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Original poster

About to start methotrexate, any experience / tips?

69 replies

denialandpanic · 22/01/2013 19:59

I'm about to start methotrexate for psoriatic arthritis. I work five days a week, two kids and I'm dreading the side effects. Any tips on how to manage? My boss suggested I take them Monday night so as not to ruin my weekend with my family Grin. i have a good boss.

I like to be organised so I'm considering asking to work from home they day after the dose for the first while. please tell me if I'm overreacting Wink

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Original poster
denialandpanic · 05/02/2013 10:18

spoke to gp. have decided to take dose as feel better today and no longer hurts to breath. bahAngry hate this

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wonkylegs · 06/02/2013 23:12

I've got a cold too so you have my sympathies. I'm hoping it'll go soon as I don't want to miss my next dose of Humira.

redshoes · 07/02/2013 01:31

How do you feel Denial? Did you take it?

Original poster
denialandpanic · 07/02/2013 11:20

took 10mg (working up to 15) Tuesday night.Was really in two minds about it. Felt awful all day yesterday, not so bad today. Hard too tell if it was methotrexate or ongoing virus but I never got out of bed yesterday.Angry

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Yardarm · 07/02/2013 12:48

Denial, I also take mine on a Tuesday. I feel ok on Wednesdays but I have to make sure I drink plenty of water on Thursday to avoid feeling rubbish on Friday, so I would say keep your fluids up and that might help. Best wishes Thanks

Original poster
denialandpanic · 07/02/2013 13:17

Thanks yardarm. I have a pint of water on the go beside meGrin .strangely enough I had no joint pain all weekend.Maybe my body was too busy fighting the cold to fight me?

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isleangel · 07/02/2013 15:09

Thanks so much for starting this thread denialandpanic. My DH has been on methrotrexate for 7 months now and he hasn't had any side effects, but then it has done nothing else for him either and he is still getting steroid injections, anti inflammatories and co codomal, and he is still unable to move very well. His consultant is putting him on sulfasazine as well as the methrotrexate and we were quite worried about the side effects of it, as it sounds worse than the metho. But this thread is reassuring. I hope you're recovering Thanks

Original poster
denialandpanic · 07/02/2013 19:14

isleangel the rheumy made a point of saying several times to always take the sulphasalazine with food.I started on one a day and worked up increasing one a week to four a day and then six but back down to four now. when starting I always felt wiped out the afternoon after the day I raised the dose but once on full dose felt absolutely fine.it has helped me most with morning and evening stiffness.also my crp and esr generally came down. I started the methotrexate because I was still getting to much random joint pain and flare ups.

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wonkylegs · 08/02/2013 10:27

Isleangel sulphasalazine is often considered milder than Mtx although it can turn your pee & tears yellow which can be a shock. I seem to recall that side effects are less common with sulphasalazine which is why they often try it before mtx & it's safer if you are trying for a baby/bf etc
I tried it as my 1st DMARD but ended up coming off it due to excessive bruising, it also wasn't as effective for me as the mtx.

isleangel · 08/02/2013 11:30

Thanks Denial for the information. We only found out by reading the drugs leaflet, that he was supposed to take the first doses at night, so the food thing will be very useful, and its good to be able to plan round when he might feel sick. My DH is also getting very bad flare ups on the methotrexate, every time the steriod injection wears off, so his consultant says that sometimes the 2 together can dampen it down, although he says if this doesn't work they will put him on the biologic injections, so its just a waiting game, as I'm sure you know well! It's just so good to know that others are going through this too and that there might be light at the end of the tunnel. Smile

Wonkylegs, I didn't know that the sulpasalazine was milder than mtx. We did read all the side effects and knew about the pee and tears (maybe that made it sound scarier!). He is going to start it tonight so we'll see how it goes.

Original poster
denialandpanic · 08/02/2013 18:48

hope it works mrisleangel! It's the biologics I've got the big mind block on.but luckily I haven't been bad enough that they've even been mentioned.

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Snowbell · 08/02/2013 21:40

hi,
I've been taking MXT for 4 years now for RA. I was on 25mg but am now on 15mg. I take mine on Friday night. I find it hits my system 16-18 hours later. I swear I literally feel it hit me. I get this overwhelming urge to lie down and sleep, and don't feel great. If I can sleep for an hour I'll feel much better when I wake up. I used to take it on a Saturday night but found I was really struggling with work on Mondays and Tuesdays. Now I have got over most of it by Monday. Does bugger up your Saturday nights a bit but depends what your social life is like! I can get a bit nauseous on Saturday night but I just eat something. In fact I feel like I am eating constantly for the following few days!

Hulababy · 31/01/2014 18:30

Handy thread to find today - just started methotrexate today, also for PA.

I already take sulfasalazine, omepraxole, diclofenac, co-codamol ad a small dose of prenisolene. This is to go on top - small dose of just 7,5mg a week, 3 tabs once a week. Also have folic acid to tak - one tablet, once a week - 2 days after taking the methotrexate. Dose of methotrexate to be monitored and adjusted as and when when I go back.

Have been having a really painful and difficult flare up affecting most joints since November. Been on extra steroids and had a steroid injection, later didn't work at all. But the doctor is very keen to get me off the prednisolene completely. Was down to just 1mg a day prior to the flare up - but once tried to drop it further the flare up started and kncock me off course.

The flare up is settling a bit now I hope - still having some pain in mornings and end of day, and tiredness is there a lot, still stiff and achy in places - but I can walk much better again. No chance of wearing any form of heels for now though! Having odd bad day still though, such as Wednesday tiis week - couldn't even write :(

I haven't really been told of any extra side affects - so having taken my first dose at lunch time today, we shall see.

Hulababy · 31/01/2014 18:32

Oops - sorry, didn't realise this thread was a year old - no idea how it even came up - misread the 13 in the date! Ignore!

Original poster
denialandpanic · 31/01/2014 18:46

Grin I'm still here :-) I've ended up on 25mg. worked pretty well on peripheral joints but zero influence on back. Hope it works for youSmile

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Original poster
denialandpanic · 31/01/2014 18:47

Ha and this time party year I want thinking about biologics I'm being for them now. Bloody disease

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Original poster
denialandpanic · 31/01/2014 18:48

I mean last year

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Original poster
denialandpanic · 31/01/2014 18:48

And begging

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Hulababy · 31/01/2014 18:51

Thanks for responding. Fingers crossed then.

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