I stopped taking Actemra. I had only two doses this time. Last week I stopped taking methotrexate. I had been on it since 2013. All this was at  a suggestion from my oncologist who was helping me battle a severe breast infection. The infection started in October 2019. I went to a wound clinic for a month. I had surgery to debride necrotic, radiated breast tissue 13 December.

Then the infection returned. Perhaps it had never left. I also developed a severe cellulitis. The cellulitis covered my entire breast or what was left of it. Now the cellulitis is down to a couple of inches. The whole thing was caused by  the radiation treatment that I had for breast cancer in 2013. The radiated tissue became necrotic and infected. It is not uncommon. I wonder what part my RA drugs played in this long standing dilemma. This infection has gone on for three months.

I do know that methotrexate should be stopped while a person is on an antibiotic. Methotrexate should not be used at the same time a person is prescribed Bactrim.

This will be the longest time that I have been off a DMARD. . Maybe this is a good thing. I might be fine without it. My RA has always felt systemic. When I am flaring, my whole body feels sick. I have many joints that are inflamed at a same time. Too many to count. As you can see I am a little nervous about this.

I have not had an infection associated with taking RA drugs except the time I developed a severe flu when I had been on Orencia for a year.

I am feeling better. I still irrigate my wound and have since October, so it is part of my routine. I will be glad when it is done. I do see stopping methotrexate as the grand experiment to see if I can manage my RA without drugs.