Folic acid

Emmasknackeredjoints
Emmasknackeredjoints Member Posts: 145
in Living with arthritis

I know we have to take folic acid with methotrexate, and it apparently helps with the side effects.


However we are all different indeed.


Has anyone ever thought the folic acid is contributing to the nausea and vomiting


Every week without fail after my mtx inj id have 48hrs plus vomiting with no food intake and 1 glass of water for over 2 days. The 3rd day id wake fine and eat and drink water by the bucket load. But then the folic acid day id be back vomiting. In fact no matter what day id take it within 2 hrs my head was down the toilet pan.

This resulting in not taking folic acid some weeks.

When I asked for help by cns she just laughed in my face and said no one gets this from folic acid


Anyone else had this

Comments

  • Gadgetgirl
    Gadgetgirl Member Posts: 52

    Hi there. That sounds awful but I do wonder if it is more the MTX that is causing the problems. I had horrible sickness and gastro issues and so decided to take my MTX at night before I went to bed so that way I was asleep through the worst of it. I also take Folic Acid every day apart from on the MTX day and it helped massively elevate the side effects. I would suggest seeing your RA nurse and asking to be changed onto another drug as it sounds like your sickness is way too much .Hope you get the help you need.

  • MrDJ
    MrDJ Member Posts: 311

    are you doing the injection after food or on an empty stomach.

    ive never had mtx by injection but maybe had 10-15 times when ive felt a bit nauseas an hour after taking 20mg tabs but thats 10-15 times out of 23 years of continuous use. mtx saturday lunchtime and folic all other days early evening.

    no isue what so ever with folic acid as never take on same day as mtx. used to be on 2 tabs the next day but after the odd bout of mouth ulcers ive now been taking 1 tab 6 days a week for around 10 years and not notices any affects.

    are you on any other meds. could they be interacting. and who is cns? and laughing in your face is a big nono and should be reported.

  • Emmasknackeredjoints
    Emmasknackeredjoints Member Posts: 145

    Thank you for your input.

    I took MTX injection Friday night 5 mins before bed and about 3 hrs after food, i also had to take anti sickness tablet about 1.30hr before injection.but over time the nausea and vomiting got so bad it would start within the hr of mtx Friday and stop Sunday night.

    the nausea was full on the whole time, having to drool into tissue rather than swallow my saliva. The vomiting would be loads and fly out like a hose pipe, but no help was offered at all.

    Told to take more folic acid, but no matter what day I took folic acid I would have a disgusting taste with nausea and vomit again, even mid week when I was feeling well and eating loads.


    Im not convinced folic acid wasn’t a factor, was just wondering if anyone else has this.


    cns is clinical nurse specialist ( rheumatoid), total **** really. This whole journey has been a nightmare.

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