Methotrexate Side Effects

[HiCaliber]

I was diagnosed a few weeks ago with seronegative rheumatoid arthritis. The rheumatologist asked me to choose which medicine I wanted to take from a list. I chose methotrexate. She put me on folic acid (2 mgs day) for 4 days before I started the med.

I woke up feeling terrible - no nausea, but a horrible sinus pressure headache - felt like someone hit me in the face with a shovel. The back of my neck hurt and I had bloody sinus discharge and my gums were bleeding and I felt like I was burning up. I really felt bad all over. Two weeks later (and no more methotrexate) I still do not feel right. I'm on an antibiotic so that might be part of it but it seems like my memory and cognitive processing are just crazy.

I only took 7.5 mgs of the methotrexate - how long will it keep having this effect? The drugs that lower immunity are much too scarey for me. I sure hope there's something less devastating out there. I get sick very easily.

[6t5frlane]

I have taken it for years. Very Important to take Foilic daily. Sometimes I get Nausea sometimes I do not. Cannot explain why

[Meg1]

I've also taken methotrexate for years without any problems. I know your symptoms were scary but if you truly believe it's the drug for you you may want to give it another try. You could have just had a coincidental infection of some sort--the things you describe (maybe except for the gums bleeding) don't really sound like MTX side effects.

But the main reason I'm responding to your post is that I have real questions about a doctor who would, first, ask you to "pick your med" from a list (what the heck are docs for????) and, second, prescribe methotrexate to a newly diagnosed arthritis patient. The first line treatment for arthritis is almost always a prescription NSAID and, typically, a "bigger gun" like MTX would never be tried until a number of NSAID's had failed to provide relief. I think a second opinion might be in order.

[HiCaliber]

I had been on Celebrex for years but it stopped working. Was taking Ibuprofen (Advil) which was equal to taking candy pills. I've subsequently switched to Naproxene Sodium (Aleve) which is a tad bit better but the pain and the exhaustion seem overwhelming.

Prior to this rheumy I had been to another one - about 3 years ago. He was a true do-nothing doctor. Told me to just keep on doing whatever I was doing. I did. And I'm worse. I've also done water exercise which is good but is limited in terms of showing noticable improvement. Mostly I've had pcps who aren't that good at treating this disease.

I think this rheumy sensed that I knew and understood a great deal about healthcare and meds and I had indeed read about the various drugs and thought (guessed) that maybe methotrexate was the best to start with my med history. Perhaps the rheumy also thought that if I picked my own "poison" (med) that I would have fewer complaints. (!!!)

My pulmo told me that it was way too strong for me too and that many people do react badly to methotrexate. I'm looking at Plaquenil next but am highly wary and in no hurry to ask for the Rx. Kind've a "Catch-22" situation !!! I really think the mtx is bad for me. Infections are a fairly frequent problem and with lung disease, even though I never smoked, and chronic sinusitis, I feel I'm in a compromised situation already. There's probably more to my case than what has been discovered or what healthcare is capable of diagnosing right now.

[calady]

I was on it for almost 5 yrs. and it nearly ended up killing me. It had dimished my immune system down to nothing and I came down with a very serious case of pneumonia. Consquently, I was then put on the IVIG treatments and I'm so much better now, it does not harm your immune system and I've regained alot of my lost strength.

Celia

[HiCaliber]

It's interesting to find another person who had their immune system knocked down by methotrexate. It sounds like you're doing better on your new treatment.

I'm also curious about the IVIG. Could you tell me more about it? ARe there side effects? Interactions? Do you take it at home? Do you have arthritis?

Thanks so much for posting.