Balancing act - MTX by injection anyone?

Mat48

Hi - I'm putting in an appearance again to ask if others here can tell me of their experiences taking Methotrexate by injection please? I had a rheumy apt nearly 2 weeks ago and we formed a plan. If my oral dose of MTX carries on making me very nauseous - even at the reduced dose of 15mgs - then I'm to switch to injectable instead. If the RA pain returns at the lesser dose (one pill less) I'm to switch to injectable MTX. It's not as straightforward making this switch where I live as it is in other places - there is some political wrangle where GP practices don't want to foot the cost but nor does rheumatology so it's taken a while to get myself to this stage - my GP surgery would only teach me how to inject - the rest comes from rheumatology it seems.

I seem to have some kind of cut off point between 15mgs and 17.5 of MTX and for the past 3 months on the higher dose was not only getting very sick each week but also have had a string of viruses (just finished latest antibiotics) so it obviously did lower my immune system significantly. On the plus side all pain disappeared from view but I can't say it felt good to be sick and heavy cold ridden rather than with joint pains. I have a high pain threshold but very little tollerance for feeling ill - I'm a real man with man-flu in this regard (ie a wimp)

What worries me is if I confess to my GP that although the nausea has disappeared on the 15mgs again - the aches and pains of RA are sneaking steadily back - I will get put on injections at 17.5 and find that once again I'm experiencing a string of viral infections? I take 400 mg of Hydroxichloraquine too and my rheumy was hoping that after 3 months on it that might be enough to hold the arther at bay.

Any experiences of switching to injection would be welcome. Mat x

dreamdaisy

I inject, it's straightforward to do, I don't get ill very often but then I am assiduous with hand washing, using anti-bacterial wipes on the teaching equipment, giving each pupil a dollop of hand gel to rub in (especially after they cough or sneeze) and I take FA three times a week. Nausea is rarely a problem, sometimes I feel very tired the day after an injection but that usually conicides with a humira week, but as for pain? That has not diminished in the slightest and won't as I am on these meds too late and most of the knee and ankle pain now is OA-related whilst the other PsA affected joints gently twang away. It would be lovely to not only have our cake and eat it but also to have an endless supply of glacé cherries to top each slice. Life isn't like that, well mine isn't. Good luck with it and I hope it helps. DD

Mat48

Thanks DD of course it helps to know that you take it by injection and don't experience nausea and find it quite simple to do. My GP and others have mentioned sores or glitches from injecting (when they thought it was going to fall on them to pay and administer I might add!) - I take it this has not been an issue for you?

I know I'm extremely lucky on the pain front - I haven't had intense pain from RA for a few months now although my knees are playing up a little and stiffness is increasingly prevalent even in one week since I dropped down a tablet.

Of course I do want to have my cake and eat it if possible but am sufficiently realistic to know that I'm unlikely to reach such giddy heights of cake eating so have to make a choice between being endlessly ill with viral infections or letting the disease take more of a hold. This doesn't feel as much like eating cake as sipping from a poison chalice - but I do realise that I've been caught early and do thank my lucky stars for the freedom I get to roam and drive and generally move about quite easily these days - and this state of affairs has undoubtedly been enhanced by MTX so I'm not moaning I promise - I know it's all relative! Mat

DebraKelly

I started Meth injections back in January.

They are no problem at all, however, I am getting taking off them as they have stopped working for me.

They did help a lot with reducing the neasua etc.

Starburst

I've been on injected MTX for a year now and experience very few side effects. I do get quite tired the day after (I take it at night) but no nausea or stomach upsets that the tablets gave me. How often do you take folic acid? I take it 6 times a week which also seems to help.

LignumVitae

I was put on injections and found them easier than I expected. I did mess one up and end up with a tasty looking bruise on my belly but apparently if I was fatter the chances to mess up would be less so consider that too if you haven't got much fat there (I think if you keep messing up they move you to using your thigh). Basically though if you sit up straight, take your time and don't wobble the needle, all is good - I found doing it after a shower when I was nice and relaxed and in no hurry helped with my technique. I found when I first went on mtx as tablets years ago I too got every infection and cold going. That settled, almost as if my immune system got more able to cope and swapping to the injections caused no problems in terms of that returning. My mouth ulcers were worse but folic acid increases sorted that out. I do make a point of eating bag loads of fruit and veg and I think that helps - also not burning the candle at both ends too much seemed to help too.
Good luck with your funding battle, it makes me realise how very lucky I was to be swapped on. Ignore any bad news stories from the GP, as you have identified, they may not be being as altruistic as they should be!
LV xx

dreamdaisy

I switch between my stomach and thighs (as I used to with enbrel) I get the occasional bruise but that's all. Oh, there was one week where the plunger jammed half way down the syringe so I chucked what was left into the sharps bin and didn't do another. I was very pleased to be given the chance to do my own as prior to that I was going to the hospital every week. What a bore chore that was. Now I can do it at my own convenience, only having to go once a month or so to the hospital to collect my new supply. DD

kathe

I take methotrexate injetions. Took the tables first but then I got so neaussa and dissy, and so at the doctor put me on injetions. Been on the imjetions four all most a year, experiens a loot of side effect , but the naussa and dissyness is mutch better. Took 20 mg . But now 15 mg . Because I have loost a loot a hair , and my toanails ceep falling of. They don't now if it is the methotraxte but now I have to reduse it more and going to take12,5mg to see it we can save some of my hair. . The artherist was better with 20 mg dose but the side effect wasen't. So now I have more pain but less side effect. My doctor told me thats not an easy choise but now when I lost so mutch ofmy hair it is an easy decition. The pain is there any way.

Mat48

Thanks all - I agree with you Kathe that for me hair and not feeling sick are a priority. Somehow life's really not up to much if you feel sick and start going bald? I'm good at hacking pain mostly unless it's the screaming kind. But what a grouchy old hypo I become if I get sick?!

Oral MTX time in about 20 minutes for me and I'm pleased to say that at 15mg I don't seem to suffer nausea so here's hoping I'm not hobbling again in a week or two. But it's very nice to know there's a plan I can go for re injectable MTX - which apparently costs about £13.60 per jab where a month's worth of oral stuff costs £3.50. Not that my GP was in anyway influenced by this but since it was on my mind she thought she'd look it up anyway?! Mat x

PS I've lots of lovely fat on my belly so no worries there apart from having to show the practice nurse when I'm being trained - yikes.

kathe

Mat48 wrote:

Thanks all - I agree with you Kathe that for me hair and not feeling sick are a priority. Somehow life's really not up to much if you feel sick and start going bald? I'm good at hacking pain mostly unless it's the screaming kind. But what a grouchy old hypo I become if I get sick?!

Oral MTX time in about 20 minutes for me and I'm pleased to say that at 15mg I don't seem to suffer nausea so here's hoping I'm not hobbling again in a week or two. But it's very nice to know there's a plan I can go for re injectable MTX - which apparently costs about £13.60 per jab where a month's worth of oral stuff costs £3.50. Not that my GP was in anyway influenced by this but since it was on my mind she thought she'd look it up anyway?! Mat x

PS I've lots of lovely fat on my belly so no worries there apart from having to show the practice nurse when I'm being trained - yikes.

Thats mine priority to.I live a great life.I have a job that I love and friends andfamily.I got a lot of hair before I started loosing it.And still have it is youst
mutch tinner.But still have hair.I live my life as before I got sick, but I know I'm
sick and have found a way to accept that..because there are really nothing I can do about it.Hopes the methotrexate works out four you. Best wisches.

Mat48

I live my life as best I can too Kathe - long may it continue. I lost all my hair twice when I was younger so am very possessive over it now. It's thinner but no bald patches and no one but me and hairdresser notice. I took my MTX tablets tonight and feel fine. It's strange that one extra tablet can make such a difference but I obviously have a breaking point my body can't tolerate me going over - although my joints love it!
Mat x

silverbirch

Hello everyone, I haven't been on here for quite a while and I have really missed it, I lost all my favorites when my computer crashed but found you all again a few days ago.

I was on the methotrexate tabs for 2 weeks last year but was very sick with them so I ended up on the planaquil tabs, they haven't really worked though so 2 weeks ago I went on 10 mg methotrexate injections, up to now I have been fine and don't find doing the injection in my thigh much of a problem, I do feel tired on the day I do my injection and the day after though, I have my bloods done every 2 weeks for the first 6 weeks I don't know what happens after that.

Thankyou all for your posts, I have learned so much.

Chelle123

My 14 year old son has just had his MTX injection increased from 15mg to 20mg. He does get very mild nausea the day after the injection.

We have been lucky that our GP prescribes the MTX so I don't have to keep going over to the hospital. I had no idea it was a post code lottery.

Good luck with the injections
Chelle

Mat48

Thanks for telling me that Chelle. I am seeing my GP next week after my latest blood tests and will see what he says - he was not keen last time but maybe once he's read the rheumy's clinical letter then he will change his tune. I do hope the injections of MTX make the world of difference to your son. Mat x

nanarose

Hi, I've been on and off mtx for a couple of years now, with varying results. I started off with tablets which gave me nausea and diarrhea, so went onto 25mg injection which worked brilliantly for quite a while - no nasty symptoms whatsoever. I inject in my thigh and have had no problems - no soreness, nothing at all.

I am now on injected 15mg mtx as my liver levels got too high, however recently for some strange reason I have started to dread doing the deed as it were, which is silly as I have no problem with needles or getting blood taken, although that is a struggle sometimes as my veins seem to curl up and refuse to co-operate!
Has anyone else ever had this problem? I have to talk myself into pushing the plunger now, which isn't nice, and I can't understand why as I never had a problem before now.

Also I have started to get bad nausea and sickness which is a new occurrence for me, but my doc has given me tablets to counteract this, so perhaps some side-effects are only now appearing.

However, even with all this hassle I will stick with the methotrexate injections as long as I can, as it has made a huge difference to my life. I no longer have dreadful psoriasis all over my body, and although I do have swelling and pain, I have no further damage to my joints, due to the mtx.

Good luck, I wish you well.x

Mat48

Thanks for explaining this to us Nanarose - I wonder why it's become so much harder for you. I've become a bit psychological about taking the MTX tablets now and really have to prime myself to swallow them - usually just after dinner and with about two large glasses of water. I haven't actually had any nausea at all since dropping down a pill and have decided that as long as RA symptoms are not too bad I will stick with this dose because I take Hydroxichloraquine as well and I feel that should be quite enough medicine to prevent joint damage being done for the time being. And after reading your tale I don't feel injectable MTX would be the right option for me unless there's no alternative. I agree with you this drug has given me back my mobility and in lots of ways I'm indebted to it so wouldn't want to cut it out unless I really had no choice.

My liver has played up twice too and each time I've had to drop a dose - I find that if I stay off all alcohol (and I was allowing myself the odd glass of wine or g&t when this occurred) my bloods come back okay . Mat x