MTX sickness still grrr...any tips?

dopeykit
dopeykit Member Posts: 107
edited 26. Jun 2011, 15:37 in Living with Arthritis archive
I've been on 20mg of MTX for over 18mths now (and recently added sulfa and humira) and I'm still getting horrible nausea on the day and the day after taking the wretched stuff.Even more annoyingly, some weeks it is sort of ok and others it is just awful and I feel like being sick for days.

Does anyone have any tips on how to combat it? Or is time to ask for injections?

Thanks very much

Kit
www.cookingwitharthur.com
Healthy, tasty recipes for living well with arthritis

Comments

  • dopeykit
    dopeykit Member Posts: 107
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Thanks Lynn - really helpful ideas.

    Um, I didn't mention the bathroom trips but I definitely get those too :oops: I'll ask the GP about the anti-sickness meds and I'm going to have to try the lolly trick!

    Kit
    www.cookingwitharthur.com
    Healthy, tasty recipes for living well with arthritis
  • frogmorton
    frogmorton Member Posts: 29,848
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi Kit

    the only thing l can suggest other than the ideas given is...to get soem extra sleep if you can possibly?

    Love

    Toni xx
  • tiggernut
    tiggernut Member Posts: 339
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi Kit,

    I used to have those problems both ends!! I have injections now been on them for over a year they are so much better. No sickness or trots!!
    Alternatively you could try taking it at night if you don't want injections.
  • tkachev
    tkachev Member Posts: 8,332
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi Like you I had loads of nausea for 48 hours and then I'd be fine until round came MTX day again and always too soon for my liking. I used to eat tons to try to 'drown' the feeling. Anyway I asked for anti-sickness pills from my rheummy nurse last September and have only had feelings of nausea twice since then(usually after a break from MTX due to an infection). I take 1 pill pre, 1 on the day and 1 day after and all seems well.
    I also had a stage several years ago of eating scrambled egg on toast and that helped too but then the effects wore off.

    Elizabeth
    Never be bullied into silence.
    Never allow yourself to be made a victim.
    Accept no ones definition of your life

    Define yourself........

    Harvey Fierstein
  • julie47
    julie47 Member Posts: 6,041
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi Kit

    when ever i feel sick I suck a trebor extra strong mint....it helps me
    or i have a cup of tea and a ginger biscuit.

    Sorry you are feeling sick and i hope you get plenty of tips from people on here and that one of the tips will work

    take care
    juliepf x
  • nanasue
    nanasue Member Posts: 465
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi I'm on 20mg of MTX and had the nausea, my rheumy suggested splitting the dose, half one day and half the next, it works for me and I haven't had any nausea since and it still works just as well, hope this helps.

    Sue x
  • cthornley
    cthornley Member Posts: 627
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Ginger biscuits, sucking on lollies/ sweets
    marmite on toast (if you can stand it) really works - don't know why but it does
    drink lots of water - being dehydrated can make you feel more nauseous

    Chrissie
  • dopeykit
    dopeykit Member Posts: 107
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Thank you everyone - these are all such brilliant tips!

    Im going to get anti-sickness meds and ask about splitting the dose. Was rubbish yesterday, was 48 hours after taking it and still felt sick and couldn't eat properly.

    Now, I'm going to go rustle around in the drinks cabinet to find the wherewithall to make that G and T lolly :lol: maybe with some ginger, marmite and scambled eggs for good measure...
    www.cookingwitharthur.com
    Healthy, tasty recipes for living well with arthritis
  • tillytop
    tillytop Member Posts: 3,460
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hello Dopeykit!

    So sorry you are struggling with nausea. I take 20mg mtx and I too find that the sickness varies week to week. Because I was better-ish nausea wise on 17.5, I now split the dose - 17.5mg very last thing Sunday before bed and the remaining 2.5 on Monday morning. That has worked well for me for past couple of weeks, but not so good this week. I might try splitting the dose equally next week to see what happens. Hope you can find a solution which works for you.

    Love Tilly xxx
  • tiggernut
    tiggernut Member Posts: 339
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    dopeykit wrote:

    Now, I'm going to go rustle around in the drinks cabinet to find the wherewithall to make that G and T lolly :lol: maybe with some ginger, marmite and scambled eggs for good measure...

    Well if the MTX doesn't make you sick I think the combination above might lol!
    take care,
    Anita.
  • DebraKelly
    DebraKelly Member Posts: 398
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hello,

    I am also the 20g of MTX and even though I take a folic acid table the day after that doesn't stop me from feeling sick. Although it doesn't happen all the time.

    The best thing for me is to take a mint (usually a tic tak) when I am feeling sick and this helps.
  • tkachev
    tkachev Member Posts: 8,332
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Try them all and find the one that works for you. Anti sick meds worked for me but I know it hasn't helped others. But everything is worth a try.


    Elizabeth
    Never be bullied into silence.
    Never allow yourself to be made a victim.
    Accept no ones definition of your life

    Define yourself........

    Harvey Fierstein
  • skezier
    skezier Member Posts: 11,333
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi Kit,

    Oh flower mtx and feeling sick..... know a bit about that....

    It made me throw up for over a year and though I had 3 anti-emetics I was still sick.....

    It did a bit of damage and thankfully I know have the 25ml injections...

    No where near so bad and not that hard to whack in either so my advice.....

    get the injections.

    Hope you soon feel a lot better and I was upped on the FA to every day except the mtx day and cus the tablets also made me sick I have the liquid... big kid eh?! :lol: Cris x
  • Cez
    Cez Member Posts: 46
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    I take 20mg MTX and never used to suffer with nausea, just the odd bit of heartburn. Only in the last month or so i've noticed the nausea after maybe every other dose. Last week i had a terrible wave when i got out of bed and had to lie back down! I take my dose in the evening so i probably sleep through the worst of the side effects but that day i felt sick in work all day. I work in a hospital pharmacy so luckily was able to treat it and i took some 'Domperidone' tablets which helped with the nausea. I see my consultant this week and i'm going to request a prescription for an anti-sickness drug called 'Ondansetron' which is often given to chemo patients to combat their nausea, it's very effective and will hopefully make me feel less wretched when it occurs. The alternative solutions suggested above are great but i'm very much a 'if a pill will work, take it' kind of girl! lol

    Good luck x