Methotrexate reactions--rant

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This started out as a simple response, but turned into a one-woman gripe session, so get comfy!

Regarding the leg cramps, according to drugs.com, muscle cramps are not listed as a side effect. However, that doesn't mean that an individual can't experience that as a side effect. I would look to other possible causes. Do you drink a lot of soda? The phosphorous can inhibit calcium absorption in your body, leading to cramps. Are you getting enough calcium? Too much or too little may cause cramps. Think about any other changes in your lifestyle recently--exercise, foods, shoes, etc. I have been plagued with calf cramps (Charley horses) and foot cramps since my teens, despite being a milk drinker & walker for most of my life. Shortly after the systemic sarc symptoms began in 2000-2001, I started having muscle cramps all over my body--places you wouldn't think of having muscles. The outside of my ankles, in my arms near my elbow while gesturing, just weird places. Plus all the usual muscle cramps. I tried quinine water, which didn't help, then my neuro put me on quinine sulfate tablets, which worked wonderfully for years, until the FDA decided to take it off the market. Arrrrggghhhhh! I don't understand the thinking of these agencies. Of course, quinine carries risks; every drug on the market does. The whole point is to weigh the risks & benefits. So the past few years I've just dealt with the cramps. When they get really bad, I take Baclofen for a few days & that seems to quiet them down a bit, but it doesn't work as well as the quinine. As long as I'm griping about regulatory agencies, I'll get this off my chest: it really bugs me when a bunch of toys are recalled because of small parts that can cause choking, or similar things. (I'm not talking about lead or cadmium.) The world is crammed with small objects that children can choke on. Maybe we should scoop up all the pebbles & lock them away somewhere, or ban marbles. The issue is adult supervision & common sense. Many years ago there was a popular toy called Jarts (I think). They were large feathered darts with a heavy metal tip. You placed rings on the ground & tossed the Jarts at the rings. Obviously, the tip could hurt someone if you hit them in the head with it, so we never let our kids play unless an adult was present. Well, apparently a very small number of children were killed over several years time from being hit in the head with a Jart, so the toy was banned. I don't want to sound uncaring, but thousands of kids are killed or seriously injured riding bikes, skateboards & skates, but they aren't banned! Same for riding in cars. Unfortunately, we will never make the world totally safe, for children or adults. Kids can hit each other with rocks, sticks, horseshoes, whatever. You teach & supervise them as best you can. Drugs, by their very purpose, are harmful. The trick is to reduce the potential for harm as much as possible, and then make educated judgments on the potential harm we can accept for the potential benefit. The FDA has done great good, such as slowing the approval of Thalidomide, while it was being widely used in Europe. As a result, there were far fewer babies born with severe limb defects in the U.S. But sometimes it feels like we have an overprotective, fussy old aunt--you might poke someone's eye out! You'll fall & break your neck! Are American consumers really so stupid that we can't make our own decisions, "choose our own poison?" Maybe we are. Oh, well, I'm done ranting now. I'll be interested to hear y'all's opinions of all this.Oh, almost forgot your fingernail problem! I don't know if you've tried this, but I used to do it when I was working in the hospital & washing my hands dozens of times a day. Even now, in the winter when my skin starts cracking at my thumbs, I do this & it helps. For just cracking, at bedtime, coat your hands liberally in baby oil or vaseline, then put on vinyl gloves like used in the hospital. Repeat nightly as needed. If it's just the thumbs, I cut the fingers off the gloves & put them over my thumbs to sleep, after applying salve to the thumbs. You could do the same thing with antibiotic ointment. Hope this suggestions helps. I'd also consider seeing a dermatologist; also rule out a fungal infection, which can cause problems like this. That's more common in the feet, but we are uncommon people, so consider everything!

Ramblin' RoseModerator A merry heart is good medicine. Proverbs 17:22

> To: Neurosarcoidosis > Date: Wed, 5 Jan 2011 08:11:39 +1100> Subject: Methotrexate reactions> > Hi guys,> > Happy New Year to us all!> > I'm just at 2 weeks on Meth now, and have started getting the occasional leg cramps when I'm in bed. Very very painful, and they leave my calves feeling quite bruised. It's a new symptom for me, anyway, and I'm wonderful if they're related to the Meth? Has anyone else had this as a side effect?> > I'm also getting small infections at the sides of my fingernails - not a huge problem of themselves, but they're not clearing up with antiseptic cream / salt water soaks etc - I have an artificial hip, and the biggest worry is that the infection will travel to the joint, in which case I could end up with major surgery again to remove it, clean out the infection, and replace it (shudder) - so I'm off to hunt down some emergency antibiotics today. > > It's weird on the Meth - the infected areas don't particularly hurt, and aren't incredibly red and inflamed like you'd normally get - really obvious evidence of how the Meth is suppressing my immune system!> > Cheers,> > > > .......................................................................................................> http://sutherland-studios.com.au> > Dummies author :> http://tinyurl.com/CodesandCryptograms> http://tinyurl.com/WordSearches> > .......................................................................................................> > > > ------------------------------------> > ~~~~ *** ~~~ *** ~~~ *** ~~~~> The Neurosarcoidosis Community> > > > Message Archives:-> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Neurosarcoidosis/messages> > Members Database:-> Listings of locations, phone numbers, and instant messengers.> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Neurosarcoidosis/database > >