Methotrexate

foxylock

Hi guys.

Just wondering does anyone here have any experience with Methotrexate? I am due to start it this week end for Rheumatoid Arthritis and am a wee bit apprehensive. Nothing has worked so far and I need relief soon but I'm very wary of the amount of side effects and other risks associated with it. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

star-pants

My mother used to take it for RA, she took it for years (doesn't anymore).
She was on the max dose you can take, every Friday. She would have to lie down on the bed or couch for most of the day because she felt that nauseous/ill. Usually Saturday wouldn't be as bad.

For the rest of the week though it did help with her pain at the time.

Everyone is different, and it would depend on the person / the dose / how bad the RA is.

lockman

Hi there,

I am on MTX for the past 15 months or so, for an autoimmune disorder.

For the first 6 months, i started on a fairly low dose (10 mg /MTX/ once per week). Had a few side-effects: diarrhea the morning after taking it; sorted that by taking it with food. Had some photosensitivity also: reduced that by taking it in the evenings.

I was then upped to 15 mg MTX/ once per week, and have been on that dose since. No major problems since upping the dose. Have noticed that the hair is thinning a bit on top of my head though- not a major problem as i have a healthy head of hair. Other than that, i find it fine. Get a little tired after taking it (reduce this effect by taking it close to bedtime).

Hope this helps allay some of your concerns. Any questions, feel free to pm.

foxylock

Hi guys, I just took my first dose which is 15mg, and now intend to go to bed to hopefully sleep through the initial stages of nausea. I won't worry too much about hair loss as being pain free is my main priority. Thanks again for the advice much appreciated.

huskerdu

I have been on Methotrexate for 2 years now.

As was already said, everyone is different and its impossible to tell what level of side affects you will get.

I got bad nausea for the day after taking it, for the first few months, but it really improved after that. Once your bidy is used to it, upping the dose doesn't seem to make the symptoms worse.

Always, always take it with food. I made the mistake of taking it after dinner a few times, when I forgot and always regretted it. The nausea is much worse.

Good luck. Hopefully, your nausea wont be too bad and it really does improve.
I hope you get the paid releif that you deserve.

up for anything

I spent a few years on it for Psoriatic Artrithis. The first year I started on a small dose and within 5 months was on the 20mg dose a week. I had absolutely no problems with it and no side effects that I noticed. I did hate taking the tablets though and used to encase them in bread to swallow them because my mouth would fill with iron tasting saliva as soon as I thought about taking them - in fact it's happening now. Then I had some personal crap going on and ended up not taking them for about four months and then went back on them. The problems started then, 24 hours of nausea and tiredness. All I was good for was lying on the couch. In the end it started stretching out to 48 hours. When I began to feel better all I could think about was having to take them again in a few days.

Eventually, I asked my Rheumatologist was there another option and he suggested self-injecting it to bypass my stomach. I got on ok with that although prior to every injection there was a loin-girding, psyching myself up few hours. Then one day the injection hit a nerve in my stomach (or so the Rheumy thought when I described what had happened). I managed to do it a couple of times after that but it was always unpleasant - probably my mind working against me and I lost my nerve completely. So for the last four months I've been off medication completely. I have a couple of knuckles that are giving me trouble but I haven't had a proper flare so not intending to go back on meds until I feel a real need to and he agrees with me.

The upshot is that it affects everybody differently and can affect the same person differently too. Fingers crossed for you that it doesn't affect you.

RA girl

Hi there,
I've been on it for over a year now. I started on the tablets and then moved onto self injecting. I used to feel sicker with the tablets, but you get prescribed 10 mg of folic acid to take the next day to combat side effects.

At first I didn't like injecting myself, still don't but you get used to it and it's over in a flash. Noticed a big improvement in my symptoms when I went from tablets to injection.

Best of luck

foxylock

Thanks for all the replies lads.

I had about two days of nausea after taking the first dose it was in the main part bearable. It has subsided now and I feel quite well, dare I say even a little more positive. I've got my ass kicked the past few months with this rheumatoid stuff so maybe now it's time to beat the bully. Lets see how the next few weeks pan out. Thanks again and be well.

lilminx

Hey guys...

i'm due to start methotrexate this week. I'm trying to figure out what day is best to start it with the whole Christmas thing coming up. I'm very nervous about it to be honest, but reading through this thread has answered some of my questions.

I've been told to continue with the rest of my drug regime, including steroids which I started last week. Hopefully, I'll find an improvement in the next few months.

Any advice appreciated.

Minx

Hello Lady!

lilminx wrote: »

Hey guys...

i'm due to start methotrexate this week. I'm trying to figure out what day is best to start it with the whole Christmas thing coming up. I'm very nervous about it to be honest, but reading through this thread has answered some of my questions.

I've been told to continue with the rest of my drug regime, including steroids which I started last week. Hopefully, I'll find an improvement in the next few months.

Any advice appreciated.

Minx

My mum used to always take hers on Sunday because Sunday was always a different routine to the rest of the week so made it easier to remember.

LegacyUser

Hi I was on the max amount for rheumatoid arthritis I was also injecting embrol im not saying it was responsible but 6 months injecting I got prostate cancer they stopped the injecting straight away that. was 2012 then 2years ago I had bowel problems at this stage they stopped the methotrexate now im living on painkillers hope I was some help by the was neither of them did me any good