Hey y'all~
It's me again. I'm about to go on my third week of MTX. The second was actually worse than the first as far as nausea, but better in regards to the headache. I'm taking folic acid supplements, and drinking lots of water, so hopefully week three will be a vast improvement.
This is my question: has anyone else noticed mood swings associated with MTX? I seem to be more irritable/moody since I started it a couple of weeks ago. Anyway, I was just wondering. Thanks!
~Kristen
Hey Kristen, I definitely have noticed mood swings happen for me especially on the Sunday that I take it and even for the next day or two. My hubby hates those days cause all I do is bitch and nag!LOL
HI KRISTEN,
YEAH, I'M ON MTX AND WOULD GET MOOD SWINGS, HEADACHES AND THE NAUSEA, BUT IT WILL GET BETTER FOR YOU. DRINK PLENTY OF WATER. IT'S BEEN A GREAT MED FOR ME, SO HANG IN THERE.
DON
I have not noticed a lot of mood changes, except it is easier for me to be depressed. I have noticed fatigue and nausea still and I have been taking it since Feb. Now it is just the day after. Are you on an antidepressant??? Do you have crying spells and stuff. If you are newly dx or have a flare you may need help from an antidepressant. Hmm, I did have a really bitchy couple of days that I attributed to hormones, but who knows? I'll have to pay more attention next time in between nagging at my poor husband!This is what I use to do. I use to take my MTX on Saturday nights. I would reserve Sunday's just for me. If I needed or wanted to stay in my PJ's all day and sleep, watch TV....read, knit~Whatever. My family knew I was on medication that made me feel horrible. They would come in and out of my room to check on me or to see if I needed anything: Nothing else. They learned not to bother me. My husbands an angel and he would do everything. It made it easier for us all to accept that Sunday's were reserved for my rest. After a while; even though I didn't feel that great I looked forward to my day of rest. I needed it.
5 years later I rarely if ever do more than take a nap on Sunday's. I still keep the day low key and don't plan much because my body still needs rest. If I over do it through the week I force myself to slow it down on the weekends.
When I was younger: In my early twenties I had a lot of mood swings. I would chalk those up to hormones.
Try to hang in there. Don't expect to get over this too quickly. Plan ahead and you won't be so disappointed by the way you feel. I guess it's kind of like accepting it. It will make it a little easier.
Hang in there. MTX is well worth the trouble.
Over the 15 years I've been taking mtx, I've never noticed any changes in my mood.I think just having RA and everything that goes with it can effect your moods. I'd avoid jumping to the antidepressant route if you can avoid it. I wouldn't be too quick to go that route althoug lots of folks do.Hi,
I have been feeling kind of irritable then sorry for being irritable then irritable and so on - I'm sure you get the message...the day after I take the MTX (although less so each week). I attribute it to my frustration with being fatigued and queasy (and just not myself) though, as opposed to actual mood swings, since it is really only the day or two after the mtx that I am "swinging" like this.
I have had the antidepressants suggested for me as it is looking like I may have fibromyalgia as well (and I guess antidepressants are supposed to help w/ fibro) but have just not been ready to go down that road yet myself as any mood swings I am having while I am still not under control with this disease(s) is to be expected in my opinion.
Just my thoughts on what I have been experiencing regarding my moodswings and meds so far. Hope it helps somewhat.
Regards,
Melly
There's a certain time line with RA and on that time line is a little mark that says "acceptance" and once you've hit that mark all of a sudden your mind says ok, these are the steps I have to take and these are the meds I have to take to make myself comfortable. One can fight it or one can accept it.
When you accept it you find ways to make yourself comfortable with your meds. Like Lovie, I do nothing but pamper myself the day after I take MXT. It doesn't matter if I feel on top of the world or if I'm having side effects from the med. That's my day. If I do something it's because I've chosen to do it, not because I've been guilted or forced to do it. I do it because I feel good and want to.
I haven't noticed the mood swings because how many mood swings can one have if you're lying around in your bedroom reading, drinking coffee or tea, making jewelry, painting, and doing the things that you love to do? It may sound selfish to some and that's okay because I've reached a point in my life where it's ok. Taking a day for yourself because you're on life altering medications isn't selfish. It called self preservation. I don't talk on the phone, rarely watch TV or movies. I've even gone as far as having a cabinet in my bedroom that has all my favorite things to do kept in it. It's Lindy's RADay cabinet. When we travel in the RV I still have a small space in the bedroom for these things.
If you can't go as far as staying in your room by yourself all day, try doing it in stages. Try taking just the morning after you take MXT for yourself. You may find that's all you need.
The important thing is that you take time for yourself, that your family agrees and helps you, and that you're comfortable with yourself. Enjoy that day, make it special.
You've been reading about all the side effects, the bad things that go with taking these meds. It's not all bad, it has to do with acceptance.
I didn't mean to preach to you. I feel that acceptance is such an important aspect of getting better that I needed to share. When we keep banging our head against a wall it keeps hurting, but once we accept that the wall is there and learn to get around it, then we feel better and are less stressed. Lindy
Lindy,
That didn't sound like preaching to me. Sounds like good advice. As I read what you had to say, it dawned on me that that is actually MY issue right now anyway. I'm just not quite at that acceptance level yet...Soooo don't know if that is a TIME thing OR if you have might have additional advice for getting one's self in that stage more quickly???
Regards,
Melly
Yes, I do experience mood swings from Mthx. I was always such an even mood person before--it even surprises me. I take it Friday night and sometimes on Saturday, I just can't handle much--everthing seems overwhelming. Then the dr. added Plaquenil to the mix and it was much, much worse. I was crying easily, depressed and not sleeping--when I could, I would have the most awful dreams about destruction and fires and death. I stopped the Plaquenil but still have some depression from the Mthx. I have been wondering if all this stuff is worth it, it seems to be creating more problems. I could just somtimes bite someones head off. That just is not me.Melly, if I knew the answer to that, I'd be rich! There isn't any answer, it's all inside of us. It took me 6 years into the disease - denial was far stronger than acceptance. Acceptance was marked on my timeline at about year 7 when I flared so bad that I couldn't leave the house. I couldn't walk farther than to go to the bathroom. No meds, including Pred. was helping. I finally realized that I have a disease that there is no cure for. I need to accept it and not deny it any longer. I NEED TO WORK WITH THE DISEASE.
You have a disease that there is no cure for, there are days you'll feel great and days you'll feel like dying, you have to retire from a career that you love, you can't keep your social or community obligations any longer, you can't, you can't, you can't. I finally had to wrap my mind around the disease and try and look at the positives that it had brought to me. I can, I can, I can. What can I do now, how can I modify this or that, how can my husband help me, how can my friends help me, the list of I cans is endless.
Now I think about how can I do that and not that I can't. I almost always find a way to do it. It may not be pretty or graceful but I do it. This is acceptance and with acceptance everything else falls into place.
I wish there were a pat answer for this but like I said it's inside all of us and we just need to recognize it. You probably do a lot of this already and may not recognize what you're doing is acceptance. It's a real "a ha" moment when it hits you. Lindy
Lindy...you have just spoken to my heart miles. My daughter told me during FIL's funeral that I have never accepted this disease. Thank you so much for all of the encouragement and the idea of a me day.
The hardest thing to realize is I may not be able to teach again full time. I am so scared of our finances. Partly because I just got my degree two years ago, but we all have things that we have lost.
Excellent post Lindy. I couldn't have said it better myself.
I do think time allows you to accept things a little more. If you'll notice it's the ones that have had this longer that have an easier time with this. We've had time to go through the other stages before we've come upon acceptance.
Definately adopt the "Me Day". For those that have families; make sure your family is on board with this. It's harder when your children are very small.....but once their older they can adapt as well. It's so important for ourselves to just rest. No matter what your rest day consist of.....just be about you.
I didn't notice, but my wife did, since I teach primary grades elementary school, I moved my mtx and humira doses to Friday evenings. That way I could recover for a couple of days without eating children at school.Thanks everybody for responding. It helps so much to know I'm not alone!!! And now that I know its the meds that are influencing it, I can fight the moodiness better. Thanks again!Wow! That was a good question. A co-worker had mentioned that I was grumpy on a Monday (I think I'm usually even-tempered). I take MTX on Sunday night and I realized that people were really getting on my nerves on Sunday's and Monday's. I had wondered if it was the MTX.
This Monday (Labor Day) I was home alone and relaxing. I realized that my stress level was down and even the weird, nausea feeling wasn't bothering me.
I may switch days for taking MTX so I don't have to be at work and can have the day(s) to myself at home as Lindy mentioned above. I have accepted the fact that RA is here to stay and so is MTX, but I really do believe MTX has messed with my mood. It helps to know that others have had mood changes also.