new member - Just started Methotrexate

[Am61]

Hi everyone, just found this board, find it very interesting.  I have Psa and started mtx December, had to stop for two weeks as I got mouth ulcers then when I was due to start again had sinus infection and heavy cough so four weeks later I restarted them 10mgs weekly with folic acid  six days a week. I am having terrible headaches most days, some are so bad I just have to lye down In a Dark room, will persevere with them as have already tried sulphasalzine unsuccessfully. Not back in clinic till march so hope they settle before then.

[johnnyk]

Hi everyone, just found this board, find it very interesting.  I have Psa and started mtx December, had to stop for two weeks as I got mouth ulcers then when I was due to start again had sinus infection and heavy cough so four weeks later I restarted them 10mgs weekly with folic acid  six days a week. I am having terrible headaches most days, some are so bad I just have to lye down In a Dark room, will persevere with them as have already tried sulphasalzine unsuccessfully. Not back in clinic till march so hope they settle before then.

Hi there,

I am just 3 weeks into my MTX, I've been told to only take folic acid once a week 4 days after the MTX. I've had headaches each time i've taken them but it's only lasted that day. I have also been getting migraines for the last year so i've got medication for that as well which helps!

Hope it gets better for you.

Cheers,

[smose]

Hi Am61
Have given you your own thread so people can say hi

Welcome from me - stick it out with the MTX for a while cos a lot of people have good results from it but it does take a while

[Am61]

Thanks I will stick with it and hope that the headaches/migraines subside, am a bit ofa lightweight where drugs concerned, so running out of options hence very keen for methotrexate to work.
Was diagnosed last year but have had the symptoms for four years just didn't know what it was.

[smose]

thats sound familiar! I have been diagnosed about 2 1/2 years but have had joint probs since i was a teen but things really kicked of just over 3 years ago.

I hate taking drugs but I wouldn't have any quality of life without them so have had to change my mindset - if you were diabetic you wouldn't say no to insulin. Also what people don't realise is that pa can effect other parts of the body not just joints so it is important to get it in check

[Am61]

Does everyone get the headaches everyday or just for day or two, I am getting them everyday which is making everything else much harder, I am a carer for an elderly relative so finding it really hard, this week has been bad. I worked out over last 3 weeks only had 4 days free of headache/migraine.

[SallyD]

Hi Am61
Welcome to the board, I get a headache a couple of hours after I inject MTX, lasts for a day but to ease it I do my jab in the evening before bed and Hopefully I sleep through the worst part...
S x

[smose]

Hi Am61
Welcome to the board, I get a headache a couple of hours after I inject MTX, lasts for a day but to ease it I do my jab in the evening before bed and Hopefully I sleep through the worst part...
S x

Its definately worth playing round with the timings of your dose cos a lot of people find that doing that helps. I don't get side effects from MTX but have always suffered from headaches and usually have one to some degree.

[FionaMac]

Two years ago when i started MTX I was supposed to start with 12.5 mg and like you I felt sick, cant remember having sore heads, doctor reduced the dose until I was used to the drug and then it was increased after a while.  I'm now on 15mg due to too many flare ups, now I'm on iron tablets because the drug has reduced my blood count, I would love this disease to die but hey ho

[Am61]

Thanks everyone for the advice, I did start off by taking mtx at night but it makes no difference what time of day I take it unfortunately. Oh well plod on and see why happens, last two days no headaches tho mtx dose due today. I have never had much psoriasis only elbows and across fingers though most of my joints and achilles tendons are affected by the arthritis, weird condition isn't it, and trying to explain to anyone about it is bordering on comical lol!