Methotrexate treatment of rheumatoid arthritis: is a fortnightly maintenance schedule enough?
Open Access
- 1 December 1992
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Elsevier in Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases
- Vol. 51 (12) , 1330-1331
- https://doi.org/10.1136/ard.51.12.1330
Abstract
In 15 patients with rheumatoid arthritis who were in clinical remission the weekly regimen of methotrexate treatment was changed to fortnightly without a change in dose. A total of 13 patients completed a 12 month trial. No change in clinical or laboratory parameters occurred. There was no change in the use of analgesics or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and the patients remained in remission. Two patients had to be withdrawn after two and four months respectively because of a flare in disease activity. It is suggested that in most patients with rheumatoid arthritis who are treated with methotrexate and whose disease activity is stable a fortnightly regimen can be permitted without affecting drug efficacy.Keywords
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