I was recently dianosed with connective tissue disease, i take methotrexate with no relief. is there help for this disease? it's very painful!

Yes: Connective tissue disease it take while to respond to the treament, if no relief they add or change the medicine to it.Ask your dr to give some pain medicine with it?

Define the Disease: Your rheumatologist must define for you the specific type of rheumatic illness you have? Connective tissue diseases have many different causes. The specific treatment(s) are based upon the diagnosis. Methotrexate is currently the most frequently used treatment for rheumatoid arthritis. It is highly effective in that illness. The success in other rheumatic illness may not be as successful.

Clearer diagnosis: The pain may not responding to the Methotrexate because you need a clearer diagnosis. Is the pain from the connective tissue disease? Do you have a connective tissue disease? Just because you have a connective tissue disease does not mean the pain is froma connective tissue disease. There are many issues you need to discuss with your rheumatologist.

Yes: There is always hope. Methotrexate is often used as a first therapy because it has been used for a longtime and we know it works. Unfortunately it is sometimes not enough. During the last 15 years many new treatments have become available that help Methotrexate work better. We also often need to find the best dose and combination of meds. And it can take time but there is more hope everyday.