Methotrexate For Psoriasis

ColinJ
ColinJ Member Posts: 46
edited 4. May 2017, 17:28 in Living with Arthritis archive
Hi everybody not been on here for sometime,well here's the update, been on hydroxy for coming up nealy a year now,joints are just started to get a bit on the top side of the hydroxy,now I have been diagnosed with Psoriasis in its early stages, the RA specialist seems to want me to go on MTX, I have read about this medication on the Internet, it seems to be a bit scary to me this does,can anyone of you lovely people give me some advise on this medication

Kindest Regards

Colin

Comments

  • littlemimmy
    littlemimmy Member Posts: 111
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi Colin,

    I've been on methotrexate for almost six years, and have had no problems with it. I was initially prescribed it for psoriasis, and another skin condition I have called morphoea. Then when I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, we just put my dose up higher.

    There are some unpleasant side effects, but if you follow your instructions to the letter they will reduce in time. The two main side effects are fatigue and nausea. Taking folic acid as you're instructed will help a lot. I'm now on 20mg of methotrexate and it very rarely makes me nauseous these days.

    Like any drug, some people just don't get along with it, but you'll have regular blood tests to check your liver function, etc., so don't worry. You should also be given a chest x-ray before you start taking it, so they can make sure it's safe for you. (Although I wasn't x-rayed until I'd been taking it for five years!)

    Knowing the contraindications for methotrexate will help. For example, you can't take NSAIDS whilst on it, or echinacea, or Gaviscon (although I have taken all three of these - before learning that I shouldn't have done!).

    Another big no no is alcohol. Officially, you can have one unit per month, but personally I think it's too big a risk for two little gain. Since starting on methotrexate, I have had just one sip of Pimm's at a wedding and that's it.

    It is also highly advisable to use effective birth control measures while taking methotrexate, as it can cause genetic defects. I realise that sounds quite scary, but it's just because it's a cytotoxic drug, so it affects all your cells including sperm and eggs.

    I hope I've helped, and not made things worse! I'm really grateful to the registrar who managed to get me put on methotrexate, as it made a huge difference to my psoriasis and now I'm on a higher dose, I rarely have any flare ups of the psoriasis at all.

    Kay
  • dreamdaisy
    dreamdaisy Member Posts: 31,520
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hello, I began meth many years ago (the tablet version) but after a while developed an allergic rash so was taken off it. Now I have the injected form, which supports my anti-TNF medication, humira. I have psoriatic arthritis (PsA) but without much of the P, probably thanks to the immuno-suppressing actions of the DMARD plus anti-TNF.

    I have no troubles at all with the meth apart from occasionally feeling extra tired a couple of days after my injection. I take one FA tablet per week but, TBH, because I have so little trouble I often forget that. We take it at considerably smaller doses than its use in treating other conditions and it's likely that you will begin on a low dose to see how things go. Regular blood tests are important for the first three months or so to establish how your body is coping with the medication and it is best not to consume alcohol in that time. I have no troubles whatsoever with consuming alcohol but one should be wary, our bodies vary so much in how they process and tolerate such additions - mine's always behaved on that front.

    It's unusual for someone with an auto-immune arthritis to be controlled on just one DMARD, it's more common to have two on the go. I wish you well and I hope it helps. DD
    Have you got the despatches? No, I always walk like this. Eddie Braben
  • daffy2
    daffy2 Member Posts: 1,636
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    One of the problems with reading about side effects is that there is rarely any accompanying explanation of context etc. If you don't know what else the drug is used for and at what dosages or, in some cases, the cohort on which the drug is trialled(types and numbers of participants - more of an issue with new drugs), then it can all seem pretty scary. Drug companies have a duty to show any side effects( GPs and pharmacists should be part of this process by reporting what patients tell them through the so-called yellow card scheme), but I'm not sure how good the updating is for offsetting that with numbers of patients for whom side-effects are either transient or mild - again more of a problem with newer drugs rather than those around for decades like meth.
    When drugs like methotrexate are used for other conditions such as cancer where the doses used are likely to be very much higher than for something such as RA, frequency and severity of side effects are also likely to be higher in those circumstances, not surprisingly.
    As DD says it's common to be on more than one drug to keep things under control, and you will be monitored.
  • deb
    deb Member Posts: 3
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    I went on methotrexate for psoriasis and did not have good results. For me, my body seemed to react quite severely to it. Difficulty with breathing and constant flu-like symptoms. That is not to say that this will happen to you but just stay vigilant. Best of luck!