So I have this stubborn knee, wrist and other joints that are just too swollen to live with so I am starting a small dose of metheltrexate. I did not want to take it until now because I was afraid of getting pregnant while on it, but after my hysterctomy (2 weeks ago) there is no chance of that.

I want to know for those of you that are on a similar dose what to expect as far as feeling sick. After taking it when do feel icky? Has anyone not felt icky after taking it? Does it persist for days? I took it for the first time this morning and I have a family party this weekend and I am hoping I don't feel bad for the party, because I won't go looking sick or feeling sick.

Also I am taking 7 mg of prednisone and I am finding it really difficult to taper down off of it, so that is why I am starting metheltrexate, I don't want to stay on steroids for the rest of my life. My knee does not fully extend as it is and the only way I can get it to extend is more steroids,and I have been trying to get off of them all year, and it so slow going. Maybe the metheltrexate will help me get off of steroids, that is my goal.

I've heard the jokes like "friends don't let friends take metheltrexate" its funny until your joints don't move and you have been through Humira and Remicade already with bad results. Having a hard time and I just want to be able to take care of my family without hobbling around. Anyways, any tips or advice would be greatly appreciated. The NSD is helping ALOT, I just can't get my knee to cooperate . Thank you!!!!

Hi

Years ago I took Methotrexate 10mg once a week. I felt a little nauseated on the day I took it. It did take away the swelling quite quickly, I think about three weeks. I developed elevated liver enzmyes so I had to stop the drug. I haven't had swollen joints since .


Janet

Hi Janet,
Thanks for telling me about your experience. How long did you have swollen joints before taking metheltrexate? I'm glad to hear it worked in 3 weeks,that is what I am hoping for too. My knee hurts so much right now, I am so frustrated. It does better when I am real strict with my diet, but sometimes when my stomach feels uneasy I eat stuff I shouldn't eat.Just having a rough week ,that's all.
I read your post about your cereal at night, if it were me I would definately feel pain soon after eating cereal, it seems to be the worst kind of pain for me grains and dairy. Hope you get some relfief from the nsd.Take care and thanks again.

Hi

Methotrexate works really well for RA, and maybe that is what is causing the swelling. I had the swollen joints for about eight months before I was DX. Methotrexate was the first treatment they tried on me . I am really going to try the NSD, but my rheumy keeps telling me this has been tested many times and it is the placebo effect, so not sure what to believe. I guess if you get relief ,that's all that really matters.

Janet


Good Luck,
Janet

Janet, I don't like when I read about drs and the placebo effect because I have labs to prove that the NSD works, it just hasn't gotten me to remission. I give the NSD credit for lowering my sed rate by 25 points. I get sloppy because I am sensitive to so many foods and sometimes I just eat whatever I want. I am the cook for my family and I do good most the time but I think I cheat too often.

Hi There,

Wow I think it amazing how it works for some people. I will try it again soon. I have stopped the cereal at night but not helping yet. What does your rheumy stay about the improvement in your blood work ?


Janet

I don't talk to him about the diet too much, I am still in pain. If I were to be only on the NSD and not in pain I would talk about it to him more. He is suportive of anything that helps including diet,but prefers medicine and diet. He's a great dr in my opinion.

ps- My labs are high right now, and I am feeling crummy so that is why I had to start metheltrexate.

I started methotrexate 25 mg injections once a week about a month ago. It helped my legs and arms after the first shot . It is not doing much for the spinal flare, however.

I feel tired the day after the shot but that is lessening so my body must be getting used to it. Also, experienced insomnia but that is lessening as well. My only issue now is a slight headache but not sure if that is drug related. I am assuming too, the bigger the dose, the more side-effects. I started on a hefty dose of 25 mg.

Are you taking the folic acid with it?

Hope it helps you too.

Shari

I inject .06 ml.s of MTX and I take Zofran for nausea for 15-20 before I inject. The first couple of times I felt nauseous and very sleepy the next day. I inject right before bed so I started taking it on whatever night I didn't need to feel up and running the next day. That happened maybe the first 3-4 times and then I was okay. I still took the Zofran but I am not dragging the next day. You can play with changing the times you take it but not often.

My starting dose was 7.5 mg. I took it at bedtime. Because I had read of side-effects of nausea, I was in bed wondering if I would feel nauseous. What I actually felt was a little bit of 'funny feeling' in my stomach. It didn't arise to the level of anything more than a funny feeling. Then I nibbled a cracker and went to sleep. I was tired the next day, up until about 18 hours after the time I took the MTX.

The next week, I nibbled 3 Wheat Thins and took the usual dose of 15mg. Felt nothing funny, but was tired till about 18 hrs after the dose.

Now, over 2 yrs later, I still take the dose at night. No nausea, no funny feelings, and no crackers with the dose. (I still take tizanidine occasionally, which requires that I take a couple of crackers for my tummy.) I don't feel tired at all after the dose. For about 3-4 months after starting, the tired feeling would last about 18 hrs but I slept through part of it. Usually I didn't have to do anything on Saturday, but sometimes I had to work. It was a struggle, but I felt noticeably better as that 18 hour mark passed.

When I complained of not-enough-relief from this 15mg dose, the rheumy bumped me to 20mg. After 4 months at that dose, the only difference was my hair was starting to fall out! No extra advantage for my trouble, though. Decided to drop back to 15mg again. The hair loss stopped and the hair grew back.

For me, it's helping some. I could tell last summer when I had to stop taking it for about 3 months because of an abscess on my face. So, good luck with it. And best wishes for the recovery from your hysterectomy. Big, gentle hugs.