talkhealth forums

I was diagnosed with RA just over 6 months ago and was prescribed methotrexate. A month or so after, I noticed that I had a rash and some red bumps on my chest, and have continued to have rashes quite regularly. I have stopped eating certain foods and changed some of my usual products such as shampoo/shower gel/creams to see if that helps, but sadly it hasn't. I suppose what I want to know is whether methotrexate is known to cause such side effects? I just want to get to the bottom of it! thanks (Linda)

Methotrexate can cause a rash but usually rashes caused by medicines are not just on one part of the body such as the chest - they are often on the arms and legs and can look blotchy and feel itchy. It might be worth missing just a single dose of methotrexate so see if that makes any difference. Missing one dose is unlikely to make your arthritis feel worse but after a week off the medicine you should be able to tell if the rash is better or not and if so speak to your rheumatology team about a change of medicine. Anti inflammatory medicines such as naproxen can also often caue a rash which can be more obvious in areas exposed to sunlight such as the arms and chest.
Try not to scratch the rash as that can make things worse.