Methotrexate and tiredness

dreamdaisy

We all struggle with tiredness, it's part and parcel of the disease and the meds. Injected meth should nullify nausea (that's the theory anyway) but it will still make you feel tired because it is still meth and the injections are stronger as the digestive system is by-passed. DD

lizzy100

im not on injections, and its the methotrexate thats makingme tired, i wasnt tired before,

stickywicket

It's nice to see you agan, Lizzy100. Has nothing changed in the month since you were here? How are your bloods? Are they usually OK?

lizzy100

they just tell me my bloods are normal, but when i went in i saw on the screen my leukocytes were actually low. which may explain why i started getting skin abscesses. but otherwise theyr ok. im asking to get my iron levels done again as had problems with them in the past. but even if its low they wont do anything. i hadnt been as tired, but now i am again, and dont know if its since increasing dose, although increased it 3 weeks ago and was ok until this week. iv been sleeping loads and feel like death this week, too tired to do anything, joints are killing and can hardly walk, feeel like i need crutches. im seeing my gp end of this week, but shes just said couldnt do much.feel like im really annoying them.

stickywicket

I presume, as you're on methotrexate, your bloods are done regularly and your GP has a record of them. Your iron levels will be tested every time. If they are low, your GP can prescribe a course of iron tablets.

Another way of boosting energy levels is to keep to a good diet. Some foods that are good are: nuts (especially walnuts and almonds), apricots, broccoli, lentils and spinach.

Exercise, too, does increase energy. (I know that sounds odd but it's true.)

Mat48

Hi - I too am an infrequent visitor to this site but I thought I'd say that I asked my rheum if I could be switched to injectable MTX because I found that as he increased my dose of MTX - aiming for 25mg - I got very sick and also depressed and tired after each dose. So he reduced me back down to 15mg with Hydroxy down to 200mg (having been 400 previously) and I was fine again. But then the RA started creeping back so he switched me to injectable MTX at same dose - 15mg because (this was all done through my GP and email) he said that 15mg by injection was more like taking 20mg by pills. As DD says it is more efficient because it is absorbed quicker and less of the potency is lost via the gut. I've been injecting for about 9 weeks now. I get ready filled syringes called Metoject and it's very easy and for me it's proving much the same in side effects as the lower dose of tablets did but it seems to have brought my ESR and stiffness down to manageable proportions now which the tablets had failed to do even at the higher dose.

Like SW I do have weeks where I will get really sluggish after injecting too but no nausea and also it is winter now and I've just started a new freelance job so these are probably contributing to desire to bed down and hibernate!

Hope this helps a little, Mat

DebraKelly

I made the switch from Meth tablets to injections back in January.

In some ways it has worked for me, but in other ways it hasn't. The injections do work better than the tablets and they are very easy to use (this is saying something for someone how is terrified of needles).

A tip for you, I made the mistake of doing the injections in the middle of the day and went straight to sleep afterwards.
I now take the injections just before I go to bed and I feel that I am not as tired.

I also started on Sulpha a few weeks ago I have been finding that taking the 2 together has given me really nasty side effects so currently waiting to here if I can come off the Meth.

Mat48

Yes my side effects worsened a lot when Hydroxichloraquine was introduced too. I think the combination is good for the RA but lousy for the system re side effects. People say that they would put up with any side effects as long as the drug works for their condition and they feel less or no pain. I think that's easy to say if you have few unpleasant side effects but sometimes they are as bad as the disease itself. For myself, I can handle pain quite well but I really can't bear feeling sick or having a foul taste in my mouth and feeling grotty all the time. The thing I focus on is the long term - of being gnawed at so my joints are eroded so I struggle to move about when I'm older - this really troubles me the most and keeps me taking the drugs - not fear of pain. Mat x