Rheumatoid arthritis patients who have not responded to their first course of methotrexate, especially if the first course was a low-dose (10 mg or less per week), may still derive benefit from a second course of methotrexate.

Arthritis Research and Therapy published study results from researchers at the Medical University of Vienna. The researchers concluded that re-treatment with methotrexate may be a treatment option of value, especially for patients who cannot use other disease-modifying medications, especially the newer biologic drugs.

In the study, 79 patients had a second methotrexate treatment that lasted at least a year, having stopped their first treatment for side effects or ineffectiveness. 53.2 percent found their second course with methotrexate effective.

Related Resources:

• The Facts of Methotrexate
• Methotrexate for Rheumatoid Arthritis
• Methotrexate: 10 Things You Should Know
• Arthritis Drugs: What Are My Options?
• Is Methotrexate Injection Better Than Oral Methotrexate?

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