I'M ON 17.5 MG OF MTX AND IT'S REALLY WORKED WONDERS FOR ME. I'D USUALLY BE IN A BIT OF A FOG FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS AFTER TAKING THE MTX. LATELY THE FOLLOWING DAY AFTER TAKING IT I GET A FEELING OF DEPRESSION. I'M NOT SURE IF IT'S THE MED OR JUST ME. I'LL BE TAKING IT AGAIN THIS COMING WEDNESDAY AND IF THE SAME THING HAPPENS, I'LL GIVE THE RD A CALL.
ANYONE ELSE HAVE AN EXPERIENCE SUCH AS THIS AFTER TAKING MTX.?
STAY PAIN FREE,
DON
I don't have that symptom, Don, but I'm getting more tired after taking MTX. My dose is 15 mg. now. It's not working wonders for me. I wish it would.THANKS FOR THE REPLY, FIONA. HOPE YOU FIND A MED THAT HELPS.
DON
Hi Don. I also take MTX & prednisone. The MTX is 15mg & the prednisone is down to 5mg. I don't think that I ever had depression from the MTX. I will say that I seem to be getting much more tired after it. This disease & medication has really changed me. ( for the worse ).
I hope you are feeling better.
Trisha
Donn,
It's hard to separate the depression of having a chronic disease from the medicines. Prednisone makes some people cranky. I get weepy when I'm really flared. You can look at me and I'll cry. Nothing is wrong, the tears just come out. I really, really hate this.
A lot, I mean a lot of people with RA, are taking some kind of antidepressant to counteract everything. And, everyone seems to be getting good responses to that. There is a change in attitude that anti-depressants can actually help relieve pain to some degree.
I take Nortipline and Clonapin, which are mild. They are for restless legs and FM, not really depression. But I think even those help.
I'd call your doc and ask what they think. Maybe they will either lower your MTX dosage. It might be hard for your system to tolerate, or they might add a mild anti-depressant.
I take my MTX on Saturday nights and I don't plan anything because I am wiped out. It seems it has already worn itself out of my system. The next day, I am also extra fatigued. On the weekends, I have to plan time to take at least a couple of good long naps. Afterwards, I will have some fruit or protein to help get my body going.
It seems the extra rest really boosts me up and by Monday, I feel much more normal. This is as regular as clock work for me. I'm on 25 mg MTX.
I have definitely had trouble this way, Don, but I can tell you that it has improved. For 48 hours after I gave myself the mtx shot I would be sad about the world in general and really sensitive to every little thing. It really got to be a problem in my personal relationships to the point where I talked to the doctor and I insisted on a reduced dose. After 2-3 doses at the lower dose my RA symptoms started kicking up so I bit the bullet and went back up to the original dose. NOTHING is worse than allowing the RA to rev back up to full force.I am not having the same reaction to the higher dose this time. I don't know why but at the moment it is doable. I do get significant fatigue on the second night after I take it, but the emotional stuff seems to be in the past.
I have been under treatment for depression for many years and know when things are 'off' there. This mtx effect was quite isolated to those 48 hours after the shot.
So - yes - I for one, do consider it a real reaction to the mtx. I hope you are able to get it under control somehow but in my view it is as much a side effect as any physical nausea etc.