I started on enbrel on aug 1st with the healthcare at home nurse present for that first injection and have been taking methotrexate at the same time since.

Well a different nurse phoned yesterday to do my follow up appointment and said i should have been leaving a 24 hour gap between the enbrel and methotrexate. I'm now really worried and wondered if anyone else has been told the same? The nurse is visiting today and has told me not to worry but of course i am!

Love Shirley x

That's really interesting! It never ceases to amaze me how we all have the same diagnosis, the same meds but receive very different advice

I was told 48 hours between Methotrexate and Enbrel, but that's going back about 7 years and I've never thought to question it! I 'do' Enbrel injections on a Monday and a Friday and take Methotrexate in the middle on a Wednesday ,,, so I can leave the weekend clear!

I was also told recently that I had to have my blood tests the day after Methotrexate when the stuff is at its most toxic in my system! Seems to be a local decision though as no-one else has heard of this. Well blow that for a game of soldiers I'm not re-arranging my whole schedule ... RA has enough to answer for

I wouldn't worry, I imagine many people have both within 24 hours!

Lyn x

Lynn

I asked my specialist nurse about when to have a blood test when taking MTX. She said it didn't matter when you had it done because the drug is at a constant level in your system.

Paula xx

Hi

I have stopped worrying as i figured that as i had no ill effects then i'm probably okay!

The nurse suggested that i have mtx on Monday evening and then the enbrel on Tuesday evening so i will do that from now on.

It's very interesting to know what you others have been told to do (or not) regarding these drugs. I was told to have folic acid 6 days (not monday because of the mtx) Mtx on Monday and blood tests monthly but NOT within 2 days of having the mtx, so completely different to you Lyn!!

I wasn't told anything about not having the enbrel the same time as mtx until the nurse from healthcare at home phoned at the weekend by which time i'd had 3 injections and took the mtx at the same time. The first nurse that come 3 weeks ago didn't same anything about leaving a gap.

Thanks for being here for me.

Love Shirley x

I was told to leave 48 hours between Enbrel and MTX for the 1st few weeks but then it was ok to do them at same time in different legs. When I had to change to Cimzia the advice was the same.

Isn't it strange that we all have such differing advice?!!