I'm not a doctor, but I used to date one... seriously.
She would ask you if you've asked your rheumatologist about Cat's Claw. It's a heck of a lot easier on the system than Methotrexate or Prednisone, and there are some studies that show it has considerable efficacy against RA and other rheumatic conditions (among other things).
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11950006
http://www.lef.org/magazine/mag2007/mar2007_nu_catsclaw_01.htm
http://www.herbalsafety.utep.edu/herbs-pdfs/catsclaw.pdf
I've been taking it for years for bursitis. If I stop taking it, the pain comes back within a week or so. My elderly mom takes it for RA and was able to stop her other RA medications (with her doctor's approval). And my late uncle took it for arthritis in his back until the day he died (he was in his 80's).
Cat's Claw's not totally without side effects. It potentiates anticoagulant medications. It's also a probable teratogen and should
never be taken by pregnant women, nursing mothers, or children. At least that's what my girlfriend (the doctor one, not the more recent crazy one) told me some years ago.
Again, I'm not a doctor. Not even close. Heck, I'm not even particularly smart. But the stuff works wonders for me, my mother, my uncle (R.I.P.), and quite a few other people who I know have tried it; so maybe it's worth asking your doc about it.
-Rich