How is everyone? I've been away on holidays this past week. I was invited to a wedding in turkey. I've been before but this time was a bit special as a relative was getting married. The heat was just bliss! My ankles swelled a bit from walking but I didn't care because I could actually walk!
Now I'm home and it's raining and I feel crap again. I think I'm going to emigrate! (I wish).
I'm a little nervous, I took my folic acid yesterday and I will start my methotrexate tonight. I was advised to take it at night so I could sleep off any possible side effects. Hopefully I won't have any.
I'm starting on 10mg and will be working up to 25mg. Fingers crossed!
I woke up this morning and felt tired but nothing major. After I got up I had 2 bouts of diarrhea. I took the tablet at 10 last night and had the two bouts around 8am. Do you think that was enough time for it to be absorbed or would my body have gotten rid of it?
Have no idea, Irishchick! Why not run that one by your friendly GP? Meanwhile, if it becomes troublesome, or more SEs join the party, you consider asking for a switch to injectable. You aren’t afraid of needlss, are you?
When I first started mtx the headaches (my side effect) would hit after 5 hours! I quickly switched to injections which are very easy but unfortunately not working for me
When I first started mtx the headaches (my side effect) would hit after 5 hours! I quickly switched to injections which are very easy but unfortunately not working for me
I'm back from the GP. Got my bloods and Flu shot. I asked him about absorption and he said that it varies from person to person but it generally absorbed within a couple of hours so it would have gone into my system before the diarrhea.
He said there will be no problem switching to metoject if I want to. I just have to ring the rhematologist to confirm it and give the GP the go-ahead to prescribe. I'm OK today so I will see how I go over the next few weeks.
I had the depomedrone injection just over a week ago so I'm still feeling great thanks to that.
Isn’t a diagnosis that makes sense and an understandable treatment plan a wonderful thing for helping you cope with whatever this disease throws at you! I’m glad to hear that you sound much more settled and positivee these days, Irishchick.
My stress levels have reduced by about 99% !! I feel so much better now and as you say I'm much better prepared now. How are you these days? Seenie said:
Isn't a diagnosis that makes sense and an understandable treatment plan a wonderful thing for helping you cope with whatever this disease throws at you! I'm glad to hear that you sound much more settled and positivee these days, Irishchick.
Neither worked but the injections were better! I am still on it and have maybe 40% improvement, so better than nothing! My liver tests are always perfect and contrary to what others have been told, I am allowed to drink reasonable amounts of alcohol (as is my sister and sister in law) any side effects you have should go within a few months but I had less with the injections which I give myself - just looked up how to do it on e Internet
I'm hoping I'll get away with as few as possible. My nose was bleeding this morning which was unusual for me. What do you call a "reasonable" amount? I don't drink much. Maybe one of a Saturday night and sometimes one of a Sunday. When I say one actually just mean one. Some say you can have the odd drink and other say you shouldn't have any. I suppose it depends on how your liver reacts.
Golfnut said:
Neither worked but the injections were better! I am still on it and have maybe 40% improvement, so better than nothing! My liver tests are always perfect and contrary to what others have been told, I am allowed to drink reasonable amounts of alcohol (as is my sister and sister in law) any side effects you have should go within a few months but I had less with the injections which I give myself - just looked up how to do it on e Internet
Exactly! Although all the research I have read says that there have been no cases of liver problems from mtx and normal consumption of alcohol! Luckily my rheumy has always allowed reasonable drinking which s under the guidelines (14 units per week for women). I hope you get on well with it
Advice re MTX and alcohol seems to vary geographically, believe it or not! In North America, the advice is usually “none”. In Europe and the UK, a bit is OK. In Australia, they don’t worry much about it, and beer doesn’t count. (Go figure, mate!) This is not official advice, just based on what I’ve heard here. Myself, I have been on mtx for three years, and my usual intake is an (almost) ginless tonic before dinner, and about half a glass of wine or beer with dinner, which I don’t always finish. My liver has always been perfectly happy with this, until I added 10 mg of leflunomide (Arava) to the mix. Then it went nuts, reacting even to as little as 70 mL of table wine. Had to abstain completely until I went off it and onto Enbrel.
For me, the bottom line is that I am sparing with the alcohol, and as long as my liver function tests come back OK, I don’t worry about it. But in the end, the health of my liver and my joints trumps alcoholic beverages. (And those that know me well appreciate how serious that is! LOL)
I think I am going to have to ask about swtiching to metoject. I woke at 5.30 am with cramping and had 3 bouts of diarrhea. It's only my first week though. Should I throw in the towel and ask for the injectable or wait and see??
Are you sure you haven't just got a bit of a tummy bug? Not difficult to pick something up when you're away from home.
In your shoes I think I'd treat myself as if it was a bug and drink lots of water and maybe just a small meal of something bland to eat like egg and toast for a couple of days then see what happens after the next dose. You could also check with your pharmacist what is safe with mtx to take for upset tum ... but do check before you take anything.
If it is the methotrexate you'll certainly find the injectable much easier on you.
If you want to switch then that’s fine but I think you are probably a little early to panic - I believe that injectable mtx is seen as more effective, so certainly make enquiries about this but until this is in place, I would certainly carry on with the tablets