Methatrexate - Arthritis Message Board

tomj · 07-22-2004, 08:57 AM

I have recently been diagnosed with inflamitory arthritis and will start injections of meth sence indocine, bextra have not seem to been any good. This is kind of scary to me because I have always been very active like sports, Hunting kind of things. What can I expect in the next year or so and is there any one that is using this medicine that is in the same position and if so how are you doing physicaly and mentality.

Kissa · 07-22-2004, 09:35 AM

I've never personally had to take it however have run across some of the warnings and precautions if you were not aware already.

Side effects
Side effects from methotrexate are common and include:

thinned or brittle hair
blistering skin or acne
loss of appetite or weight
Tell your doctor if either of these symptoms is severe or lasts for several hours:

mouth blistering
fatigue
If you experience any of the following symptoms or those listed in the IMPORTANT WARNING section, call your doctor immediately:

painful urination or red urine
black, tarry stools
unusual bruising or bleeding
congestion
fever
dizziness
chills
shortness of breath
sore throat
swelling of the feet or ankles
vomiting
pain in the joints
seizures
severe skin rash

Methotrexate can cause a decrease in the number of blood cells in your bone marrow. Methotrexate also can cause cancerous lymphomas, tumor lysis syndrome (electrolyte imbalances), severe skin reactions, infections such as pneumonia, bone and soft tissue damage, and severe damage to your liver, kidneys, lungs, and gastrointestinal tract (some of which can be fatal). Keep all appointments with your doctor and the laboratory. Your doctor will order lab tests before, during, and after your treatment to see if you are affected by this drug. Tell your doctor if you have ascites (collection of fluid in the abdomen), kidney disease, or lung disease and if you are getting radiation therapy. Tell your doctor if you are taking aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, or Nuprin), indomethacin (Indocin), ketoprofen (Actron, Orudis), naproxen (Aleve, Anaprox, Naprosyn), or other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).If you experience any of the following symptoms, call your doctor immediately: dry cough; diarrhea; loss of appetite; nausea, stomach pain; weakness; weight loss; excessive tiredness; lack of energy; yellowness of the skin or eyes; enlargement of the lymph nodes; blisters on the cheek, tongue and lips; or skin rash. Because of the dangers of taking methotrexate, this drug should be used to treat only life-threatening cancer or severe psoriasis or rheumatoid arthritis that does not respond to other treatments. Talk to your doctor about the risks of taking methotrexate.If you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant, especially if you have psoriasis or rheumatoid arthritis, talk you your doctor about the risks of taking methotrexate for your condition. If you become pregnant, call your doctor immediately. Methotrexate may harm the fetus.

murphy65 · 07-22-2004, 10:45 AM

tomj
could I ask how you were diagnosed. I am having real problems with my hands and feet and joint pain. I can hardy use my thumbs on each hand. I had blood drawn and they said it was negative for rheumatoid arth. I am convinced this has to be some sort of arthritis. Just wondering what kind of tests you had to go through. thanks for any help

thescaredest · 07-23-2004, 10:27 AM

Thanks for the info on Metho....I am trying to decide as well if that is which one I should be on for my RA. I am very nervous about all of this and scared about going on a drug like this with such serious side effects (especially in regards to my liver).

Montui · 07-25-2004, 03:12 PM

I'd like to hear from people who have taken it. I have psoriatic arthritis and it has not responded well enough to the drug Arcoxia. So I am looking at Methotextrate as the next drug. My rheumy says it is safe so long as you have regular liver enzyme tests to check what it is doing. I've heard of a lot of people being on it, and they don't mention side effects, so maybe they are on the right doses for them.