to see how I do ..im hervous about the pain coming back and inflamtion, but I guess I will wait and see
Im going to try Tylenol for now unless I get no releif,Im going to ask about thinks like HUMIRA injections also.. good luck to you!

I was already overweight when I started my prednisone and it definitly packed on the pounds.  My Rheumatologist doesn't use steroids for long term treatment on a daily basis but would give me shots every couple of months.  I know with the band you can't take steroids because it can erode the band, well that is what one surgeon told me.  My rheumatologist and my surgeon had no problems with me having the surgery even though I am on Metho (injections), Plaquenil, and Sulfasalazine.  I actually was still in lots of pain the last time I saw my doc the Friday before my Monday surgery (11/02/09) and she increased my dosages to start the week after my surgery.  I haven't had even one teensy tiny arthritic pain since.  Surgery pain yes joint etc pain NOPE!!  And as we all know you can totally tell when it is RA coming at ya!!!!  I consider my surgery a miracle if it put my RA into it's first remission.   

Good grief! Being able to respond required a bunch of work! I am not a bariatric surgery candidate, patient, doctor or anything else. I'm underweight...always have been.

Yes - taking methotrexate and prednisone. Let me say that my weight has not fluctuated in my life. I don't diet and I'm neither active nor lazy. Methotrexate - taking 10 pills weekly. I'm supposed to take 1 prednisone daily but, I actually cut the tab into quarters and take 1/4 of a pill. Its the prednisone which will pack on the lbs in no time flat! It does this by giving you an insatiable appetite. You can be painfully full and yet, crave more food. I gained 11 lbs in a few weeks on the stuff! The reason I'm taking 1/4th the amount is because it gives me insomnia. Prednisone doesn't make me jittery but, it causes the mind to race and sleeping is impossible. I'm talking - I can be up for 3 days straight by taking 1 prednisone a day. No thanks. I need to function.

All i know is that prednisone is a from of steroids which can cause weigth gain.  The more weight added to your body the higher the risk of arthritis could also be related to obesity.  Most of my friends are seeking medical attention to this conditon some of them are women, they tried different ways to loose weight.  They even tried Bariatric procedures.