Table 1.

Patient characteristics that contraindicate prescription of MTX⁵

Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding

Heavy alcohol users

Patients with

• Alcohol-induced or other chronic liver diseases

• Immunodeficiency

• Renal insufficiency

• Anemia, leukopenia, or thrombocytopenia

• Hypersensitivity to MTX

• Lung disease (eg, pneumonitis or interstitial lung disease of unknown cause)

• Active bacterial or herpes zoster infection, active tuberculosis, or life-threatening fungal infection

Note: © Copyright CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL RHEUMATOLOGY 2004. Reproduced from Rau R, Herborn G. Benefit and risk of methotrexate treatment in rheumatoid arthritis. Clin Exp Rheumatol. 2004;22(5 Suppl 35):S83–S94.⁵

Abbreviation: MTX, methotrexate.