MTX

Bangkoktim

Hi Everyone I hope all re doing ok Well the saga goes on after now been on MTX for 6 weeeks and still feeling prety lousy went to the doctor last week with a chest infection he put me on a 5 day course of antibiotics which I started 1 day before the wwkly dose of MTX felt even more rough.Went to hospital yesterday to see the RA Nurse and she was amazed the GP had prescribed the amoxacilin as the two dont mix..........
She now advised me to stop everything until the chest has cleared up maybe 2 weeks then start the MTX again Deep Joy.......... We spoke of the other methods of treatment the monthly intrevenous but my DAS score at the moment is 4.8 so that is a non runner......

dreamdaisy

Oh I do empathise, I recently had a cold which led to a chest infection which led to anti-biotics. I have always been told by my hospital to stop the meth when I have a cough or sore throat and I do, when I finally went to the GP he prescribed amoxycillin, I asked him when I should re-start the meth and he was amazed I had stopped it. I shouldn't have asked - he is a GP and knows a little aboout a lot rather than a lot about a little, so I ignored him and re-started the meth after the anti-bios were finished.

I always stop the immuno-suppressants when I catch a bug as that is what I have been told to do. You have only been on meth for a short time so it may not yet have begun to really work, so I think what the nurse has told you is the right course of action. Get clear of this bug, re-start the meth and I hope it soon begins to tackle the arthritis. I wish you well. DD

frogmorton

Hi Tim,

I am so sorry you ahve been so rough and now your treatment for arthritis is delayed.

Tis the best bet though I think.

GET WELL SOON

Love

Toni xx

stickywicket

I'm sorry, Bangkoktim. I guess this is another problem that you just didn't need.

I've not been told to stop meth when on antibios but I was told from the outset that only certain antibios can be used with meth and, on the odd occasions when I've needed them, I've always pointed this out.

skezier

Hi Tim,

I am sorry you have got the infection and hope it will soon clear up for you and you will feel a lot better all round.

Its an odd one the MTX and antibiotics... It seems some docs and rumo's say don't take it and some others say stay on it come what may. It lessens the antibiotic. My rumo says stay on the mtx come what may and through it takes longer the antibiotics in my case did work but I needed a longer course than normal.

Same with septicaemia and well I would ask the rumo actually as they have overall control of your treatment.

With the feeling unwell with taking the mtx.... I had with hell with it, it used to make me violently sick for a long time then I was changed to the jabs and they made me feel less sick. I also take 3 types of antiemetics now and that finally made the mtx less sickly.

I would try and get an appointment with your rumo and talk it all through if the mtx is still marking you feel rough after another couple of weeks. With the sulfa all it took was to taklk to the rumo to be taken off it (I reacted to that as well)

Hang in there Tim as it does get easier but talk to gp about how rough your feeling before the infection and maybe try to get an appointment with the rumo to review it all.

I hope you soon feel better and nice to meet you. Cris x

Bangkoktim

Hi Everyone
Hope you are all doing well Well still got a heavy cold even though the chest infection is slightly better having just finished a second course of anti biotics this now almost 3 weeks of still feeling rough
I have not taken the MTX for 3 weeks now and touch wood the RA has not really flared up with vengence......... I have a chest XRay booked for tomorrow to see if that shows up anything. It strange to me that since stopping the MTX as instructed by the Rhmuo Nurse have had this flu like feeling for all this time ....
Any Ideas
Fondest Regards
Tim

dreamdaisy

Hello, I am sorry that things have not improved that much for you in the last couple of weeks. It can take time for anti-bios to clear an infection, the meth won't leave your system overnight so it is probably still holding the RA under some control but that 'fluey' feeling could be a combination of the bug and the decreasing meth levels. The chest Xray sounds like a plan and I hope it reveals that nothing is too badly amiss. Please let us know, yes? I wish you well. DD

tjt6768

hope things improve for you soon Tim.
Keep us up to date..

barnesy

HI, soory to hear you not e been well. its a bugger isnt it? i have constant chest infections and now they think the mtx is causing lung probs. been on mtx bout 10 years now 20mg and ive never been told to stop it with infections or antiobiotics and they always start me on amoxycillin! will defo ask about that when next see rhummy.

sorry post is late. hope youre feeling a lot better. luv n hugs x

stickywicket

I'm afraid I can't explain what's going on either, Bangkoktim, but I hope it all eases off asap. I hope the X-ray went well.

Bangkoktim

Many thanks for all the replies I think its the MTX and its made my immune
system non exsistant never had a problem until I started taking it and it was only for 6 weeks. Sounds crazy but for the last 3 weeks taking nothing at all the RA is not so bad........................ I Know.....
Anyway apt with GP on Monday night just hope the XRay was clear.
Have a great weekend all

dreamdaisy

That is what meth does in an effort to subdue the arthritis. RA is an auto-immune condition, i.e. something triggers the immune system (quite what no-one knows) causing the body to attack itself. The meth stops that happening (well, that's the theory!) but as a result one is left open to infections as the body's natural defence system is stymied. This is why my hospital have always told me to stop the meth (and humira) when I have a bug or am on anti-bios. That to me is common sense as then I won't have anything 'competing' against the anti-bs. It's interesting that your RA is OK at the moment - the meth must be doing something! Let us know what the Xray results are and I hope you have as good a week-end as possible. DD

dippydoodah

sorry to hear you're not feeling your best at the moment and i do hope your results come back ok.

gentle hugs xx

Colin1

Hi Mate Its hapend to me loads of times i do hope your feeling better soon and getting back on the meds.
Colin

Bangkoktim

Hi everyone
Hope you are all doing ok Just an update on the world of Tim Now after around 5 weeks am clear of chest/Cold problems some length of time.......
So for 5 weeks have been taking no medication at all and the RA is back with a vengence.......... Have not been into work this week as have awful pain throughout my body. Pop into the Rhumo dept today at hospital for advice on restarting some kind of medicine but could not see anyone but have left a message on a helpline so hopefully someone will get back
So do not want to restart the Meth again after 6 weeks of feeling awful but I think I will have no option.......... when I can speak to someone .My employers have just about had enough with the time off I have had to take but hey Ho what else can I do
I hope you all out there are doing ok thanks for the advice it is a real help
Take Care
Tim

dreamdaisy

Hello again Tim, I hope someone has contacted you by now with some help and advice. As for your employers have you considered furnishing them with some information about RA and its effects on the body? They may be a little more understanding if they have some knowledge about what you are dealing with. AC produce booklets and info sheets. DD