Started with pills for mtx, had nausea, just switched to needles, did my first needle this weekend, been nauseated for two days. Thought the needle would be less, but seems to make me more nauseated.
Anyone have any tips on how to lessen the nausea? Is there something to take to help or do I just have to ride it out each week?
Thanks
I hope you find something to help. I find nausea more debilitating that pain, stiffness, all of it. I can mentally block out some pain, but nausea is my Achille's heel.
I had no luck with oral or injectable MTX. Oral I threw up for 3 days after a very small initial dose. Injectible, I got a terrible metallic taste in my mouth almost immediately and my throat got tight after a very small dose (I obviously have very odd reactions).
Leflunomide (Arava) is in the same class, but doesn't make people nauseous. However, diarrhea can be a problem. No winning. I'm finding it much more tolerable, I take it every other day, and works much better than MTX did for me.
I also take Arava. I tolerate it much much more than MTX. I am able to take it daily, I think Stoney you take it every other day to help with the diarrhea? For me the diarrhea is a once a day and done event.
Stoney said:
Leflunomide (Arava) is in the same class, but doesn't make people nauseous. However, diarrhea can be a problem. No winning. I'm finding it much more tolerable, I take it every other day, and works much better than MTX did for me.
One of the things TB is that a lot more of the MTX is absorbed and used when injected than by pills. So it may not be the injection but the increased amount.
You might also check with your doc about your folic acid. The norm is 1 MG daily bit i found 1 mg twice a day seems to work a lot better for me. Almost everyone (despite what you read) ends up with improved tolerance after a while.
Aravara does the disease modifying thing but doesn't play as well with the biologics and requires some real life style changes. If you can make the MTX work your are a lot better off.
When I started mtx I had massive nausea. Found out Rootbeer helped a lot. Also fresh fruit seemed to stay down best. When I added embrel to the mix I would have two to three days of projectile vomiting. That doctor refused me any medication for nausea, but raised my folic acid to 2mg per day. The extra folic acid helped a little, but I finally had to go off the embrel and new doctor raised my mtx to 8 a week, so I ask again for something for nausea. She said since mtx is a kemo drug they are justified in giving the nausea med and gave me Ondansetron. It works really well, but completely constipating. I usually only have to take one tab a week.
Oh that's bad news, that leflunomide doesn't play as well with the biologics. I'm not quite there, but I was hoping that it wouldn't mean a return to MTX.
BTW, I'm on 3mg folic acid per day, in order to slow down hair loss. That plus biotin worked really well.
tntlamb said:
One of the things TB is that a lot more of the MTX is absorbed and used when injected than by pills. So it may not be the injection but the increased amount.
You might also check with your doc about your folic acid. The norm is 1 MG daily bit i found 1 mg twice a day seems to work a lot better for me. Almost everyone (despite what you read) ends up with improved tolerance after a while.
Aravara does the disease modifying thing but doesn't play as well with the biologics and requires some real life style changes. If you can make the MTX work your are a lot better off.
Try adding ginger into your cooking, or chew on small piece. You can make a fruit drink with a little ginger in it. Lemon, ginger and honey with hot water is one way of making a hot drink. Try a health food store to see what they might have with Ginger in it. Folic acid will also help.
I have had to increase my folic acid to 1mg twice daily to help. I seems to have slow down things. But I have been off of MTX for about 3 week and just started again. It has start up rough diarrhea all day today. Between blood pressure med and MTX and pain pills I could not tell what causing what.
I will tell you that before I had to stop taking MTX about 3 weeks ago I was doing well. I had to stop du to high liver functions. I take 0.8 lm MTX once a week via needle and started back up Thursday night.
Someone comment that Rootbeer worked for them. Rootbeer acts as a diuretic so be careful with that suggestion.
Thanks, tntlamb, you always have great advice! I will ask my Rhuemy about doubling my folic acid. Wondering if I should just try it one time anyway and see?
tntlamb said:
One of the things TB is that a lot more of the MTX is absorbed and used when injected than by pills. So it may not be the injection but the increased amount.
You might also check with your doc about your folic acid. The norm is 1 MG daily bit i found 1 mg twice a day seems to work a lot better for me. Almost everyone (despite what you read) ends up with improved tolerance after a while.
Aravara does the disease modifying thing but doesn't play as well with the biologics and requires some real life style changes. If you can make the MTX work your are a lot better off.
I don't know if you would notice it just one time. You can go pretty high with folic acid, but you'll definitely want to clear it with your doctor.