Rheumatoid Arthritis Support Group

Methotrexate seems to be the initial drug of choice. There are a ton of us taking it. Some people have side effects from it, some don't. Most of the sides are pretty minor.

Mouse

it's worth a try...mine worked well until it started affecting my liver...take folic acid supplements to prevent mouth ulcers...(a side effect). some people do very well on mx for a long time...good luck! janey

hi angeldancer.. how are you.. i took methotrexate 12 yrs ago along whith pred. no side effects at all, it kept me in work for 4yrs. then it simply stopped working.
i have now restarted mtx scince december at 15mg along whith 12.5 mg of pred. i was getting a lot of sickness this time round. so i was given folic acid every day except mtx day. i allso take metoclopramide.. a anti sickness pill half hour before mtx and then 4 hrs after..allso found taking mtx in the morning whith plenty of water and food ..instead of taking at night time allso makes me feel better.. i have allso recently discoverd different manufactures of mtx , pills can have a reall bad reaction.. i.e. i have been getting my mtx in blister packs.. and was doing ok doing all the above things.. then a couple of weeks ago my pharmacist gave me loos tablets in a jar.. well these knocked me reall ill for a week.. i went back whith them and that is when i found out about different manufacturers.. i am back on blister packs and doing ok again.. i hope this is of some help to you.. phewww done a novel here. lol
keep on movin..Steroidman

Unlike most that are on methotrexate pills I take once weekly.09mg injecting myself with a needle. I did not respond to oral methotrexate so doctor tried injectable. It is also important to know I take the version that has no preservatives. I throw out 1/2 vile every week after taking what I need. Metho made me queasy and heachachey for the first few times then that bad feeling passed. Also it takes weeks before the metho starts working in your system if it is going to work. I find it interesting that not everyone takes folic acid with it. Mine is in prescription form and I take 2 tablets of it daily and have never suffered mouth sores or anything like that. You have to have blood tests done every 3 months but so far my liver seems to tolerate it. Like steroid man I am told my doctor that it can stop working at any time. I take minocycline along with the metho. Minocycline is an antibotic theraphy that is somewhat contraversial but I think works. At any rate good luck!!!!

Hi Angel,

This web site will answer some of the questions you may have.

http://www.cancerhelp.org.uk/help/...

I am prescribed 6x2.5ml tablets a week that I take all at once. One of my main complaints after taking this medication, is that it makes me extremely fatigued at times. I would suggest taking it on a day that will be less demanding on you. As everyone here has mentioned, you should be taking Folic Acid supplements in conjunction with this medication, as it cuts down on the chances of getting severe mouth ulcers. You can go the cheap route, and get these supplements over the counter versus buying them from the pharmacy.

Good Luck, I hope it works out for you!

The Tin Man

Hi I take methotrexate too. A couple words of wisdom. I was told to take it on a day when I don't have to go anywhere or do anything so that if the M affects me in any way I'll be able to rest. My doc also told me to drink lots of fluids on the day I take it and she gave me a prescription for folic acid ($4 at the pharmacy) to fight M's known side effects. I have never had any sickness from taking it the way I described above.

One thing I did find out from another doc is that the body can only absorb a maximum of five pills at a time. I take nine, so now I take five in the morning and the other four in the afternoon. Doc says when take more than 5 at one time, you are just wasting the drug and you are not getting the full effects of the medicine. Goodluck, I hope this helps.

JillyT
Here is the Pharmacokinetics of Methotrexate it basically says that on the does we take there is mo advantage to splitting your dose into two. There is a decrase in absorption wioth larger doses above 40 mg


Methotrexate is a weak dicarboxylic acid with pKa 4.8 and 5.5, and thus it is mostly ionized at physiologic pH. Oral absorption is saturatable and thus dose-dependent, with doses less than 40mg/M2 having 42% bioavailability and doses greater than 40mg/M2 only 18%. Mean oral bioavailability is 33% (13-76% range), and there is no clear benefit to subdividing an oral dose. Mean intramuscular bioavailability is 76%.

Methotrexate is metabolized by intestinal bacteria to the inactive metabolite 4-amino-4-deoxy-N-methylpteroic acid (DAMPA) and accounts for less than 5% loss of the oral dose.

Factors that decrease absorption include food, oral non-absorbable antibiotics (e.g. vancomycin, neomycin, and bacitracin), and more rapid transit through the Gastrointestinal (GI) tract such as diarrhea, while slower transit time in the GI tract from constipation will increase absorption.

I also have taken Methotrexate. It appears to be the conservative medication to start off with. I like there that there is lots of research and few side effects. My Rheumy had me take folic acid every day and a multivitamin. You can buy Folic Acid at any store, just ask your doctor how much to take. Good luck.

I had bad side effects on 7mcg the first week, so I took it down to 5mcg. It seems to be working, it's the fifth week. I'm not 100%, but better. I'm on prednisone too. We'll see what my doctor says about me lowering my dose. Do what you think is best!

I just started taking Methotreaxate today. It seems to be working well for other people so I am very hopeful that it will do the same for me. Good luck!