i have recently been diagnosed with RA. I am 66 years old and have had excellent health. I am in total shock and in very much pain on a daily basis. My RA specialist is recommending a medication which is a form of chemotherapy and she says it is a life changer for a lot of people. The possible side effect are: there may be a loss of hair and liver or kidney damage. Are you serious? She swears that this medication is a life changer for many people - forgive me, it s methodrexate (?). Why in the hell would I want to take that? I had breast cancer in 2005 and did not need chemo (thank God) - infiltrating ductal carcinoma; had a lumpectomy and 33 treatments radiation (which I now have learned can cause RA). Again, why would I want to take a drug which is a derivative of chemo . Really? Are there any other less harmless medication options to help alleviate my pain which won t have such a detrimental effect? Thanks for your input.