Re: Just starting MTX and don't know what to expect

January 10, 2007

Pennie,

This is just my experience ,but I take my MTX on Sunday mornings and usually

I feel fine on Sundays. On Monday mornings I wake up with a headache. I have

a new prescription for Leucovorin so that should help with that. I know that

it is working though. I am down to 2.5 mg of Prednisone this week and I

still feel good. I can tell the difference in one wrist that has a little pain

again but that is it. I just started all medications at the beginning of

November so I think I have been very lucky. I hope it goes well for you.

Dianne

January 10, 2007

Hello Pennie! I take the MTX at night after dinner because I get a really bad

headache as well as nausea. I take one of my sleeping pills because the

headache will actually keep me awake and I feel even worse the next morning.

This way, by taking it a night, I sleep through the worst of it and feel better

by the afternoon of the next day following the MTX.

HTH,

Lori

[ ] Just starting MTX and don't know what to expect

Hello,

I am finally starting MTX on Friday. Just 10 mg with 10 mg of Pred until the

MTX kicks in. Here's the odd thing, while on one hand I feel like I may finally

be getting something that will help with the pain, I also am quite scared to

take it, as I don't know what to expect. I have read so many horror stories.

Also my Dr told me to take it in the morning, I have to work all day Friday.

Will I be allright? Should I wait and take it in the evening. Does it affect

your sleeping patterns either way. I have also read that it gives you really bad

headaches, and nausea. I know that we are all different, but can others tell me

their experiences and also advise if the morning before a day at work is the

best time to take it.

Thanks

Pennie

p.s. I spoke to my doctor about the hormonal influences, he said " Of course

your hormones effect your level of pain. When you feel up the pain will always

be less, but when you are down you will feel pain more acutley " . Doesn't really

work for me as my pain seems to be worse in the middle of my clcye. May explain

someone's pain though.

Send instant messages to your online friends http://au.messenger.

January 10, 2007

I know that some people have had problems but this is my experience with

MTX. My rheumy has me taking my MTX in the evening, so I can take the

Leucovorin the next morning, I wait at least 8 hours after the MTX to take

it. I take the pill form and have never had any problems at all except for

hair loss and a cough. The cough was from a cold, but wouldn't go away so

my rheumy had me go off the MTX for a month and then go back at only half of

the previous dose. I had been taking 20mg, now I'm at 10. I have

permission to go back up to 20 if I feel I need it, but since I'm doing ok

at 10, I don't see any need to increase it. I've been on MTX for almost 3

years now, also take Humira once a week, and am in the process of weaning

myself off prednisone, down to 2.5mg a day, going to 2 next week. Oh, and I

don't have to worry about hormonal influences, since I had a complete

hysterectomy in 2000. Wonder if that is part of the difference?

Good luck!

On 1/10/07, Pennie Kellett <penniepincher66@...> wrote:

>

> Hello,

> I am finally starting MTX on Friday. Just 10 mg with 10 mg of Pred until

> the MTX kicks in. Here's the odd thing, while on one hand I feel like I may

> finally be getting something that will help with the pain, I also am quite

> scared to take it, as I don't know what to expect. I have read so many

> horror stories. Also my Dr told me to take it in the morning, I have to

> work all day Friday. Will I be allright? Should I wait and take it in the

> evening. Does it affect your sleeping patterns either way. I have also

> read that it gives you really bad headaches, and nausea. I know that we are

> all different, but can others tell me their experiences and also advise if

> the morning before a day at work is the best time to take it.

>

> Thanks

> Pennie

>

> p.s. I spoke to my doctor about the hormonal influences, he said " Of

> course your hormones effect your level of pain. When you feel up the pain

> will always be less, but when you are down you will feel pain more

> acutley " . Doesn't really work for me as my pain seems to be worse in the

> middle of my clcye. May explain someone's pain though.

>

--

Shoreview, MN, until April! brrrr!

South Pasadena, CA

You can see my galleries at http://www.pbase.com/arenared986

January 10, 2007

MTX does seem to affect everyone differently.

I have been on 15mg/week off and on for 5 years. Say off and on,

because sometimes I have to go up in dose, sometimes can lessen it,

but now I'm back to the standard 15mg.

When I was working, I arranged to have a long weekend. took my MTX

on Thurs day night and had the weekend to recover so I could go back

to work Mon. (now, not retired, but dh is a cardiac patient with

severe COPD, so I am kind of his caregiver, though I think it is a

mutual situation)

MTX does make you tired, so I take it at 9 PM. Full glass of

water. Food or not has never made a difference to me. In the

beginning, I was really fatigued the first day or two and did a lot

of reading. (got caught up with lots of stuff I was going to someday

read). Some stomach troubles in the very beginning, but those have

gone away.

Only time I ever have any stomach problems or nausea now, but only

when the weather is very very humid and very hot, even in cental

air. I am really out of it during that time, if it happens on my

MTX day. Or the day after.

I do have trouble sleeping either the night I take the MTX or the

night after.(and not every week, go figure) I just read, and I " m a

reading addict, so I figure that it is a postive. If I really need

to sleep, I take generic tylenol PM.

Headaches? Never. My main complaint? Brain fog. Still to this

day, I am not as sharp as the MTX day and the day following. Even

dh notices it, and never schedules anything that I need to be

involved in that requires brain power.

KNow that it is suppose to take 6 weeks or so to know if it is

kicking in. With the pred and MTX, I know in a couple of weeks that

it worked. From not being able to move at all, to be mobile again

was a small miracle. For me at least. Still took 9 months for my

hands to go down to be able to wear my wedding ring again.

See what happens for you. Everyone has a different reaction. If

worked for me, and is still working, and for that I'm grateful.

Don't ever want to get back to the point where my dh had to help me

in and out of a chair and worse.

Any med for any disease is going to have side effects, adverse

reactions for some people some times. You just never know who is

going to win the crap shoot this time.

Good luck.

Rose

On Jan 10, 2007, at 4:43 AM, Pennie Kellett wrote:

> Hello,

> I am finally starting MTX on Friday. Just 10 mg with 10 mg of Pred

> until the MTX kicks in. Here's the odd thing, while on one hand I

> feel like I may finally be getting something that will help with

> the pain, I also am quite scared to take it, as I don't know what

> to expect. I have read so many horror stories. Also my Dr told me

> to take it in the morning, I have to work all day Friday. Will I

> be allright? Should I wait and take it in the evening. Does it

> affect your sleeping patterns either way. I have also read that it

> gives you really bad headaches, and nausea. I know that we are all

> different, but can others tell me their experiences and also advise

> if the morning before a day at work is the best time to take it.

>

> Thanks

> Pennie

>

> p.s. I spoke to my doctor about the hormonal influences, he said

> " Of course your hormones effect your level of pain. When you feel

> up the pain will always be less, but when you are down you will

> feel pain more acutley " . Doesn't really work for me as my pain

> seems to be worse in the middle of my clcye. May explain someone's

> pain though.

>

> Send instant messages to your online friends http://

> au.messenger.

>

January 10, 2007

BTW, I have never had a problem with hair loss with MTX. In fact,

hairdresser says it has grown thicker in the last 5 years. Have to

go back more often to have it trimed.

Am 63, so should be in the time of my life where it begins to thin out.

Do take leucovorin 12 hours after the MTX. And I take a multi

vitamin with D, and primrose oil too. That is suppose to help hair

and nails. Is a blood thinner though. Started taking that after

when perimenapausal, because my nails got so bad. Biotin is in the

multi.

Rose

On Jan 10, 2007, at 10:34 AM, Overell wrote:

> I know that some people have had problems but this is my experience

> with

> MTX. My rheumy has me taking my MTX in the evening, so I can take the

> Leucovorin the next morning, I wait at least 8 hours after the MTX

> to take

> it. I take the pill form and have never had any problems at all

> except for

> hair loss and a cough. The cough was from a cold, but wouldn't go

> away so

> my rheumy had me go off the MTX for a month and then go back at

> only half of

> the previous dose. I had been taking 20mg, now I'm at 10. I have

> permission to go back up to 20 if I feel I need it, but since I'm

> doing ok

> at 10, I don't see any need to increase it. I've been on MTX for

> almost 3

> years now, also take Humira once a week, and am in the process of

> weaning

> myself off prednisone, down to 2.5mg a day, going to 2 next week.

> Oh, and I

> don't have to worry about hormonal influences, since I had a complete

> hysterectomy in 2000. Wonder if that is part of the difference?

>

> Good luck!

>

> On 1/10/07, Pennie Kellett <penniepincher66@...> wrote:

>>

>> Hello,

>> I am finally starting MTX on Friday. Just 10 mg with 10 mg of

>> Pred until

>> the MTX kicks in. Here's the odd thing, while on one hand I feel

>> like I may

>> finally be getting something that will help with the pain, I also

>> am quite

>> scared to take it, as I don't know what to expect. I have read so

>> many

>> horror stories. Also my Dr told me to take it in the morning, I

>> have to

>> work all day Friday. Will I be allright? Should I wait and take

>> it in the

>> evening. Does it affect your sleeping patterns either way. I

>> have also

>> read that it gives you really bad headaches, and nausea. I know

>> that we are

>> all different, but can others tell me their experiences and also

>> advise if

>> the morning before a day at work is the best time to take it.

>>

>> Thanks

>> Pennie

>>

>> p.s. I spoke to my doctor about the hormonal influences, he said " Of

>> course your hormones effect your level of pain. When you feel up

>> the pain

>> will always be less, but when you are down you will feel pain more

>> acutley " . Doesn't really work for me as my pain seems to be worse

>> in the

>> middle of my clcye. May explain someone's pain though.

>>

>

> --

>

> Shoreview, MN, until April! brrrr!

> South Pasadena, CA

> You can see my galleries at http://www.pbase.com/arenared986

>

January 10, 2007

You may do absolutely fine on the Mtx... many people do. But I'd

check with the doc ans see if it's OK to start on Sat. rather than

Friday, if you have less responsibilities on Sat. Because people

ract so differently, it would be nice not to have to worry bout

the " what if's " while you are trying to work.

>

> Hello,

> I am finally starting MTX on Friday. Just 10 mg with 10 mg of Pred

until the MTX kicks in. Here's the odd thing, while on one hand I

feel like I may finally be getting something that will help with the

pain, I also am quite scared to take it, as I don't know what to

expect. I have read so many horror stories. Also my Dr told me to

take it in the morning, I have to work all day Friday. Will I be

allright? Should I wait and take it in the evening. Does it affect

your sleeping patterns either way. I have also read that it gives

you really bad headaches, and nausea. I know that we are all

different, but can others tell me their experiences and also advise

if the morning before a day at work is the best time to take it.

>

> Thanks

> Pennie

>

> p.s. I spoke to my doctor about the hormonal influences, he

said " Of course your hormones effect your level of pain. When you

feel up the pain will always be less, but when you are down you will

feel pain more acutley " . Doesn't really work for me as my pain seems

to be worse in the middle of my clcye. May explain someone's pain

though.

>

> Send instant messages to your online friends

http://au.messenger.

>

January 10, 2007

Dianne,

thank you for your reply. I hope it works out as well for me.

Pennie

Re: [ ] Just starting MTX and don't know what to expect

Pennie,

This is just my experience ,but I take my MTX on Sunday mornings and usually

I feel fine on Sundays. On Monday mornings I wake up with a headache. I have

a new prescription for Leucovorin so that should help with that. I know that

it is working though. I am down to 2.5 mg of Prednisone this week and I

still feel good. I can tell the difference in one wrist that has a little pain

again but that is it. I just started all medications at the beginning of

November so I think I have been very lucky. I hope it goes well for you.

Dianne

January 10, 2007

,

thank you for your reply. It's good to hear how other people cope.