Hayley from Calgary asks: I have recently gotten sick and need to know if I should continue my methotrexate injections or hold them while I am sick ?
As a general rule, it’s ok to continue traditional DMARDs (examples: methotrexate, plaquenil, sulfasalazine, leflunomide) when sick, particularly anything mild without a fever or needing antibiotics. For those on biologics, we generally recommend that they are held, particularly if you have a fever or require antibiotics, until you are feeling better. However, during the COVID19 pandemic, we are often a little more cautious and it would be reasonable to hold any DMARD – traditional or biologic – until you are feeling better. In most cases for methotrexate, this would mean missing one dose, which wouldn’t impact arthritis control for most individuals.
Posted: January 3, 2022
Tagged: biologic, covid-19, leflunomide, methotrexate, plaquenil, rheumatoid