METHOTREXATE

My Grandfather has been dealing with psoriasis for some time.  We have tried natural methods to address it, but have not had any success.  For most of his life he has had an issue with slight swelling of his legs, but has been very manageable.  He had recently been put on Methotrexate by his MD.  Shortly after being put on the medication, the swelling in his legs became severe.  Despite his claim to the MD that the medication was causing that, his doctor denied the possibility.  Not long after, I saw a patient dealing with psoriasis that I knew had previously taken the medication.  I asked him what side effects he had with taking it and he said swelling of the legs.  Frustrated, I called my Grandfather to deliver the news and he stopped taking the medication.  The swelling, however, remained.  Last weekend he was hospitalized at Baylor Dallas to see if they could find answers for him.  After extensive testing and thousands of dollars spent over four days, they concluded that the swelling was a result of the medication.  In time after being off the medication, the swelling has begun to subside.  This story in particular frustrates me because it is another example of MDs not listening to the patient and making the solution too complicated.  We always listen to our patients to make sure that we can provide the best care possible in order to help as many people as we can in our office.