MXT - What dosage are you on? | Arthritis Information

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Hi Everyone,

 
I have had some serious hairloss, and I think it might be associated w/ methotrexate.  I was curious if this side effect is dose related.  Also, I wondered how my dosage compared to others.
 
I started off at 4 - 2.5mg pills a week, then 6, and now I take 8 pills a week (20 mg).
 
I also take plaquenil (400 mg/day) and enbrel 50 mg/week.  I take 5mg folic acid daily for hair loss, but it is coming out fast!  I am going to start Biotin as well as per suggested here.
 
Also, did anyone reduce their MXT when they added a biological (like Enbrel)?  Or even went off plaquenil?
 
Take care,
Nori
I take 20 mg a week...  1 mg folic daily..
 
I have some hair loss too.  Just had my stylist cut me short... really short ...and began biotin... I hope it helps you and me!!
I was just thinking about a short...er haircut.  My hair is very long now, but I think the shortest I could go is to my shoulders.  Not everyone can pull off a short haircut and I'm not one of them!
 
Did the short haircut work?  How short is really short?  How much biotin a day?
 
I notice you are on restasis.  I'm thinking of starting that.  Has it helped?  And are you on prescription strength Vit D or OTC?  I'm getting my Vit D levels checked next week.  Although I've been taking supplements, so I don't want that to interfer w/ my correct 'baseline' levels.
 
Thank you for your reply!
Restasis was just begun two months ago.  I think it may be working. I have more tears now and I'm really sensitive since this RA stuff and I cry easily ...now with real tears!!
 
Really short is 1 1/2 inches on the longest part on the top of my head!!  some of the rest is 1/2 inch.  I was hoping that when (IF?) the hair started growing back I could have it all growing at the same time.. but I've had three hair cuts at this length and I'm not seeing any additional thickness.  *sigh* 
 
Vit D was prescription for the three mega doses they gave me to get my levels up into the good ranges.  Now, I take 400 in my multi and additional600 with my extra calcium pill.   Endo wanted 1000 per day for a period til I go back to her in May for check up with blood work prior to appointment. 
 
Biotin is 1000 mg a day.  I don't know if that is enough..

Thank you for the info.  That is short!  You are brave!!!  I think on my thread about hairloss recently someone said they take 5000 mg a day of biotin.  I don't know what the bottle says.

Take care,
Nori
Hi Nori
I was on 25mg inject, then dropped down to 8 pills, so went back to oral.  My hair loss has always been minimal, but it has increased slightly now that I'm back on oral.   You may want to ask your RA doc about switching to inject.    It sometimes lessens the side effects.
 
I also take Enbrel and they let me drop the mtx after 3-4 months on Enbrel.   I tried to drop another pill a week (w/doctor reluctant approval) this past month, but started having some increased pain, so went back up.    Typically, you don't decrease on meds until you've maintained for at least a year or more - that's just my RA doc's rule, so not sure if that's true all around. 
 
Hope the Biotin works  for you.
I take 25mg of MTX. I took Humira for two years and did reduce my MTX to 20 mg but have increased it since stopping Humira.
 
I take prescription Vit.D. I'm finishing up the mega dose. Can't remember the mgs but I took one every day for a week, the one every week for a month and I'm finishing up one every month for two months. I'll get the levels rechecked in May. Not sure what they'll have me do then.
Babs-I'm surprised your folic acid dosage is only 1 mg.  When you are on higher dosages of MTX your folic acid is supposed to be increased.  It should help with the hair issues.
 
Nori-are you taking folic acid?  Your MTX is pretty high.  Usually the lower doses aren't as susceptable to side effects like hair loss, especially when taking the correct amount of folic acid.
 
My folic acid dosage is 1 mg, I'm only taking 10 mg of MTX.  You can bet if my doc increases the MTX I will press about the FA increase.  I take 15 Mgs of MTX per week, 1 mg folic acid per day, 800 mg. vitamin D per day.
 
Some strands fall out during shampooing but nothing major.
I am so mad!!!!!!!
 
I was on 1 mg/folic acid a day while on 4 tabs, 6 tabs, and then 8 tabs of MTX.  I had even complained about the hair loss and was told by the nurse "that happens".
 
So after this site in Jan '08, I saw my doctor and asked about increasing the folic acid and she bumped it up to 5mg.  I was the one who brought it up.  I had been on MTX for 4 months on just 1 mg folic acid, and I feel a lot of hair loss could have been prevented if the doctor had initiated an increase in folic acid when she increased the methotrexate.
 
Considering how devestated I am about the bare patches on my head, I am furious if this is due to a lack of attention to detail on my doctor's part.
 
And I am tempted to reduce the MTX myself just to give my hair a rest.  I am miserable!  I am furious.  And my doctor just doesn't care!
 
SnowOwl, thank you correcting me.
 
Nori
I never even took Folic Acid for the first couple of years. My doctor said if I wasn't having any side effects I didn't ahve to and I didn't want to take ANOTHER pill so I didn't. When I started having tingling problems he suggested maybe I should start it.
 
I've never increased it though. I'll have got check the mg; but I think it's 1mg.
 
I've been lucky not to have many side effects other than some fatigue. No noticable hairloss.
 
Isn't there another prescription you can take that's better than Folic Acid? Several folks here take it. I can't remember the name.
I'm on 20 mg of MTX a week.
 When I remember I take folic acid, but really havent in about a year. Somehow I grew out of the mouth sores and the hair loss.
 
I always had real thin fine hair anyway. I wear mine between my collar and chin.. I went blonde a couple years ago and my hair seems fuller and richer looking.
Leucovorin is the stronger version of folic acid.  I take 10 mg. once a week about 12 hours after the MTX, which is 25 mg. of the injectible.  It seems to help more than the folic acid did.  I am on prescribed dose of 20mg but over the last 3 weeks have dropped it to 15mg with no ill effects.
Touch wood.
That's really good news Stephen. I'm taking 60 units of the 25mg/ml injectable once a week, plus 1mg folic acid daily (in addition to the almost 1mg folic acid in my daily vitamins).  I'm thinking I'll have to increase my dose here soon as it's not working very well.  I was just diagnosed and started taking MTX in mid-February....my dr said to call him mid-April if I haven't noticed a significant difference.

Kate

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