This is all new...being recently diagnosed with some type of arthritis...my Mom has psoratic arthritis. I have the arthritis symptoms and am HLAB27 + but the doc is unsure of the exact type of arthritis. He started me on MTX this week and I don't know if I am really tired from the med, the illness or just my lack of excercise! I was sorta sick last night and my appetite has decreased so I can't complain...weird though my hands were more swollen a few hours after the dose and all day yesterday...guess thats all for now. :)
Some people get really tired out from the medication, and nausea can be associated with MTX. The doctor should also prescribe folic acid with MTX, to minimize side effects. It takes a bit of time for the medicine to kick in, so having swelling even after taking the first dose isn't too surprising.
It will take some time for the medicine to start working, and I'll point out that fatigue is part of the inflammatory process, so the fatigue could be medication OR disease related.
Welcome to the group! You'll get a lot of support here.
Thanks for the feedback...I have read alot about the folic acid being used with MTX but my rheumy said he would wait and see if I needed it. Does that sound odd? For me the side effects are mild so far and the decrease in appetite could have positive effects! lol...
Here's my thing. . . Why wait? Folic acid is the simplest way to avoid the typical side effects of hair loss and mouth sores. Even with the folic acid, I still got the occasional minor mouth sore, but I could have gone for a higher folic acid dose. If you're comfortable with seeing how things go, that's fine. But if you are one of those people who loses a lot of hair, it could take a while to recover from. Mind you, not everyone will lose hair. Just something to think about.
Folic acid is the standard if you take MTX. I went of MTX due to side effects and have had better luck with Arava.
Make sure you have a doctor that works with you and your symptoms.
I will call him on Monday...I didn't realize that it was standard to take folic acid and "he" was comfortable waiting.., easy for him since he isn't taking the med...thank you for the info...I love my hair! :)
I can see why! You have gorgeous hair per you picture. Mine has become so scraggly I am tempted to shave it at times! But I am getting compliments.....you just never know!
Hello there,
My rheumatologist says folic acid is always to be prescribed with MTX to help negate the side effects. One of the main S/E is depression of red blood cell production and folic acid can prevent this.
Good luck with your treatment, I’ve been on MTX for about 18 months and despite the problems I’ve heard about I’ve been ok and my body copes with it well 