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Table 3 Patient-reported adverse events associated with biologic therapies (with and without methotrexate), subcutaneous methotrexate, and oral methotrexate

From: Patient’s experience with subcutaneous and oral methotrexate for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis

AE, n (%)

Biologics without MTX

Biologics with MTX

SQ MTX

Oral MTX

P value

n = 95

N = 123

n = 49

n = 115

Hair loss

10 (11)

11 (9)

17 (35)

35 (30)

<0.0001

Diarrhea

2 (2)

6 (5)

6 (12)

26 (23)

<0.0001

Vomiting

2 (2)

6 (5)

4 (8)

8 (7)

0.32

Nausea

11 (12)

17 (14)

27 (55)

39 (34)

<0.0001

Other stomach problems

9 (10)

5 (4)

3 (6)

7 (6)

0.44

Fatigue

21 (22)

27 (22)

36 (73)

64 (56)

<0.0001

Malaise

17 (18)

14 (11)

23 (47)

38 (33)

<0.0001

Mental fog

14 (15)

19 (15)

18 (37)

33 (29)

0.0016

Infection

12 (13)

11 (9)

4 (8)

5 (4)

0.19

Any pain with injections

48a (89)

62a (84)

27 (55)

N/A

<0.0001

Side effect sumb

    

<0.0001

 0

67 (71)

91 (74)

5 (10)

36 (31)

 

 1

4 (4)

7 (6)

9 (18)

12 (10)

 2

4 (4)

7 (6)

7 (14)

19 (17)

 3

10 (11)

5 (4)

12 (24)

17 (15)

 4

6 (6)

6 (5)

8 (16)

14 (12)

  > =5

4 (4)

7 (6)

8 (16)

17 (15)

  1. P values reported from chi-square test
  2. AE adverse event, MTX methotrexate, SQ subcutaneous
  3. aOf 128 patients who received biologic therapies subcutaneously
  4. bnumber of side effect of hair loss, diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, other stomach problems, fatigue, malaise, mental fog