Nausea

valde
valde Member Posts: 271
edited 23. May 2015, 04:27 in Living with Arthritis archive
Morning
Advice would be welcome please. I have been on mix 10 tabs a week and hydroxy x 2 a day folic acid once a week for a year. For the last 3 months I have had really bad nausea waking me early hours every day. It is now getting me down. Sitting here feeling awful with cold flannel on my head to cool and drinking cold herbal ginger tea !
Spoke to consultant 2 weeks age who said mix was doing ra good and to give it until I see him again in November. Not sure if I can manage broken sleep till then. Has this happen to anyone else almost a year after starting mix ? I drink ginger and peppermint tea, eat barley sugars not sure what else to do. I am abroad at moment until mid week and will ring rheumy nurse when I get home but your advice would help. Many thanks and apologies for the moans so early in morning.

Comments

  • stickywicket
    stickywicket Member Posts: 27,697
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    If you don't already take your meth in the evening that might help.

    More folic acid might help too but this needs to come from your rheumatology team. Don't just buy some over the counter. Meanwhile you could safely try to ingest more with food and have a delicious menu :D Foods rich in it are - asparagus, spinach, celery, carrots, beans, peas, lentils, seds and nuts, raspberries, strawberries, avocados.
    If at first you don't succeed, then skydiving definitely isn't for you.
    Steven Wright
  • LignumVitae
    LignumVitae Member Posts: 1,972
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    I was once told to split my dose of MTX over two days, it did help but I wouldn't advise you do it without first speaking to your rheumy team. Can you delay the next dose/ miss a dose until you have taken advice? I got pretty bad nausea when I was on the tablets and none of the usual nausea remedies did much (sorry I know you don't want to hear that). Sugary foods seemed to be easier to handle but that list from Sticky has left me with grand ideas for breakfast. Good luck, it's no fun feeling like that.
    Hey little fighter, things will get brighter
  • valde
    valde Member Posts: 271
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Thanks for advice. Have not taken this weeks meth to try to ease nausea and will phone team on Thursday when home. Will try the fruit Sticky for breakfast. Really a shame to start this nausea as meth seems to work for my RA but lack of sleep not good. I can only think that it is a build up of the meth because I did not have this at beginning. I only take 1 folic acid a week and I will ask about increasing this. Does anyone take anti sickness pills ? I would not take before asking rheumy but could that help. Well now 5 am so will try to get some sleep. Thanks again
  • dreamdaisy
    dreamdaisy Member Posts: 31,520
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Anti-nausea meds can be prescribed but it's better that your rheumatologist deals with this rather than the GP. I assume you are taking a 20mg dose of meth? I am sure that there are ways and means of splitting it but I think you should contact your rheumatology unit as soon as possible, because this sounds miserable, is miserable and you shouldn't have to be dealing with this on top of everything else. Please ring them and I hope they can see you soon. DD
    Have you got the despatches? No, I always walk like this. Eddie Braben
  • Jaclyncollin
    Jaclyncollin Bots Posts: 36
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Splitting your total meth dose over the week and increasing folic acid on all the days except meth day could help. However, it is best to rely on your rheumy’s advice for this kinda situation. If splitting the dose is not possible, avoid fried spicy food on meth day and rely on veggies and fruits.
    Anti-nausea medicines can be prescribed and needs to be taken only on the same day as Methotrexate. Sipping ginger ale or lemon water might also help to reduce nausea. Dehydration makes it worse, so make sure you drink plenty of liquid. If nothing works, many finds it switching to the injectables, gives some relief.

    I hope you find something to help with this.

    Thanks SW, for list of folic rich menu. :D

    Jaclyn.
  • As5567
    As5567 Member Posts: 665
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    valde wrote:
    Thanks for advice. Have not taken this weeks meth to try to ease nausea and will phone team on Thursday when home. Will try the fruit Sticky for breakfast. Really a shame to start this nausea as meth seems to work for my RA but lack of sleep not good. I can only think that it is a build up of the meth because I did not have this at beginning. I only take 1 folic acid a week and I will ask about increasing this. Does anyone take anti sickness pills ? I would not take before asking rheumy but could that help. Well now 5 am so will try to get some sleep. Thanks again

    The good news is that your meth is working, the not so good news is the nausea. There are plenty of things that can be given to try and ease this but like the others have said it's best for your rheumatologist to deal with this. If the meth is working well enough they might even suggest lowering the dose slightly and see how things get on, they can also increase the folic acid and possibly change over to injections which also sometimes helps people who suffer with Nausea.

    When I was having bad nausea my rheumatologist did prescribe anti sickness tablets for me which did work slightly but not that well. In the end increasing the folic acid and lowering the dose by 2.5mg did the trick. Everyone is different when it comes to these drugs and it's just a matter of finding the right balance. But it is good to hear the drug is working for your arthritis.
  • barbara12
    barbara12 Member Posts: 21,280
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hello valde
    Sorry I cant offer any advice, but just want to wish you well , and hope things improve very soon for you...(())
    Love
    Barbara
  • valde
    valde Member Posts: 271
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Thanks to all for advice and listening. I am due to fly home tomorrow and will ring rheumy team Thursday morning. At least I know that there are ways of combating this nausea from your replies. Yes it is miserable feeling especially when I am not at home. My dose of meth is 2.5 mg and I take 10 on a Sunday. One strange thing is that it does not stop me eating in fact I feel a little better after food. Thanks again and hope you all have a good night.
  • dreamdaisy
    dreamdaisy Member Posts: 31,520
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    I hope you take it with food - this lessens the shock to your stomach and may help to reduce the nausea. DD
    Have you got the despatches? No, I always walk like this. Eddie Braben
  • theresak
    theresak Member Posts: 1,998
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi there,

    I hope you can get some help from your rheumy nurse, and feel better soon.
  • frogmorton
    frogmorton Member Posts: 29,336
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Oh poor you :(

    Nothing worse than feeling sick :(

    When I was pregnant I felt better after eating food too not sure why.

    My youngest is on MTX for her leukaemia and is very lucky that it does not make her at all queasy (probably because she was only much higher doses in hospital), despite not having any folic acid.

    It does seem odd that you have only recently had this issue...makes you wonder why???

    I agree with everyone else advice is needed Valde I hope rheumy team help you. best of luck

    Toni xx
  • Kitty
    Kitty Member Posts: 3,583
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Have you considered asking your consultant if you could try having it by subcutaneous injection? I have 25ml injections which are delivered to me from the company providing them. My consultant arranges the prescriptions. When I first started using them, a nurse from the company visited me to go through my first injection to make sure I was doing it right. I have 4 injection points, and alternate them every week. Left abdomen, right abdomen, left upper thigh and right upper thigh. I have syringes with a separate needle to insert into the end of, but they also provide it in the 'pen' type dispenser like diabetics use. I am provided with a sharps bucket to put the used needles in, which is collected by the company to dispose of safely, and a new bucket provided.

    You would still need to take folic acid, and might still suffer some nausea, but perhaps not as severe as you are currently getting.

    My apologies if you have already been given this information. :oops:

    "Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea." Robert A Heinlein

  • valde
    valde Member Posts: 271
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Thanks so much for all replies and advice. I am home now and had a reasonable night last night but I did not take meth or hydroxy for a week. Went back on hydroxy today and will take meth on Sunday after a week break. I am going to take the meth with food over the course of the day instead of all at once (rheumy nurse suggested), and see how it goes and if the nausea eases. It has not been too bad today or yesterday. I also stopped taking my vitD and cod liver oil tabs and have not had any of those for a week. Maybe they were interacting, nurse did not think so but possible. VitD is high doseage from GP and I have recently read that if VitD level is OK you should stop taking it (not sure where I saw this). I did have VitD tested 2 months ago and did not hear anything either way, so maybe this could be the problem. All my bloods are ok. Will ring nurse again in a week. Thanks again, I get so much help and advice on this forum and can't praise you all enough and I always recommend to all who may need it.
  • stickywicket
    stickywicket Member Posts: 27,697
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Thanks for the update, valde. You are now in the safe hands of your rheumatology team so I hope things will improve.

    Sometimes people can have minor reactions to the coating of pills rather than the pills themselves. Also, if your stomach is already in a dodgy state thanks to one thing, another thing can irritate it even though it wouldn't normally. We are complicated beings.

    It's possible to have too much Vit D in the body when taken in pill form but be guided by your doc on what to do there.
    If at first you don't succeed, then skydiving definitely isn't for you.
    Steven Wright