Feeling sick on methotrexate day!

Rhyscous

I was on 12.5mg of methotrexate but my rhumy bumped me up to 15mg, now for the last 2 weeks of taking it on the friday, each friday i have felt sick. Is this perfectly normal? I haven't physically been sick but just feel it, the next day when i wake up i feel fine!

Just a little concerned as this has never happened to me on any other dose

Rhys x

Poppyg1rl

Hi Rhyscous,
I had exactly the same whenever my methotrexate tabs were increased, my Rheumy increased my folic acid and prescribed an anti emetic to stop the nausea. See if it settles down, if not and it's every week give your Rheumy nurse a ring or your Rheumy.
Hoping you feel better soon sending you some hugs ((())) X

skezier

Hi Rhys,

Oh its not fair is it? Is kinda 'normal' for some and not to thers. I have had huge trouble with mtx and sickness... on the tablet I really used to throw up badly over half the week but they gave me some anti-emetics and that kinda helped.

Went on the injections about a year ago, maybe longer, and that helped so much ..... now I feel sick but very rarely am. Sorry tmi by the bucket full

It might only be a temporary thing.... sometimes it takes a bit of time to get used to the upping ad with me the mtx was fine till I went past 12.5. I have stayed on 25ml but still feel sick for a few days.

If it doesn;t ease back its worth talking to the gp about anti-emetics cus they really can help. Hopefully it will ease back as your body adjusts to it. Really hope its a very short term thing. Cris x

tkachev

I am sure it will be the increase to 15mg that is causing the nausea if you felt better on 12.5mg. I would ask to take 12.5mg again next time you see rheummy or nurse to see if the nausea lessens.
It is difficult to get the balance between helping the pain and not getting the nausea symptoms.But it is different for everyone and going back to 12.5mg might not help.

It can be trial and error.

Elizabeth x

dreamdaisy

I reckon it's your body adjusting to the higher dose, give it a couple of weeks and I am sure things will settle. Are you taking folic acid too? Maybe increasing that would help but that has to be discussed with either your GP or rheumatology nurse. Nausea is a common side-effect with meth but the key thing is that it will, hopefully, help the arthritis. Sometimes we have to balance the trouble of side-effects with the benefits of the med but I hope this passes for you soon. DD

nanasue

I had the same problem when I went on higher dose, rheumy told me to split the dose, take half one day and half the next (or 12.5 and then 10) depending on what dose your on. Works fine for me, no more feeling queasy and I don't get the tiredness so bad and it doesn't change the effect of the MTX. Hope this helps.

Sue x

frogmorton

Hi Rhys

poor you

Lots of people do feel queasy on this medication...especially when it is being increased.

All being well this will settle down after a few weeks, but if not you can ask for an anti-sickness medication or whether it could be lowered back down :?

Some take it later in the day so they sleep through the worst of it and one lady....who was it? was it Legs???? sorry l can't remember :oops: takes it halfway through a chip butty and swears by it!

Love and luck

Toni xxx

Colin1

Hello Rhys
Yep thats about it ask you GP about folic ascid or increasing it if your on it. I also took anti sickness tablets but i was sick all the time with it. You can change to injections it the tablets give you to much trouble as this goes into your system and not your tummy.
Danny

Rhyscous

Im really wanting to change to inejction, can someone tell me how it works? do i have to get a new prescription like i do now with tablets monthly etc? Im just sick of taking 6 tablets every friday, not nice.

Rhys x

Trees

Hi Rhys

I have just had Methotrexate increased to 20mg a week and I take as late as possible on the day I take them, so I sleep through most of it, also the following day I drink flat coca cola, seems to help with upset stomach. I was advised last week that I could have injections also, you need to speak to your Rheumy nurse and they will sort out for you.

Take care.

Trees x

Rhyscous

Thank you all for the replies

Are many of you having the injections? would like to know abit more about it from someone who has experienced it, is the injection once a week? Is the needle big? just some information.

Hope your all well and smiling!

rhys x

nanasue

I was on injections at one point , but I still felt queasy and I found them too much of a faff, tablets are a lot easier and if you split the dose, no problems.

Sue x

Rhyscous

Sue, how did you split your dose? and how long did you leave it before taking the second half of your dose?

Hope your fine x

Starburst

Hi Rhys,

How much folic acid are you on? I was on one tablet a week and felt much better after moving up for 6 tablets a week. If you bear it, the nausea does get better. It's probably just your body adjusting to the dose. You could ask your GP for anti-sickness meds. Cyclizine really saved me while I was escalting on the dose and enabled me to keep working.

I suffered terrible ulcers and mouth sores that got infected and my rheumy nurse wanted to take me off MTX. I asked for injections and have had far fewer sores and ulcers since then. The needle is pretty small, although I often seem to end up bruised. I think it's my needle technique though! You have to pick them up from the hospital. I go every 4 weeks and my rheumy nurse sends the 'script to the pharmacy.

My piece of advice is to weigh up the pros and cons of MTX tablets for you. For me, trekking to the hospital once a month and begging for a lift as I don't drive is a pest but not as much of a pest as the mouth sores.

rachum234

Rhys,

sorry to hear you are feeling so sick. i felt very naueaus on it too - i split my dose from when I was on 15mg but that just meant it prolonged the nausea for me!
i moved to the injection there in January and so far, not nausea. It is a bit of a faff and you have to be careful as it is a toxic liquid so you don't want to be spilling it, but its only once a week so really not a huge inconvenience.
My rheumy kept me on the tablets til full dose (25mg) and tried a few different things - spliiting dose and taking a different time of day etc but nothing helped and my body didn't seem to be getting used to it. There was quite a wait (about 6 weeks) for the appt with the nurse to be shown how to inject so if you are really bad I would press to get the appointment process underway and if your system suddenly decides to work it out you could cancel. - This is in NI so might be different where you are.

Good luck and I hope you find a solution soon!

R

nanasue

Sorry! Only just read your question to me. I am on 20mg and take 10mg on Tuesday before bed and 10mg on Wednesday the same. When I was on 17.5 I took 10 on the first day and 7.5 on the next day. I'm also on 5 folic acid tablets a week (the days I don't take MTX), but that wasn't to help with the nausea (although maybe it does) I suffer from sore and tender mouth and tongue from the MTX and that helps to keep it under control as well as using Difflam mouthwash when it's really bad. If I was you I would at least give splitting the dose a chance before going on injections, as you have to keep them in the fridge and faff about cleaning your skin, wearing disposable gloves (which you have to buy yourself) and having a sharps bin and getting environmental services at the council to collect it when full. As I said before it didn't stop the nausea for me either. I hope you can get something sorted that works for you soon.

Sue x

DebraKelly

Hi there.

I have recently switched from Meth tablets to injections and I have no side effects at all now. The injections are really easy and straightforward to use. Even you have a fear of needles.

I found that when I was feeling yucky I usually had a pack of mints on hand, this would help settle my tummy down.

Have a chat with your consultant and ask if you can switch, but I wouldn't worry, because the upset tummy etc will go away eventually.

Leahjade

Hi, im leah im 14 and have been on mtx for over 6 months now and injections arent as bad as you think i have a serious needle phobia but mtx is really easy to give, i give to to my self in my leg each week, it is practically painless, just a tiny scratch and its done, the needle is tiny, just big enough to go under the skin, afterward there is no side effects, bit of redness for a little bit after the injection, ive only ever had one side effect which was dizziness which went after a minute of having it, i find its best to put something cold e.g frozen peas on my leg to numb it abit before and it is painless quick and simple. Its always good to drink plenty of fluid on the day of the injection as it stop you from going dizzy, all id say is keep your self calm, because if your nervous about doing it, it stresses you out and you make it worse than what it actually is.
There is only one bad thing about mtx that is more regular blood test, i find after 5-6 weeks i have to stop for a week to let my emzyns go down again
Hope this helps
Leah

skezier

hi Rhys

The injections are fine and well i find injecting isn't a problem at all.... still get the sickness but no where near as much. Been on 25 mls for a while now in both tablets and now the jabs and the side effects are less.

For me it was a new prescription that i take and get from a chemist but some folks do have theirs delivered. I think it depends on what they use in your area or it might be dependant on what doctors are signed u to.

Its no real difference to ordinary prescriptions this way.

Push to try the jabs cus they are really quite easy I think.

Its a good question about the folic acid though. Mine was upped to 10 ml a day (I have to take the liquid cus the tablets also made me sick) every day now except the day I do the mtx. Might help and its worth talking to them.

Rhys I also really do recommend anti-emetics if your having real trouble with it cus they do help. I take 2 different sorts and i still get sick but mtx and I never have got on :roll:

Hope they will try the jabs for you. Cris xx

Hi Leahjade thats a really good idea re the ice on first.... going to try that one and thank you. Cris x

madwestie

Rhys,

I have the injections 25mg they are fine the needle is fairly small. I have never been told to keep them in the fridge (although you do for the anti-tnf's) they do suggest you keep them somewhere safe away from children etc. the sharpes box i tek to the hospital when i go i get 2 at a time and just had them in at the hospital pharmacy and pick up 2 new ones from the Rheumy Nurses the 2 last at least 6 months and i wasn't told to wear gloves to do the injections.
I collect then from the chemist with my other repeat prescriptions.

I hope you are about to find a way that helps you with the nausea.

Tracey

emsjane

Ive just had my does of MTX increased to 15mg too! I felt sick after increasing the dose as well! It does settle down after a few weeks!
Good Luck with it

Colin1

Its normal for some others have no reaction you should take folic acid it will help
You can chose injections thus bypassing the stomach
Colin

tkachev

I never felt any better on injections but anti sickness did pills work for me. The needle didnt hurt but I didn't think the phaffing around and storage was worth it unless it helped with the nausea.

Elizabeth

DebraKelly

I have recently switched to Meth by injection and its much better and very straightforward to do, even for someone who has a fear of needles. I still feel a bit yucky the day afterwards, but nothing major.

Speak to your nurse about folic acid as you should be taking this the day after your Meth, the feeling sick is normal and will pass.

I always have a packet of mints on standby to help with the feeling sick too.

[Deleted User]

Rhys,
Have you tried taking mtx in the evening?

kathe

I ook the tablets girst but got really sick of them. So no i take metex injections. It works but im still sick the day i inject it. I get really nausea, felling dizzy. But i have have low hemoglobin så that dosent help the dissynes.