Shingles and Methotrexate

Nnp

Hi Everyone,

I've been on Methotrexate for just under a year (8 tablets once a week), plus daily steroids and have just been told I have shingles, which is very painful and unpleasant.

They've given me antibiotics for this as it is super painful and I'm feeling very rough.

Has anyone got any advice or experienced this before, and around how long it took to clear up and feel better? (well as well as us people on MX can feel :-(

thanks

Nnp

Also have people paused their methotrexate or continued whilst they have shingles?

Eeyore

Hello @Nnp

So sorry you've got shingles, I have never experienced it but I know it causes a lot of pain.

My rheumy nurses have always told me I must stop MTX if given antibiotics.

Nnp

thanks Eeyore

noddingtonpete

@Nnp it is always best to consult your GP/Consultant before stopping or starting any medication as they will advise on dose, side-effects and compatibility.

Arthuritis

@Nnp I am so sorry you got shingles, been there, done that including the abject fear of what joint pain awaits if you stop MTX, vs the shingles pain. As others have advised, you need to consult your rheumy first, and your GP to figure out the best approach. My rheumy advised me to stop MTX when you are fighting an infection, as MTX suppresses the immune system and delays recovery. I do not know what antibiotics you have been given as shingles is a virus, and for that you need antiviral meds like acyclovir or valcyclovir. In my case the shingles took a long time to shift, months. In my view shingles appears when your immune suppression is too high for too long. Your rheumy will probably want to reduce your MTX & steroid doses.

However you can help yourself a bit by checking if your intense RA is due to a food reaction, which I have found increasingly the case. I have posted on this on the common culprits and the latest research. Sadly even after you change your diet, the effect can often take days or weeks to become apparent. I fasted (pain dropped like magic after a week) and I slowly added 1 food item back at a time to determine what was non inflammatory or non triggering.

For many people, including myself the top offenders are:

1. Soy protein and soy products, including soya lecithin found in many things like chocolate and biscuits. Only fermented soy was safe, like tofu. Meat from animals fed on cheap soy protein ie most farm animals like pigs & poultry, but not beef as it is a ruminant and ferments it’s food, including soy protein, removing the offending trigger proteins.
2. Casein - dairy products eg cheese, milk and milk chocolate
3. Gluten
4. Nightshade veggies- some varieties have sufficient toxic defence proteins to trigger flares these are bell peppers, potatoes (depends on variety, some worse than others, aubergines etc).

Try cutting out 1 , 2 and preferably 3, and grade your rheumatic pain after cutting.

Unfortunately your rheumy doc can’t advise you on nutrition changes, in their entire 10 years of medical school to becoming consultant, they only had 7 hours on food. Reasons why are not relevant to your immediate situation, but we can learn from each others’ experiences.

I hope this helps you.