Starting Methotrexate

[CharlieSierra]

How long does it normally take to experience side effects after taking the dose? I took my first dose on Saturday night and felt absolutely fine, but today I'm very tired. I was feeling pretty tired anyway so it could be unrelated I guess, or the clocks changing might not have helped, but I do feel worse.

I injected methotrexate 25mg for rheumatoid arthritis. It was an amazing drug in that it reduced my symptoms so much that I almost felt human again.

Unfortunately for me after about 12 months the side effects got progressively worse and I had what I called The Hangover after for around 3 days in which I couldn't function well zombie so I switched to another drug which is working brilliantly and gives me no side effects.

I'm still really glad I tried it though as I do think that it worked really well with my symptoms and stopped any further serious damage to my joints.

I know some people who have taken it without issue for years. My advice would be to give it a good try(months rather than weeks) and if the side effects become intolerable then tell your doc you want to switch.

Advice would be to eat and to have a bloody big nap the next day if you can. But not everyone suffers badly.

Oh and take it a couple of hours before bed so you can sleep through the worst.

Week 2 for me. I took my 4 tablets (so 10mg) on Saturday at bedtime. I'm fine so far, took my folic acid the days before and after and still taking my vitamin D every day. Fingers crossed.

How much folic acid do you take Charlie?

Kitten I take 5mg the day before and the day after. Still feeling fine so really hoping the reason I felt off colour last week was due to having a bit of a cold.

I might try splitting my dose then, see if that helps with tiredness. I’m glad you are feeling better.
I’m not too bad this morning, bit queasy and still v. tired, but I’m taking the first hour very gently.

I had to stop taking it after about 6 weeks. Each week I found the side effects got worse and lasted longer so by the end I had migraine like headaches and nausea for 6 out of the 7 days. When I told my consultant he stopped it. I do wonder if it would have been better to lower the dose and increase more slowly bit it was a relief to stop taking it.

Kitten how long have you been on it?

4 weeks. so not long at all. Quite indigestiony tonight with it.

I have been taking it for about 10 years now and I don't seem to get any side effects..I take folic acid 6 days a week. Abt 2 yrs ago I had a bad reading for liver function on my blood test and was taken off it until I had had 2 clear tests. I ended up being off it for abt 7 weeks altogether. By that time I was in dreadful pain from my joints affected by the RA, couldn't sleep, lift my arms, use my hands, dress myself! I was so glad to get back on it, but the dose had to be increased from 8 tabs to 10. After abt 18 mths I am about back to how I was before the break, so for me it has been very good. If that happened again I would insist on being re-tested weekly rather than monthly. I had no idea that would happen, and nor did my doctor. Sorry for the ramble!

Well I took a full 6 tablet dose for the first time on Saturday night. No issues at all since feeling a bit nauseous the first week. I had a steroid injection just before I started, so I was already feeling a bit better when that kicked in, but I'm feeling pretty good at the moment and my psoriasis is starting to improve. Fingers crossed.

Butterflies and BadKitten, how are you getting on?

I’m glad it’s starting to improve :) I’m seeing a bit of an improvement too. I get really bad insomnia tuesday nights so I’m going to try taking my folic acid on wednesday this weeek to see if it’s that.

I started taking 10mg in July. I take on a Monday evening and, until recently, felt sick and tired on Wednesdays and Thursdays.

But... I've turned a corner! The nausea has reduced a lot and the tiredness comes and goes. But defo not as bad. For the first two months I had some depression, but it was quite extreme and out of character so I put it down to the MTX.

I feel like it's taken this long (4 months) for my body to adjust to it and now I'm okay with it. (Nausea also improved by taking folic acid 6 days per week instead of 1). Mental health restored also.

Now they want to up my dose, so will have to readjust again.

But for anyone suffering... it did get better for me, so maybe worth sticking it out for a while.

Rainbow how much folic acid do you take? I wished I hadn't posted so smug on Monday, by Tuesday I felt ropey, so sick and absolutely shattered. It's a bit better today.