Methrotrexate....advice

Motherscare

Hello all

Apologies this is quite lengthy but my mother is 79, 80 in november she has suffered with chronic rheumatoid arthris for nearly 40 years now god bless her. She has always kept herself going despite it affecting her bones/hands etc.

However, i know she is getting older but her rheumatologist consultant has put her on methrotrexate which she has been on for almost 8-10 months now. During this time she has had infection after infection on them and has been hospitialized 3 times and operated on due to her gettin an infection in an ulcer in her foot, the infection sadly reached her bones in her toes last year and she had to have an amputation. She has always been mobile and although slow she has eventually got there and always been independant it is killing me to see her this way and she has to have to use of a mobility scooter or a wheel chair to ge her from a to b now.

I have done some research on methrotrexate ( not sure if spelt correctly ) and this has alarmed me very much so that its could be the cause of all these bad infections she keeps getting and i am fearing for my mothers well being. She has tried to contact her specialis with no attempts and although i keep pushing her to come off the medication she hesitates worrying she wont be able totake the pain of an inflammation flare up from her arthritis. I live 20 mile away from her but speak on the phone daily and i go see her she comes stays with me etc. but unfortunatly i cant always get over to attend appointments with her to express my concerns to her consultant.

Has anyone ever had any experience with this medication or no someone who has who could maybe help me more. The info i have found on it am i right in saying this is 100% probable to be causing my mothers infections.

Any help is appreciated.

Much love

Sue

ritwren

Hello Sue and welcome to the forum. I'm glad to see you found us and hope you get plenty of help and replies.
It might well be the methotrexate which is responsible for your mum's constant infections as it can lower the white cells which fight infection but it could be down to something else as well. It would be a very good idea for you to make an appointment with your mums GP and go along with her to ask the questions you need answered.
When folk are on methotrexate they get their bloods taken regularly and the GP checks them to make sure all is well and the white blood cells are plentiful enough to fight off infections. You could discuss this with the GP with your Mothers consent.
I also would advise you to get the GP to contact the hospital and see if he or she can hurry up an appointment with the Rheumatology consultant.
Best of luck
Rita.

DebraKelly

Hi Sue.

I could well be that your mother's infections are caused by the meth but it does depend if she has any under lying conditions as well. Does she get her bloods checked regularly? If not I would suggest this asap.

I would also speak to a Rhumey nurse asap and see what other options you have.

I have recently switched from Meth tablets to Meth injections and all the nasty side effects have gone away. Maybe this can be an option for your mum as well?

dreamdaisy

Hello motherscare, it's lovely to meet you but I was so saddened to hear of your poor mum. Meth is tough enough for us young 'uns but for a lady of her age it's not good this, is it?

As I am sure you already know meth works by reducing the immune system in an effort to stop its activity which causes the body to attack itself (for want of anything better to do :roll: ). As a result one can pick up bugs very easily as you are left vulnerable and the defences are down due to the drug. I was always told that at the first sign of any infection - a cough, sore throat, boil etc - to stop the meth to allow my immune system to come back to life and fight the germs but that can also mean that the arthritis too is brought back to life. The other trouble with it is that one can have an infection and not know it as symptoms are not manifest, due to the reduced immune system. It is a tricky tightrope to tiptoe along. It would seem, however, that your poor mum is in a very different situation regarding the lack of healing after the op. Healing slows with age and to be immuno-compromised too is a double whammy of horrible proportions.

I too think you need to have a good chat with her GP, or even better nag her consultant for a meeting. Your mum should not have been left high-and-dry by the rheumatology department (as would appear to have happened) and it is a sad fact that sometimes we the patients (or in your case the patient's rep) have to be very active in seeking out attention, it just doesn't automatically float our way because we are on these drugs. Your Ma is lucky to have you and I hope you are able to contact those who should be caring for her but who, apparently, are not doing that good a job of it. I wish you both well and please let us know how you and she get on. DD

frogmorton

Hi Sue

so glad your Mum has you to support her.

most disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs DO damp down the immune system, BUT l am 100% with the others...you really do need to see someone with your Mum if you can.

I am thinking an appointment could be made to suit you both. Even if it is in advance.

Have you thought about contacting the helplines (number top right of this page) they may have some advice for you.

Love and luck

Toni xxx

prefabkid47

methotrexate of course suppresses your mothers immune system,to what extent is partly dependent on the MTX dose.Thus the necessity to see a professional and of course to have bloods done.