Medication side effects worse than arthritis symptoms?

Cara123
Cara123 Member Posts: 31
in Living with arthritis

Hi, I wondered if anyone has felt as though the side effects from the medication have a greater and more negative impact on the quality of their life than the arthritis symptoms?

Many thanks.

Comments

  • stickywicket
    stickywicket Member Posts: 27,764

    Hi @Cara123 , could you give us a few clues ie what type of arthritis, what medication and what side effects? Thanks.

    If at first you don't succeed, then skydiving definitely isn't for you.
    Steven Wright
  • Hairobsessed123
    Hairobsessed123 Member Posts: 165

    Hi @Cara123

    Yes my medication deffo made my life worse !! The methotrexate knocked me out and I had no zest for life , my periods became floods and the hot flushing was insane !
    Thankfully I’m in remission and off meds and feel a lot better the last 3 weeks my finger joint had been hurting but I am so frightened of those side affects it’s putting me off mentioning it I’ll just b taking anti inflammatorys for now til I can’t bare it !!

  • Meli
    Meli Member Posts: 15

    Hi there, yes it is scary wondering how the disease will affect you and then on top whether you will get any side effects from the medication. That was one of the things that really worried me when I was first diagnosed having a history of unpleasant side effects from other unrelated drugs. Fortunately the Hydroxychloraquine has seemed to suit me and just occasionally I get a little bit of an itchy rash on my tummy which clears after a couple of weeks. I have spoken to people on methotrexate who have had very little or no side effects so I think it's a case of finding something that suits you. We are all different and react differently to things so I would hold in there and hopefully soon you will find something suitable. Good luck xx

  • MollyABE
    MollyABE Member Posts: 2

    Hi :)

    Taking methotrexate orally made me feel so rough it was 100% out weighing any positive effects it was having, it was getting so bad I would dread taking it on Mondays. Spoke to my rheumatologist and he moved me to injections, had my first one yesterday and have had zero side effects!!

  • frogmorton
    frogmorton Member Posts: 30,227

    Brilliant news @MollyABE

    Glad you feel so much better now ☺️

    Toni x

  • Cara123
    Cara123 Member Posts: 31

    Thanks everyone for the comments. I have been on Methotrexate injections for about 3 weeks now, so early days, but it is making me feel really ill. I have almost flu like symptoms for about 1 1/2 days and an upset stomach but even once that has gone, I feel bad for the rest of the week - I have heart palpitations and often feel dizzy, really tired and somehow 'spaced out'. I have contacted the hospital and they told me that, hopefully, the side effects will get less over time. Right now, though, I have to say that the side effects are so much worse than my arthritis symptoms.

  • pigeon
    pigeon Member Posts: 11

    Yes definitely by a long way. I manage only one dose of Methotrexate orally, and just couldn't cope at all. Now one dose via injection and a much lower dose, and again still not coping. Might manage a second dose, but can't imagine two doses will be long enough for the side effects to settle.

    I haven't been this miserable and ill for a long time.

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