Benlysta vs Methotrexate
Hello,
I was diagnosed about a year ago (last October) and have been on hydroxychloroquine and supplementing with prednisone for flare ups. My flare ups are now fairly frequent and my symptoms have been progressing. My doctor suggested that I go on a different medication to manage my symptoms, as my use of prednisone for flare ups is too frequent to sustain.
Based on the things I'm reading and was told by my doctor, I'm trying to weigh between Benlysta and Methotrexate (leaning heavily towards Benlysta out of the two) and whether or not it's worth starting now or waiting until my symptoms worsen.
Can others tell me their experiences with either or both drugs? What were your experiences with the side effects? Is it worth waiting out the worsening symptoms to avoid the side effects?
Thank you in advance!
Hi,
!
I am sorry hydroxychloroquine just isn't cutting it anymore and I hope the next medication you try brings you some consistent relief from the flare ups. Like any treatment, what works for one person may not works as well for another, so take any input with a grain of salt.
Here's one of our frequent contributor's experience with Benlysta -- https://lupus.net/living/benlysta. And here is a conversation from our forums on the topic of methotrexate -- https://lupus.net/forums/methotrexate. And here's some information on immunosuppressants like methotrexate -- https://lupus.net/living/immunosuppressants. I will say that both medications can be great, but they both come with pretty significant potential side effects that you will want to watch out for. I bet you know this, since you have been doing research on your own about these treatments.
Fatigue can be a pretty common side effect of both treatments and some people experience depression while taking Benlysta. These are the most common side effects I see mentioned around the community.
Again, I hope you get more helpful feedback and keep us posted on how you are doing and what treatment you choose to pursue, if you feel comfortable doing so.
Best, Erin, Team Member.
