Hi I am getting ready to start MxT and I have heard it can make it a little harder to get through the day with nausea and other stuff like that. Does anyone have suggestions on when I should take it especially with my school?
-Morgan
Well Morgan, there is no guarantee you will even have some nasty side effects (most don't) You don't read about the folks who don't because they don't normally come on the internet to say how ell things are going. I assume you are a HS student?? Are you in school or home-schooled?
Anyway there is two ways to go about it. Take it the first time Friday evening and keep close track of what happens and when. Then work backwards to decide when it best fits into your schedule. Keep in mind being events like your SATS and PSAT (especially the PSAT at this point - I assume every student is going to be a National Merit Scholar)
I'm a crusty ol' college teacher but even I know that while your Job 1 right now is school, none of that matters if your social life, youthgroup, etc is in the toilet. Then while I don't believe you should be dating for at least another 10 years I'm a realist.
Most of us working folks shoot on Sat evening as we sleep through the worst of it and can veg through Sun. Logical for us, Were I a student I wouldn't do it that way. I'd probably shoot on Thurs (maybe at the nurse office. So the worst starts at home that eveneing and I can veg through the day Friday (generally not much happens on Fridays at school unless your teachers are sadists or you go to Catholic School where Fridays are still test days.
That way you should be good to go by Friday evening for games etc. then have a great day Saturday a better day Sunday which you should devote a part of to your Studies. Its going to be easy to fall behind and not realize it until your midterms come and you are grounded for life.
On the other hand if you hit a party from time to time, wait until Sat when you get home. I realize nobody in High school ever allows alcohol to pass their lips or hooks up. Its going to be really hard to say no and while I believe you should...... If you are going to have a drink or two Friday or Sat would be the time as your MTX levels will be at their lowest.There is less danger to your kidneys/liver and your immune sytem at its highest....Life with PsA is tough enough without having to have to constantly say NO because of your disease. (BTW the best and most popular students at the level I teach can and do ignore peer pressure Chronically ill teens sometimes fail to protect their "hearts": please do)
So hows that for a non answer.
I am a HS student and go to a school during the day. I can guarentee I will not be drinking because I am totally against it at my age. Yeah ik I’m not the average HS girl. This helps me very much. Thank you. Hopefully I can hear more from you and others.
I take mine on Sundays. Only because it’s easy for me to remember on a Sunday. I’m one of the many who never had side effects of any kind from MTX.
In your position, I’d take tntlamb’s advice about doing it late in the week, late in the day so that if you feel a bit queazy, it’ll happen when you are asleep and the day after ((on a day when it doesn’t matter that much).
I went a long time thinking that I had no effects at all from MTX. Then I had to stop it before surgery, and I realized that it had been helping me more than I thought.
I took the pills for a while, and then switched to injectable because the rheumatologist thought it might be a bit more effective for me. Injectable is no biggie, really. Most of the time I can’t even feel the needle (it’s so fine)and the stuff doesn’t sting or anything.
And remember: your rheumatologist has lots more weapons in his/her bag o’ tricks if MTX doesn’t help.
I just started mine a few weeks ago. I am starting slowly, doing 2 weeks of each level: start at 3 pills, going up to 6 before seeing rhumy again (I am at 5 now). I have been taking mine on Monday nights. I am a stay at home mom and my husband works from home. His busiest days (hardest day to ask for any help) are Monday and Thursday/Friday. We enjoy doing things on the weekends. So I settled on Monday night. I have not had many side effects, some light nausea, and on Tuesday nights I am beat by bed time. That is the worst part for me so far. Being so tired seems to make the nausea a bit worse for some reason. But that's about it! Not too bad, now only if I could see some improvement! They say it takes awhile, 8-12 weeks, I hope to see some soon!
I have personally, decided to just not drink at all while I take medications like this. My system is having enough of a hit already! I honestly, don't care for it anyways, don't like how it makes me feel. And any sort of drinking spikes my pain the next day of two for some reason. I know you said you don't agree with drinking at your age, and I have to give you kudo's for that! It's so hard to avoid when so many people do. You sound like a very smart and mature girl! Just something to think about before you decide to drink, even years down the road. Make sure to take it easy all the time if your on MTX, but even more so at first, so you can see how your body takes it.
Like the poster above said, I know how chronic pain can make you a little "raw" emotionally. Not all the time, but it happens, compleatly understandably! Please try to guard yourself from other peoples rude, stupid, and untrue comments. It was not long ago that I was in high school, and I thought it was brutal then. It's only gotten worse!! I can't imagine high school with PsA...be wise in who you decided to tell about it. Any chink in your armor can be used aginist you for some girls personal agenda, for some trival reason. They are brutal! Once it's out there, there is no taking it back. Of course, that is all compleatly up to you, and I don't know your friends! Just a word of caution, because I was burned pretty bad in HS for some small things I had told someone I thought was a very good friend when I was looking for support. It's hard because you want support from your friends!
Good luck!
Oh that reminds me! Sybil said about water, which is a very good tip!
My doctor also reccomended taking 1mg (so 1000mcg as most labes list it in mcg), folic acid daily. It counter acts some of the other side effects of the MTX. I looked at my prenatal vitamin (still had a lot left from buying a big bottle right before I stopped breastfeeding, it's a good mulit-vitamin anyways, no more babies for me) and it didn't have enough. So she rx'd me one. I later found I could have met the requirments by taking my b-complex vitamin everyday, as it has some folic acid also. I take it on and off when I remember it, but it does really help me with energy. You can buy just folic acid over the counter as well, but it was cheaper for me to do the rx way (like 48 cents for 30 days).
You might want to ask your doctor about that! Hair loss can be a side effect and I know I am happy to take a extra pill everyday to try and keep that at bay!
Hi Morgan,
Just wanted to give you a big high five for being proactive about your treatment. You are being brave, and responsible, and I know it's scary but you are doing AWESOME so far. Dealing with this at your age isn't any fun, but I'm proud of how well you're doing!
You really are asking excellent questions, Fighter! I don't have much more to add besides what the other members here have said, but wanted to applaud you for doing such a good job advocating for yourself!