MTX and lung damage | Arthritis Information
Yet another question for you all...
As you know, I had lung testing last thurs. and get the results this thursday. This was ordered due to an abnormal CT scan.
Anyway, saw my rd today. He really just wanted to touch base with me after being in the hospital. He is also awaiting the lung function tests. He mentioned that it might be the mtx that has caused the damage. I knew it could cause lung issues, I just hadn't really thought about it. It was always the liver that seemed a great concern.
Anybody here have lung damage due to MTX? If so, how easily is it dealt with? If you google RA and lung issues you get all sorts of info-most not good. The RD implied that if it was the mtx that was a good thing-I guess compared to other things.
I know I just need to wait until Thurs and stop worrying about all of this. Eaiser said than done...
I'VE BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH "INTERSTITIAL LUNG DISEASE" (UIP) THEY STILL AREN'T SURE IF THE MTX CAUSED IT OR NOT. I'M GOING TO TAKE ANOTHER PFT IN SEPTEMBER TO SEE IF I'VE LOST ANY MORE LUNG VOLUMN. THE LATEST PFT SHOWED I LOST 40% LUNG VOLUMN SINCE 2007. THE PROGNOSIS ON THE SPECIFIC DISEASE I HAVE IS POOR, SO I JUST TAKE IT A DAY AT A TIME AND SEE IF ANY OF THE MEDS THEY HAVE CAN SLOW IT DOWN.
HOPE THINGS GO WELL FOR YOU.
DON
Donn,
Shortly after starting MTX, I lost 30 percent of my left lung. I was warned by all my doctors that if I were to get a cough to go right away to urgent care. I developed a cough and put it off. I started by coughing up white, still put it off, then green, still put it off, then grey, still put it off, waiting for my body to heal itself, afterall, it always had previous to the ra. Then I started coughing up black and couldn't quit coughing, so hard to even catch my breath. Did damage to my voccals and something else. Couldn't talk for ove a month and still do not sound the same. I also lost my beautiful singing voice. (In my mind anyway). I want to blame the lung loss on mtx but i really can't say. The UC doc said, "Good news and bad news. The good news, you don't have pneumonia. The bad news, 30% of you left lung is dead." I said, "Dead? What do you mean dead?" and he said, "You know, not living, dead." So funny. So I have a large bleb in my left lung which they wanted to remove and i said no. I feel fine and use no inhalers and all the other stuff prescribed. Oh, the UC doc said, "If you quit smoking, you'll probably feel as good as you did before your lung death. I quit that nite. From 2 1/2 packs a day to zero. I guess that blebs have a tendancy to start to leak and if mine does, I will have a very short time to get to the hospital. Oh well. Hope this story hasn't bored you. I enjoyed telling it. Best wishes.
LEV
Yikes. I hope all three of you will be OK. This is very upsetting to hear.
My lung disease wasn't caused by MXT but by RA and to date it's mild, little symptoms and no change on xray. I have fibrosis of RLLobe and it was diagnosed prior to starting MXT. This could change quickly and become quite serious and life threatening but I don't dwell on the what ifs, only enjoy the moment. Am going to be referred to a new pulmonologist next month for a recheck. Even with the fibrosis I'm still able to use MXT but my docs keep a very careful watch on my lung functions. I hope it all works out for you Roccky, this has been such a rough year for you. Lindy
Rocckyd, I send you my best wishes for good news pronto. As Lindy says, this has been some year for you and you deserve a break today.
I send everyone else best wishes for no exacerbation of your symptoms.
Like Lindy, my lung damage is due to RA, not MTX. I go for a PLF on friday - it will be interesting to see what change there has been since my last one 2 years ago...
Rebecca, hang in there, kiddo! Continue to come here with your worries and anything on your mind - I know for a fact this helps. I wish I could do more...but know you are in my thoughts for good things to come!
Rebecca..
I am so sorry you're having this on top of all other things!!!
IDK what my lung issue is now... we are treating it like pneumonia.... and in three weeks I go back for another xray... but I feel no improvement with my coughing in the week and a half.. and I'd had the cough since March....... IDK..... I am worried...
I hope this turns out to be something simple for you... and me.
damn, lev.... what does the bleb leaking mean???
babs102009-07-28 05:48:36Babs,
As well as I understand it, it would be like a punctured lung. I do want to say that as much as my unprofessional professional opinion was that the mtx caused my lung disease, all the doctors disagreed with me and continued to prescribe the mtx.
LEV
I am sorry you have that..... hopefully it will bring you no further issue...Babs,
I can have the bleb cut out and the lung stapled at any time but i'm such a coward that I will gamble that I have no further problems with the bleb.
LEV
yeah i heard mtx causes lung problems
thats why i now see a lung doctor, twice a year
i go back december 3rd
which if mtx did lung damage or anything , that would denfinately suck
considering i only have ONE lung, to start with
my left lung never actually forming, makes things different
and now with mtx, i gotta worry a lil about the other lung too
my lung doctor, sayd that it could shrink, idk it was either going to be caused by the mtx or the disease (JRA)
but i hope everything is ok, for everyone else... lung damage is seriously bad for u
Hope you get some answers.I just saw a site on MTX and lung disease;
The section on MTX and lung disease is about 2/3 of the way down.
I wonder if rocck saw this link.Try
>>THIS<< link for rocckyd's latest post.
She didn't reply on this thread so I can't tell.Precisely: she did not respond on this thread, the conversation has moved to the thread that I provided the link to...that happens on occasion when the focus changes, say eh?
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