MTX-over 2 days? | Arthritis Information

hi all, does anyone split their dose of mtx over 2 days? I'm taking 20 mgs., and find that if I take all 8 pills at once I feel worse after than if I take 4 pills and then 4 the next day. Does anyone else do this? My doc says it works better if you take it all at once , but I hate feeling crummy. Lynda

Lynda, I have heard that you can split it up over a twelve hour period, but not one day than the next. I have a person I know that will take four in the AM, and then take the other four at dinner.

Apparently that does not affect their ability to work.

Hi Lynda, I take 5mg on Monday am and 5mg on Thurs am, but I need a bigger dose to make a difference, I feel like its doing nothing. But GP advised the split dose due to intolerance to larger doses. Good luck , Jane. My doctor told me to take it all at once, not to split it up. She said to take double folic acid the day I take it and the day after to help with symptoms, but I know there are many different opinions about that. < =text/>_popupControl();

Have you thought about injecting the mtx if it is making you feel that crummy?

I can’t really give any advice on splitting up your dose since the opinion varies greatly from doctor to doctor. I inject my mtx anyways.

My RD said to take it all at once, but when I told him about the posts I've read here about splitting the dose over 12 hours, he said that's OK. I wouldn't spit it more than that though. I sure do understand how you feel. When I tried taking all 20 mg. at once it made me feel lousy for two days. Not a problem at all if I split it up. I take 2 in the morning, 2 at lunch and 4 at bedtime. Works well for me. I hope you find a system that works for you. MTX is worth sticking with if you can. Hi, the side effects from MTX were too much for me on one day, so I have 10mg on Tuesday and 10mg on Friday with Arava M,W,F. None of the drugs made much of dent anyway until Enbrel was added. I split mine, 4 in the morning or at least by noon and 3 that evening or if I forget the next morning, which I try not to forget. I think more often than not I split them on the same day.I love hearing all the different ways to take MTX. Gets me back to that hypothetical theory on my part that rheumatologists have no basic guidelines to follow. Mine told me I would be on MTX for life, would never be off it.

I don't know where you got the idea that there is no basic treatment guidelines..there are

http://rheumatology.org/publications/guidelines/raguidelines 02.asp?aud=mem

they are currently working on an updated version

what you see by the various ways to take MTX is a patients treatment be adjusted to their bodies and their needs. Guidelines are simply a road map. Detours are allowed and as you know wrong turns can also happen

Thanks Buckeye for posting. I've said before there are guidelines but couldn't find the post that I had read. Rheumatology isn't the only specialty where there are different dosage, combos, and treatment plans dissected, and a little of this and a little of that used for treatment. This happens in medicine many times. The reason: we're all different and we respond to medications differently. Our physicians aren't "cowboys" and do follow guidelines, it's just that there's room within those guidelines to adjust for individual needs and treatments. What works for some of us doesn't work for all of us. It's no different than diabetic or cancer treatment and meds that are adjusted according to patient needs. Some health issues have stringent guidelines that can't be adjusted and others have guidelines that can be adjusted.

If splitting MXT works for you then follow your doctor's advice. I've discovered with this disease that if it works, then continue doing what you're doing with your physician's approval. It may work for 3 out 7 people who do the treatment that way.

Because someone takes their MXT in split doses doesn't mean that you should start splitting your dose unless your physician agrees with it. If MXT is working for you don't mess with it.

I use inj. MXT and I don't have any side effects from it. Some fatigue the next day and that's it. Lindy