Hi,Ive been taking MTX for about 13 weeks and have had no nasty side effects until last Sat. when I had nausea,bad headache and upset tummy.Also,I'm so tired that I can hardly keep awake. I go on holiday soon and was thinking of missing taking the MTX so that it doesn't ruin my holiday.Has anyone else missed their dose while on their hols?I know the rheumy nurse dosen't like you to miss a dose but feeling yukky when away from home isn't very nice.I know nausea is one of the main side effects of the drug but has anyone else had bad headaches while taking MTX? Brenda.

Hi Brenda,
Do you take it as tablets or injection? I found with the tablets they made me very sick, but moved onto injection and have no side effects at all. I also take folic acid everyday which is supposed to prevent side effects, do you take it?
I began to get very bad headaches with MTX, to the point where it was constant and I just wanted to sleep all the time. I don't think it's a known side effect, but my Rheumy lowerd the dose to a very small amount and the headaches went away!
Hannah x

Hi Brenda,

I've been taking mtx for about 6 years!
I take 15 mg at the moment, and Humira. Some weeks I don't get any side effects at all, but most times I do, but as it's only usually one day, sometimes 2, I tend to just put up with it, I don't really want to go onto the injections.
I've never had problems when I've missed taking one or two doses on holiday, it does tend to stay in your blood for about 6 weeks.
As you are seeing your rheumy nurse anyway it would be as well to check with her first.

Doreen xx

Hi,Yet another question about MTX!! Do any of you take a stomach protector with MTX? When I was taking Naproxen I also took Omeprazole but when I came off that drug and was put on MTX the consultant told me to stop taking the Omeprazole. I've recently been told by a friend that her father who has RA and is on MTX, had bleeding stomach ulcers caused by the MTX and he should have been taking a protector from the start of taking MTX.This got me thinking,have any of you been advised to take a protector while on MTX? Brenda.x

Hi Brenda,

I take esomeprazol as a stomach protector.
It would be worth asking your GP to prescribe one.

Love, Doreen xx

Strange isnt it, my consultant decided that my headaches have nothing to do with my methotrexate, only i didnt have migraines before i took it and suddenly started getting them about every ten days! Not good, wanted someone to drill a hole in my head and let the pressure out. So now he has increased my dose to 25mg weekly and then my gp had to prescribe anti-depressants to control the migraines! (thankfully it works and now i only get about 1 a month). Sometimes i feel like a walking pill box. My gp thinks its the medication thats the cause, but he who must be obeyed obviously doesnt agree so wont change anything. We shall see what September brings as back to see the consultant, and my blood results show that the methotrexate is no longer holding this damn disease. Still not all doom and gloom as heading off to Crete soon for sun, sea and the odd drinky!

Liz

Just a quick post, still got grandchildren here.

I'm on 15mg MTX and I only take one 5mg folic acid tablet. I take the MTX Friday morning and then the folic acid Monday.

Paula

Hi,

I am taking MXT at 15mg and one folic acid tablet a week. The MXT gives me stomach problems so take Omeprazole twice a day. The pain killers seemed not to have an effect on my stomach. I wasn't perscribed stomach protectors until I had problems which in my view is a bit late as once it gets upset there is no opportunity for it to get better.

Everyone seems to take different doses of folic acid which seems crazy to me surely there is a guideline for all of this. We all seem to be in the hands of people who all have different views and treat us accordingly.

However it doesn't seem to be doing me a lot of good as my knees have got really bad in two years so they are now looking at changing my drugs! It seems that my immune system is normal which would explain why I never catch anything even when on MXT!

Will wait to see what they come up with next.


Jayne

Hi there- I've just come back from holiday and deliberately didn't take my MTX as I wanted some wine! Don't feel any different at all.


I was started on a stomach protector when I was given my drugs automatically as a lot of the stuff for RA does affect the stomach.

Joining in with a 'Me Too'. I have just been put up to 22.5mg, by subcut, and have always taken 5mg every day BUT injection day. I went onto the jabs, when I wasn't tolerating the pills. To date I have had no problem, but this last increase has left me feeling not only rough on the day after, but also up until mid day the following day. No real headache, but the fatigue is awful, so I can sympathise, Brenda.

The up side is that apart from that, all the joints barr 2 (fingers on right hand) are much better. More swings and roundabouts?

I hope the holiday is good for you.