Hi, I am new to the forum and appreciate the warm welcome I have already received. Thank you!
I was diagnosed with PsA this past summer and I am working on getting my symptoms under control. I have been on high doses of prednisolone to get my inflammation and pain under control. Over the past couple of months I have been weaning off of the steroid and began taking Methotrexate. I have read about people feeling pretty awful the day after taking their weekly dose of mtx and I am glad I had that warning because I definitely fall in to that category. I take my mtx on Friday night and Saturday is pretty much a wash for me - I am fatigued, achy, nauseated, have headaches and overall miserable. I am wondering if others found their mtx 'hangovers' subsided after their body because acclimated to the drug? Or should I pretty much consider my Saturdays a stay-at-home-and-be-miserable day for the foreseeable future? Honestly, considering how terrible the onset of the PsA symptoms were (at one point I could not walk, at all, even sitting still was painful) - I will gladly deal with 1 day a week of misery for 6 days a week of being (mostly) functioning.
Hello and welcome to the forum. I, too, have a really bad "hangover" the day after taking Methotrexate. I was diagnosed about 2 years ago and give myself a methotrexate injection on Friday nights. So, Saturday is usually a pretty miserable day for me, too.
You are not alone. Do you take oral or injectable MTX? I started with oral, which made me horribly nauseated, so my Rheumy prescribed the injectables. Zofran really helps me with the nausea. I do a lot of sleeping on Saturdays. My body is just so worn out at the end of a work week (I travel beween 9 elementary schools a week, two per day, and teach orchestra.
I think that MTX has different effects for different people. Personally, I haven't noticed reduced symptoms from the MTX nor do I think my body has become acclimated to it. :(
But hang in there...my rheumy said that it can take up to 4 months to build up in ones system. I hope you are one of the lucky ones and that your body can become more tolerant of this drug. Remember that it is a super strong medication, and it is used for Chemotherapy.
I'm having my hangover as I type. Took my 15mg of MTX yesterday at 5pm. Sleeping by 6:30pm. Here I am in my office this AM feeling like I had way too many beers watching the Packer game, while I actually had zero.Feeling fuzzy and muddled, nice dull headache, stuffy head. Yuck.
Hi there, I was advised by my doc to take MTX dose on a saturday night as I don't work Sunday ( Sundays are for lazing and chilling anyway so I don't feel so bad for sleeping through some of it).........I don't feel as 'hungover' now as I did when I started the MTX last year. That's maybe because I'm used to the dose now (17.5mg) but I have a feeling the MTX isn't working so well now as I seem to be in flare and have been since the end of July/beginning of August and the last 3 dosed of MTX haven't seemed to affect me so badly.
I hate that feeling. I also switched from the pills to the injectable, and that helped quite a lot. One thing that *really* makes a difference for me is taking Lots of folic acid. If I forget to take it then the nausea gets really bad. I have learnt to never run out of my vitamins!
Some nice person on this forum (but I can’t remember who - sorry!) suggested drinking plenty of water during the mtx taking day, take mtx last thing at night, get a good nights sleep and drink plenty of water next day. I used to suffer the mtx hangover but rigorously apply the above and now feel ok the day after. If I don’t drink the water or one my children wakes in the night and disturbs my sleep I DO feel rough the next day so it works for me. It’s worth trying!
I will give the water a try. I have also read that eating a lot of carbs on mtx day can help but considering I feel pretty awful I am thinking that isn't working.
I too believe anything that causes a hangover should be done on a Saturday night. Generally the only thing that is scheduled for Sunday morning is church. If missed God will understand. The kids or Grandkids are less understanding if something is missed. (and I'm sorry Kids don't generally mind skipping church either.......)
Ha! Well not too much of anything else that could cause a hangover now that I am on mtx. Honestly, I have never been much of a drinker but I have been craving a glass of wine on regular basis now that I can't have it!
I am taking my mtx on Friday night because I do WANT to go to church on Sunday! It really is a bummer losing every Saturday but I am blessed that my husband is understanding, can take on the household/childcare tasks and takes amazing care of me in my hangover misery.
I started this thread a couple of months ago and I am still struggling with MTX hangovers. My rhumey upped my dose and had me split them between Friday night and Saturday morning (12 hours in between doses). I am finding that with an increased dose I don't seem to be getting increased hangover symptoms but I am still pretty pathetic. My newest misery is a "hot" headache. Right now it feels like my brain is burning. I don't have a fever - it is just a weird warm sensation from the inside of my head. I am nauseated and I can't sleep. I can sleep at the drop of a hat during the day but at night? Forget it. I am awake all night sometimes. My teeth seem to be more sensitive now - is that weird? Hot/cold foods - even my wet toothbrush, give me a jolt.
I take my 15mg on Sunday am and feel pretty cruddy the rest of the day! I have been on the MTX for over a year and am still in horrible pain, and for whatever reason, my actual psoriasis has decided to flare. I do crave carbs on Monday, never thought it could be the MTX. I just try to rest when I need to and pray for a better tomorrow.
I have been on MTX for 4 years. I have been on injectable for almost 4 years. I was horribly nauseated/hung over for about 4 months until effects gradually wore off. Now I can inject anytime during the day and have minor SE's that may consist of being a wee bit more tired and a squirrelly stomach.
My biologics nurse/rheumatology nurse told me to
1. take gravol 15 minutes before injesting or injecting MTX until the symptoms became more tolerable. Injecting MTX make it more tolerable
2. drink plenty of water
3. if the SE's are severe make sure you take it at bedtime so you sleep through the worst of the symptoms
4. get a sleeping tablet (you can cut them into quarters) if the gravol does not help you sleep
5. know that it will get better eventually. I
I know a lot of you are worried about taking MORE meds but if the SE's are that bad get to the doctor and get a RX for something for your stomach'
If you cannot sleep because of pain or just because you cannot sleep get to your doctor and TELL him that. Pain and sleep issues can be treated and if left untreated make your life miserable. So many doctors poo poo the idea that PsA is a serious disease and treat it like a cold. Same thing for sleeping problems. Like I said you can cut them into quarters. Be firm about how much pain you are in and describe your sleep problems. you may have to start a sleep routine to see if you can overcome the problems first. Anyhow do not down play your situation. Describe your worst day of the week to him/her.
Another thing. So many peeps don't take tylenol. Round the clock tylenol is a major pain relief protocol. FYI I have a PsA friend that has been on round the clock tylenol for something like 20 years. She does go off it in the summer months but is right back on for the winter months.
This disease is a life long sentence. It is up to you how you want to spend the rest of your life.
for a complete list of my meds LOL pm me. good luck
I also get mtx hangovers. I've noticed one thing that helps is eating carbs close to when you take it (I take it at night, so I make sure to have carbs with dinner) also NOT to eat too much sugar around when you take it, but I think I might just be more sensitive to sugar.
Another funny thing that my husband has noticed is that the day after I take it, I tend to be more easily upset. I didn't actually notice it until he pointed it out (thankfully I have a very kind, understanding husband) but it's an interesting thing to make note of. Does that happen to anyone else?
I was on methotrexate for 4weeks. I felt awful all of the time. My doctor just put me on enbrel. I am still having pain in joints and flares in hands. I am assuming this is normal. I am so greatful to be off the methotrexate.
I have been on MTX for 4 years. I have been on injectable for almost 4 years. I was horribly nauseated/hung over for about 4 months until effects gradually wore off. Now I can inject anytime during the day and have minor SE's that may consist of being a wee bit more tired and a squirrelly stomach.
My biologics nurse/rheumatology nurse told me to
1. take gravol 15 minutes before injesting or injecting MTX until the symptoms became more tolerable. Injecting MTX make it more tolerable
2. drink plenty of water
3. if the SE's are severe make sure you take it at bedtime so you sleep through the worst of the symptoms
4. get a sleeping tablet (you can cut them into quarters) if the gravol does not help you sleep
5. know that it will get better eventually. I
I know a lot of you are worried about taking MORE meds but if the SE's are that bad get to the doctor and get a RX for something for your stomach'
If you cannot sleep because of pain or just because you cannot sleep get to your doctor and TELL him that. Pain and sleep issues can be treated and if left untreated make your life miserable. So many doctors poo poo the idea that PsA is a serious disease and treat it like a cold. Same thing for sleeping problems. Like I said you can cut them into quarters. Be firm about how much pain you are in and describe your sleep problems. you may have to start a sleep routine to see if you can overcome the problems first. Anyhow do not down play your situation. Describe your worst day of the week to him/her.
Another thing. So many peeps don't take tylenol. Round the clock tylenol is a major pain relief protocol. FYI I have a PsA friend that has been on round the clock tylenol for something like 20 years. She does go off it in the summer months but is right back on for the winter months.
This disease is a life long sentence. It is up to you how you want to spend the rest of your life.
for a complete list of my meds LOL pm me. good luck
Jot1,
I think the life long just hit me. I am very new to diagnosis and so often feel overwhelmed. I tell my fam I am doing ok, but I am scared. Also frustrated that my life has changed so incredibly fast. I will definitely start the Tylenol. I have been using ibuprofen or pain meds if pain is too bad at night.