Hot and Bothered

alarkra
alarkra Member Posts: 213
edited 29. Sep 2010, 15:31 in Living with Arthritis archive
I don't know if any of you found this when taking Methotrexate, but I've been incrementing my levels every fortnight and it's the week after I've incremented the dose that I feel high and unwell after taking my dose. I finally got up to my 20mg last week and felt fine, but took my dose yesterday and passed out with extreme fatigue in the evening (and I split my doses taking 1/2 in the morning and 1/2 in the evening!). Today I felt generally rather unwell and all day I've been very hot and perspiring furiously and my hands were constantly clammy. Day 2 of week 2 of my new job so I couldn't take the day off sick. Today has been a challenging day, not helped by the heating being on full too... I feel so drained from over-heating and felt so embarrassed that I stank to high-heaven on the bus home... my pride is somewhat squished...

Do you have any suggestions on how to keep ones temperature down when having reactions to meds? Other than taking all of one's clothes off as apparently that's 'frowned upon' in the work place...!! :lol: I'm not going to come off Methotrexate as it's still early days and I don't want to have to start again with something new! :P

Comments

  • valval
    valval Member Posts: 14,911
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    try to stick to cotton close to the skin as not on can not be of much help to you good luck though val
    val
  • skezier
    skezier Member Posts: 11,333
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi Alarkra,

    Firstly I am sorry your feeling like this. I wonder if you should talk either to the rumo, the rumo nurse or your gp before taking the 20 next week. It might be you need to hold on the 17.5 for a bit longer before gong up?

    I can't really help you except to say I had a similar reaction when I went up back along and its never happened since so hopefully you ill stabilize..... I did like you was ok the first week but the day after the second week I had some odd tern and the gp said my body went into shock.... it wasn't laid at the door of the mtx cus I have other problems but the mtx was clearly in the frame.

    I honestly think you need to talk to them before taking the 20 next week. I so hope tomorrow will be a better day for you. Cris x
  • Wonkylegs
    Wonkylegs Member Posts: 3,504
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    HI & so sorry you are having this problem :(

    I have been taking MTX for many years now (by injection for about 8 years & tablets before that) & I can't say whether it is the MTX, the RA, the other concoctions I use/take or a combination of all the above, but I do know the overwhelming hot flushes so well :oops: :oops:

    I try to have water with me at all times, as drinking a little and often seems to help both with the occasional nausea and with the heat flushes.

    THe cotton clothing advice is sound ..... I would also add to wear layers which are easy to add/remove, and this used to get me by when I was at work - when I would go from cold to roasting and back many times in one lesson :oops: :oops: the children used to follow me with my bottle of water and my cardigan :lol::lol::lol::lol:

    Sometimes I used to take an electric fan into work, which I had ok'd with them first, and now I always carry a silk fan in my handbag when going out anywhere ..... it looks 'interesting' rather than embarrassing I think/hope

    I would also say do talk to the Rheumy nurse, as they may have other suggestions. :wink::lol:

    good luck!

    WOnky
  • nanarose
    nanarose Member Posts: 117
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Alarka, this could be me you are talking about!

    I felt fine after last weeks 20mg methotrexate, but this week not so good.
    I take my dose about 8pm on a Sunday night. I felt perfectly fine Monday morning, but by about 4pm I was feeling really yucky, and all yesterday and today I have been sweating profusely, which I hadn't been previously.
    I was at the Occupational Therapy Dept today and the lovely lady there was fanning me with a book, I was obviously looking so hot and bothered! :oops:
    I've also had vivid nightnares last night, and woke up sweating, and also felt as though my heart was hammering in my chest, not a pleasant feeling at all.

    I'm sticking it out, as my dosage goes up this week to 22.5 mg, and apart from this week, I really have found a huge benefit in both my skin, joints and pain. (I have PA)
    However if I continue with these symptoms, I'm going to get in touch with my Rheumy nurse, and see what she says. They will have a far better idea of whether this is unusual, or something quite common that we may have to put up with for a while, in order to gain the benefit of mtx.
    It's great fun this 'arthuritis' isn't it? Still the cure has to be better than the disease, regardless of all the hiccups! :)

    Perhaps it's not a good idea to snatch off all our clothes in public though...I think our families might be too embarrassed to post bail for us! :D
  • sharmaine
    sharmaine Member Posts: 1,638
    edited 29. Sep 2010, 08:32
    Hi Alarkra

    I have a similar problem but with my blood pressure medication. I have OA and not RA but appreciate where you're coming from! This particular medication makes me go hot aand sweaty. This is the second one I've tried - the first was dreadful I felt as if water was leaking through every pore in my body including my head! It's no joke being like this. I try and wear loose cotton or linen tops. Hopefully things will settle down with the cold weather. It must be difficult when you're at work and everyone wants to be warm and all you want to do is take your clothes off or hope that you're near a window and there's a force ten gale blowing. I think the more embarrassed I get by it the worse it gets. :lol::lol:

    If someone has the answer for keeping cool when you're feeling so hot then please say because I would also be interested!

    I hope things settle down and as you get used to taking your medication the hot and sweaty moments are few and far between.

    Regards
    Sharmaine




    alarkra wrote:
    I don't know if any of you found this when taking Methotrexate, but I've been incrementing my levels every fortnight and it's the week after I've incremented the dose that I feel high and unwell after taking my dose. I finally got up to my 20mg last week and felt fine, but took my dose yesterday and passed out with extreme fatigue in the evening (and I split my doses taking 1/2 in the morning and 1/2 in the evening!). Today I felt generally rather unwell and all day I've been very hot and perspiring furiously and my hands were constantly clammy. Day 2 of week 2 of my new job so I couldn't take the day off sick. Today has been a challenging day, not helped by the heating being on full too... I feel so drained from over-heating and felt so embarrassed that I stank to high-heaven on the bus home... my pride is somewhat squished...

    Do you have any suggestions on how to keep ones temperature down when having reactions to meds? Other than taking all of one's clothes off as apparently that's 'frowned upon' in the work place...!! :lol: I'm not going to come off Methotrexate as it's still early days and I don't want to have to start again with something new! :P
  • Wonkylegs
    Wonkylegs Member Posts: 3,504
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    just thought ....

    two ways I find help when i'm really hot ....

    run wrists under cold water for a while ... cools your blood a bit.

    wet a flannel in cold water and put it on the back of your neck .... works a treat

    WOnky
  • dreamdaisy
    dreamdaisy Member Posts: 31,520
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    I am in a state of permanent melt-down, thanks to steroids and humira. Bath towels go everywhere with me (my local pub and curry house don't bat an eyelid anymore) and my desk fan is a lifesaver. Wear only natural fibres, keep a sponge bag at work for access to a damp flannel, and stick your tongue out at anyone who stares at you whilst you melt. I do, it embarrasses the hell out of them and makes me feel better. I wish you well. DD
    Have you got the despatches? No, I always walk like this. Eddie Braben
  • julie47
    julie47 Member Posts: 6,041
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi

    I also have hot spells having one now the face is burning off.

    I also have a hand held battery fan, bit noisey though.

    I have read somewhere either on here or in a mag that a hot water bottle filled with cold water could help..keep it on ypur lap and rest wrists on it,

    How are you today? hope you are well

    JuliePF x
  • alarkra
    alarkra Member Posts: 213
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hello everyone!

    Today was a little better - I woke up feeling terrible, but thankfully I work from home today, so I could deal with it perfectly well. I managed to get hold of small desk fan which I knew was hidden in the depths of the loft, so will be taking that to the office with me tomorrow.

    Since I was 22 I suddenly started to get a slight problem of overheating (and I'm not overweight, I think it's just a super-warm core I have!) so always much prefer being cold to hot, but the Methotrexate is making it much worse. I'm a big fan of cotton and actually avoid all other synthetic fibres as much as I can.

    I think that yesterday was made much worse because I was literally getting hot and bothered and was rather flustered during a stressful work-related issue, so the whole thing was magnified! I aim to start tomorrow in a more calm manner and hope that armed with my fan and a deodorant stick in my desk draw, it won't be as embarrassing if I do go all hot and bothered again!

    Thanks for all of your helpful tips and it's reassuring that I'm not the only one having this reaction to Methotrexate!

    Hugs! xx
  • alarkra
    alarkra Member Posts: 213
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hello everyone!

    Today was a little better - I woke up feeling terrible, but thankfully I work from home today, so I could deal with it perfectly well. I managed to get hold of small desk fan which I knew was hidden in the depths of the loft, so will be taking that to the office with me tomorrow.

    Since I was 22 I suddenly started to get a slight problem of overheating (and I'm not overweight, I think it's just a super-warm core I have!) so always much prefer being cold to hot, but the Methotrexate is making it much worse. I'm a big fan of cotton and actually avoid all other synthetic fibres as much as I can.

    I think that yesterday was made much worse because I was literally getting hot and bothered and was rather flustered during a stressful work-related issue, so the whole thing was magnified! I aim to start tomorrow in a more calm manner and hope that armed with my fan and a deodorant stick in my desk draw, it won't be as embarrassing if I do go all hot and bothered again!

    Thanks for all of your helpful tips and it's reassuring that I'm not the only one having this reaction to Methotrexate!

    Hugs! xx
  • ironic
    ironic Member Posts: 2,361
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi,
    You have had some good tips there. I found taking my shoes of and standing on tiles was a quick way of bringing down my temperature.
    I could spot air conditioning in stores from 100 mtrs. :roll:
    Ice cubes in one of those freezer bags can help if you can wrap a cube up in a hankie and press on the pulse spots.

    Lv, Ix