injectible MTX | Arthritis Information

After muddling along all right for a couple years on MTX, I find I am losing two days a week to the weekly dose. The day I take the pills I lose to exhaustion, and I am often nauseated on the day after. I probably can't do much about the tiredness, but I'd sure like to get rid of the feeling that my stomach lining has been sandpapered.

What is your experience with injectible methotrexate? Does it eliminate the nausea? Is it hard to give yourself the shots? The best thing about MTX is that it's cheap - is injectible a lot more expensive? Thanks for any help.

Bluehour.. Do you take folic acid?

I find my MTX dose is merely a bump in the road.. I take it at 7:30 at night.. go to bed by 10.. wake up in 8 hours and feel none the worse for wear.

I also tried to get the injectible because I heard it worked better, but it is not available in my area.. which is Philadelphia area of PA.. a highly concentrated area for hospitals and people.. but they cannot get it for me.

one more thing.. I do eat with the mtx... I take a little snack like a yogurt.. eat half.. take meds.. eat other half..

best to you!!!

I am injecting it in order to get a higher dose. MTX never really caused me nausea after the first couple weeks. But the shots give me a much higher dose. The only side effect I noticed was hair loss, but after about six months and daily supplementation with biotin, that has resolved and a lot has grown back.

Good luck to you.
I don't know if there would be a difference between oral and injectable. I take pills once per week 10 at a time. I don't really feel sick from it but do feel like an acid burning sensation in my mouth. I do take Humira along with it. I was on Enbrel but recently switched. If you take folic acid with Methotrexate it is suppose to help with the side affects. I take 4 daily. May be worth checking into? Best wishes!Thanks, everyone. I do take folic acid, as well as biotin. I was hoping the nausea would be lessened by an injection as opposed to taking the pills. I am taking oral MTX (or maybe a placebo, not sure since I am in this trial). One a week. A couple of times I felt nauseated, but can't pinpoint it to the MTX, so maybe it isn't a placebo. They also prescribed folic acid which I take every day.

Does anyone know the physiology of the folic acid? What is it about this drug / vitamin that helps with the MTX? Thanks!

This page says "Rheumatoid arthritis: Folic acid supplementation of 5–27 mg per week has shown to have a protective effect against rheumatoid arthritis"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Folic_acid#Rheumatoid_arthritis
I have never heard this before, there must be more to the story.

Roland

Hi Roland,

My doc told me that the folic acid is to replace what mtx takes away, it depletes your system, therefore folic is a necessary additive. I take B Complex (daily), Folic (daily) and mtx (once per week on mtx). I normally take mine on Saturday morning, as it makes me visit the restroom more then once. But I can take that. I am just being weaned off prednisone, and have found some aches occuring......I am getting dizzy spells which I find odd. Anyone else have those?

Thanks for any help.

sharon

Hi, I was prescribed Methotrexate (I had a severe allergic reaction to plaquinil). I understand that hair loss is a side effect. I have been experience hair loss for on and off forover 8 years (reason unknown). Until recently it had been hardly a problem for the past 1-2 years. In the past month it has been falling out by the fistful (I counted over 500 hairs at one time). I have lost way more than 505 of my hair and have bald spots. I told my doc about hair loss but he did not mention it as a side effect. Now I am reading about it all over - I am really scared to take this medicine Please say it is rare!!!!I have taken methotrexate for many years. My hair falls out but not to the degree you are describing. I have a ton of hair so it doesn't really show. Maybe it will slow down the longer you are on the drug. Sometimes it takes a while for your body to adjust. Best wishes!

Injectable MTX metabolizes differently than the pills and tends to result in less stomach upset.

Sam12342010-10-02 10:16:26hearsnancy,

I agree, its a bit scary when there is more hair shedding than normal. I've been taking mtx for quite a few years and altho I am sometimes concerned about hair loss, several hairdressers have assured me I have lots of hair, even if baby-fine. At certain times of year I seem to have more hair loss than others. I take a Vit. B complex capsule each day (recommended by rheumy), as well as Biotin, and folic acid. Also handle hair with TLC - let it dry naturally wherever possible, and rarely blow-dry it. It's my eyelashes and eyebrows where I notice the effect of MTX

Re those with dizzy spells, i had those when I first started on mtx, but am now ok. After reading tips in here years ago, I started taking my weekly dose in the evening to sleep off any side effects; do feel the effect on body and brain for a day or so later. Just have to work out which day of the week is best for you to take the dose so that u r ok for work/special events etc. Like all the stuff we take, it affects us all differently.

Lorraine

I have taken the injectable fro about 2 years, before that it was the pills and they really bothered my stomach, the injectable doesn't but lately it has givem me headaches and indigestion and after I take it my heart pounds a bit and I feel very aggressive.

I also get terrible headaches from it.

I do not take the folic acid, I have tried but it really flares up my intersitisal cysititis, I wish I could, I am now down to only 12.5 or 5 mg on the injectable, I really need to be at 17 to not feel anything, so we will since this and the enbrel are still giving me problems doc thinks I should do the lower mtx for less side effects but try remicade now instead of enbrel, not sure yet if I will.

I inject, no problems no side effects. I also take Foic Acid. I went to injections when she upped my dose. Really isnt hard to inject. Talk with your doctor and give it a try. Good luck.

Lisa