Methotrexate and Folic Acid | Arthritis Information

I'm new to the board and looking for help! I've had Lupus for 2 years now due to heart medication and then that turned into full blown Lupus. I have controlled the syptoms with diet and exercise but my numbers have suddenly gone up and the doctor wants me to take medicine now....Methotrexate 7.5 mg and Folic Acid 5 mg I've not started it yet and wondering if anyone else is taking this medicine for Lupus....I also have Rhemotoid Arthitis as well which the pain along with the Lupus is really bad...this doctor said the inflammation right now is dangerously high and he very concerned!

Any help would be appreciated....

Sherre, I have mixed connective tissue disease of RA and lupus, and was originally put on methotrexate, folic acid, predisone. I was taken off the predisone after five months, and frankly never thought it did a thing for me. I have since developed osteoporosis, probably as a side effect of the predisone and the methotrexate.

It took 9 months for me to feel the methorexate working, as I could feel my synovial lining being eaten up from the inside, and it was like talking to a brick wall to get a doctor to understand this creepiness inside you, and the absolute fear, anxiety and panic it brings, so my heart goes out to you. The folic acid has been great on clearing up the bleeding mouth ulcers I had for years before diagnosis.

I am going to suggest you check out www.roadback.org, which subscribes to the medical theory that we suffer from an infection, and can be treated with specific antibiotics. I have been on the minocin for exactly one month and one day, and its been miraculous.

GimpyGoGo has a thread going on over in the RA section about this, which you might want to read. Best of luck.

Thanks for the info! I took my first dose of the Methotrexate and was throwing up within 3 1/4 hours! I was up all night! I took it at 5pm and then eat dinner hoping that I could just sleep through everything! Very wrong about that! Also have a trouble headache with the upset stomach! I keep asking myself why I'm taking this? This is horrible! I have tried for 2 years to treat the Lupus and RA with diet and exercise! I am one that can handle the pain with exercising but this being sick to my stomach and a headache is horrible! Thanks for your reply....I've not been one to talk to other with Lupus but maybe this is what will help me through it! The doctors are really concerns that since my inflammation is so high now that it will effect other organs! Is it worth the side effect to be on the medicine? Again Thanks!

Sherre - sorry you had such a strong initial reaction to the metho. I was already having all the side effect symptoms when I started, and actually shared a laugh with my new rheumy because it was kinda of a "what the heck" type of moment. I take metho low dose once a week and at this point have no plans to stop, even though the minocin is just flabbergasting in how fast and well it has worked on my overall sense of wellbeing and the first time in 7 years I feel I might be able to get on top of this, instead of continually spiraling downward.

It's been my observation in here that its about 50/50 on all the drugs - either you love em and can tolerate them, or you have bad reactions. I am going to continue the metho because of its long track record of proven slowing down of the erosion of the joints, and my own experience after 9 months of feeling that "eating up of my joints" stopping. Good luck and keep posting, we are all pulling for you.

I am hoping to stick with it....This morning I wake up feeling pretty good and not so sick to my stomach....Question did you have thinning or lose of your hair with this drug? I've been reading that this is one of the side effects? Also do you have any suggestion for what to eat or drink for the upset stomach..I've been drinking peppermint herb tea and that helps alittle....I also had really a bad headache right before I got sick to my stomach....I know that doctor said only 81 mg asprin is all I can take but just one for a headache.....

Thanks for your reply....It is really good to be able to chat with someone else with the same health problems. I live in a very small town and there are no support groups to this is really great! Thanks for the support!

Sherre - yes, I had thinning of hair after starting this drug combo about 13 months ago. But I am a brunette (turning grey rapidly) and have tons of hair, so it didn't really matter, but I know that blondes really have it tuff to thin out. About ten years ago my ex-husband (one of the reasons he is an ex) was poed at me because I was filling up the shower drains with my hair - well, this was obviously 10 years before diagnosis and I was having a flare of some sort and had no clue what was going on. So I think that hair thinning is both a SYMPTOM, and a MTX SIDE EFFECT (its rare to get a break in here LOL).

I have always joked I have an iron stomach, the only thing I cannot tolerate is codiene/morphine-based pain killers, and when I end up in the hospital the have to give me phenegral (sp?) to counteract. And about headaches ... I have decided my headaches are caused by inflammation in the brain/lining, whatever ... not good.

But this is what I know about what works for my stomach and that is aloe vera juice. You can buy it at Walmart in the laxative section and that brand is as good as the most expensive at a health food store. Aloe vera juice has been proven to be the only thing that can get past the stomach acids and into your lower digestive track. If you are really brave, you can buy aloe vera leaves in your produce section or grow it yourself. Be careful and cut off the rind and the thorns (!) as close as possible, because the actual gooky stuff on the inside is the purest form of aloe vera you can get. And, I also slap it straight on a painful mouth ulcer and its like novacaine for a few minutes.

Sherre, I have been very lonely myself in here having multiple autoimmune diseases, as its very difficult to explain how you move from moment to moment with whatever party your body decides to have at the moment. But my rheumy explained that in a way having a mixed connective tissue disorder is better than a full blown case of RA or lupus, etc. He said to think of it as always being on a tight rope and trying to keep your balance - I liked that and its what I try to practice.

Take care Cathy

Thanks heavens I am a brunette so maybe it won't be bad....I take food supplements also so hoping that will help! I did order some Aloe Vera I use to drink it all the time and my husband also reminded me about it help my stomach before...So that should be here by Friday and next time I have a dosage of this!

I don't have the connective tissue problem but from what I understand about it that can be terrible! I just have Lupus then the RA.....I'm not sure I can handle much more...but I alway say that and some how make it thorugh!

I had a pretty good day yesterday and didn't get sick to my stomach! YEA! Hope for another good day today!

Thanks again for the support and have a good day!

[QUOTE=sherre1955]

Any help would be appreciated....

[/QUOTE]

I am also new here. But have been taking methotrexate for about a year or so now. I take 15mg. weekly. I does make me sick to my stomach as well. Sometimes more so than others I aslo take 20mg of prednisone daily,as well as plaquenil and provigil. It took me years to finally get where i am now. Finall feel like a human again.

Has the methotrexate been helping?

Well, since my rheumy didnt do baseline xrays, we cannot follow the bone erosion, but I know that the MTX helped me. I am going to see if I can start to wean down since I was taken to higher dosages, but with the antibiotic, I am hopeful to bring down my total dosage.

The only weird thing going on with me recently is hiccups. About two weeks now, almost violent hiccups. My hubbie just told me today he has had to roust me in sleep to stop hiccuping. I am sound asleep, not even aware I was doing it, nor that he had to get me to turn over. I wonder hiccuping means? Bizarre, its always somethong. Hang in there pseymour, you will find a combo that works for you as we all are different in our disease. Good luck.

thank you for the kind words. i do have a doctor that i really like. Its really the exhaustion that gets me,and having to take medication to stay awake and function-yuck!! prednisone weight gain (about 60 pounds). any suggestions?

Since you asked, I suggest:

Well, you must first of all realize I am a total heathen, born and reared on a cold alien planet known as Alaska and distrust medicine. I would suggest a series of high enema colonics to start clearing the toxins out. And start drink 5-6 glasses of room temp filtered or distilled water. Every day.

You need Vitamin D-3.

There's more, let me know. Take care ~~ Cathy

Hello. I am new to this forum, and I am so glad I found it. I have been diagnosed with Rheumatoid arthritis, Lupus, 2 years ago. Now, the Rheumatoligist says, I have inflammatory arthritis. Every time I look that up, it points to either Lupus, or Rheumatoid. Finally, I just give up, and I have to tell family, and friends, I have inflammatory arthritis, crossed over with Lupus? I have felt like I have lost my mind many times! I am on methrotrexate, and on and off prednisone, which works like magic for me, but I have to keep going off, because of the side effects. I take percoset only when it gets really bad, and I took one today. I know it is very addictive, so I only take one every other day, and then go for weeks without taking it. I did get nauseated when I first went on the methotrexate, but not anymore. I have a question. Is anyone on disabilty because of this. I have to work part time now, after working 9 years for a company, due to it being so difficult to spend all day working, even though I sit at a desk, which seems to make me ache more? Sorry to bend your ears so long, percoset make me hyper!!!!!!!

sherr1955..

I take 20 mg MTX and my folic acid for RA.

I think you may find that subsequent doses won't be as bad. ??? That was the case w/ me...and it is really important to take the folic acid because that reduces your reactions.

Good luck!!!

babs102008-03-10 05:52:43I have RA and on 20 mg MTX... some things I've found that work great with the side effects are:

be sure to take your folic acid... always!! it really helps with the reactions

drink... drink water... and then drink some more the day before and the day after

I take it about two hours before bed.. sleep for 8-10 hours (on weekend) and wake up feeling pretty good -- just a little tired the next day.

I was told by my RD to take a dose of cough med w/ dextromethorphan (sp?) a couple of hours before I take my MTX and then again the next day.... it works great!!

My best of luck to you... I hope the MTX gives you relief!! Hi (sherre1955) I am new to this board & I have (systemic Lupus) & I have been taking Methotrexat & Folic acid for 3 years & it helps me alot, but also makes me sick to my stomache sometimes & also I get extreme hot flashes. But my Reumy says that I am doing well, but I have some flares and ofcourse with having ( paracarditis )& inflamation around my lungs in the beginning when I found out that I had lupus it was very difficult and it still is because sometimes my chest pains are imbarrable and explaining these things to regular MD's are useless because they do not understand Lupus at all or any other autoimmune disease. But I have learned how to sorta control my pain by taking Hydrocode, with my pills when I have pain, but the only problem is when I take (Hydrocodone) it makes me extemely sick to my stomache, so my (coumadin) aka(Blood Thinner) Doc said to take all meds that make me sick to my stomache with a piece of toast & a full glass of milk & I even take it with (Soy Milk or regular 1% or 2%) and let me tell you it works wonderfully, I just wanted to kiss my coumadin doc for telling me about this, but in the beginning when she told me I was like saying to myself yeh right this sounds stupid this is not going to work and that is because I was very frustrated and when you have lupus it is very easy to get frustrated because it seems like every since I they diagnosed me with this disease my life has changed drasticly. So use the toast and glass of milk when taking you meds that make your tummy sick & I hope it does wonders for you because it has for me. I still have flare ups from my lupus, but it is alot better then before, but still suffering from pain and such. Oh and always take your (Folic Acid) My reumy cliams that it prtects the stomache lining , but I do not know, but all I know they say that Methotrexate is rough on the organs expecially the liver/kidneys/stomache lining, but I have not had any problems so far (Thank God) but everyone that has lupus knows Lupus is very unpredictable and it does what it wants & when it wants & if it has it's mind up to cause havic today , then it will(and I know that I talk about it like it is a second person) But it acts like it, sometimes It feels like lupus is just inside my body just disconnecting my parts and just kicking my organs and miscles and joints and stuff. Lupus has made my hair fall out, it has attacked my lungs & heart sac(it tryed to reach my heart) but they caught it in time and I had to go thru a precedure where they put you to sleep and they make a small cut between my growing and thigh and then they put this camera up to the chest to the heart to see if it is bad or not. & they gave me a very strong anti inflammation med and it slowly left, but I was in the hospital for 2 weeks that time.I have had two eye surjurys on my cornea of my eyes, because I have gotten growths on my cornea from Lupus & it impaired my vision, but thanks to my wonderful cornea surgent my eyes are healing great & my visions has cleared & now I can maybe start back to living my life with this strange disease. I also have joint pian and in the beginning I could not even walk for a while & I was crawling around to get around the house and that was the most irritating thing that I had ever experienced, but that was before I was diagnosed. I feel for everyone out there with lupus or any auto immune disease because they seem to be very unpredictable & Like Lupus it just takes over your life and claims your body for it's own & I am fighting back and saying you will not take me unless I am ready & I am a man so it is hard because women ussually get it and I find myself having to explain why I have this considering females usually get it, but to me that men and woman thing is not important but what is important is that we join together and share our experiences and try to help one another, but sometimes it is irritating going out into the world because when I go and pick up my meds they tell me what are you taking these meds for expecially Methotrexate & prednisone & I say that I have Lupus & they say you do not look like you have lupus and I say well what is a lupus patient suppose to look like, what am I suppose to go outside in the public and not wash and wearing hole ridden clothing with dirt on my cloths, good god sometimes people can be very ignorant because the lack of knowledge. If I looked sick all the time then no one would probably want to sit next to me or anything, so I keep my appearance up well because you cannot let lupus get the best of you and the last thing us Lupus paitients need & that is (Negativity & stress) because Negativity & Stress will kill any patient believe me with any disease. I have ound in my little time with Lupus that if I just try to keep my stress down and stop negative thinking them my lupus got better as soon as I started being positive and I di ways with stress. Plus I started listen to Joel Osteen the preacher on sunday and I usualy do not do this type of stuff, but this guy is the best motivational speaker that I have ever experienced and he does wonders from people just listenign to him he come on (ABC familly Channel 180 on dish network sat tv) every sunday. But anyway I know I ran at the mouth, but I just wanted to shae me Lupus experiences well part of them with everyone, So sorry if I just went on and on, but getting it out is like therapy to me(hehe). Oh and when taking methotrexate , make sure your reumy gives you monthly blood test because they have to monitor your kidney functions & I know that is a pain but when yaking methotrxate you have to monitor your kidney fuctions because this med is so hard on the body & major organs that it is atleast vital for me to take a bloodtest/Urine test every month, but I do take eight 2.5MG tablets every tuesday with three 1MG folic acids, but my reumy has me take the three folic acid pills everday also I take alot more meds with it also so my side effects are a trip and a half believe me. Anyway I hope you guys & gals feel better.
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