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methotrxate?

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Crohn's Disease
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Posted 9/16/2009 5:24 PM (GMT 0)
So still in recovery from surgery to remove the inflamed part of my intestine/colon the crohns has now moved to my transverse colon and i am having a HUGE flare up. I meet with the doctor tomorrow and he wants to put me on methotrexate. I read about all of the side effects and was just wondering how you have dealt with them and if methotrexate has worked for you. any advise/own stories would greatly be appreciated

thanks and good luck!
Posted 9/16/2009 5:31 PM (GMT 0)
What side effects ? I dont have any that I know of. Anyway, I could not take Imuran with the med that helps prevent kidney stone so the change to metho was a big help to me. Hope your feeling better soon too.
Posted 9/16/2009 10:35 PM (GMT 0)
check the meds thread in my sig.

Good luck!
Posted 9/16/2009 11:25 PM (GMT 0)
i have been on metho for like 4 yrs... im not gonna lie to you... it sucks... i feel sick every sunday after i take my pills on sat night... sometimes not that sick other times really sick like i can t leave my bed sick....it has really helped me though... but its hard to get through... ive never complained about any part of my chrohns until i was put on this

sorry for the bad news... maybe you wont have as bad of an effect
Posted 9/16/2009 11:44 PM (GMT 0)

Have been on it for a year. 25mg injections once a week for four months then reduced to 15mg per week. No side efects, have been having bloodwork done monthly. Take folic acid with it.

Did have colon resection in May for removal of a stricture which was probably been building up for years without my knowing it.

Ultrasound last week showed everything was very good right now and going to get bloodwork done every two months now. Follow up ultrasound in six months and colonoscopy six months after that.

Good luck.

Posted 9/17/2009 12:16 AM (GMT 0)
I have been taking 25mg MTX - orally - for 3 years now. I always feel fluey and have sinus troubles - not sure if its due to the MTX or CD. I agree with Bammer - take folic acid (I take 5mg daily) and regular blood tests.
Good luck with this med.
Jo
Posted 9/17/2009 8:36 PM (GMT 0)
I was recently diagnosed and started weekly injections of methotrexate about 2 months ago. I'm taking it in conjunction with Remicade, so I don't know if it's the Remicade that's helping or the methotrexate.

When I first started taking it, my blood test showed that my liver (not sure what exactly was being measured) was high, so my Rheumatologist lowered my dose. Since then the test have been fine. As far as physical side effects, I don't notice any, except for maybe some dry skin, but I'm not sure if it's from the methotrexate or not.

I hope you are recovering well and the methotrexate works for you.
Posted 9/19/2009 3:21 PM (GMT 0)
For those who are taking the pills and feel bad, see if you can switch to injections.  I started out on the pills and they were really hurting my stomach and my GI said there was no reason I should be taking the pills, so he had my rheumy switch me to injections.  It worked great until it raised my liver enzymes and they made me stop it until my enzymes came back down.  Now we are trying again at a lower dose and, so far, my enzymes are fine.  The lower dose is helping some, but I'm not where I was when I was on the higher dose.  I don't notice any side effects now that I am doing the injections.
Posted 9/20/2009 10:42 AM (GMT 0)
I have been on methotrexate for 7 years - 6 1/2 years on pills - mg once a week and switched to injections 6 months ago.

I'd take it at night as it could make me a bit floaty/drowsy and make me nauseous, if I was still nauseous in the morning I found Stemetil/prochlorperazine to be the best anti-sickness med for it!

I switched to injections (I did have to BEG to switch) as there were two possibilities for my last flares - that I wasn't absorbing it anymore, or that I needed a slightly more potent dose and the injections even though its 25mg still are apparently deliver a better dose than the pills. I have noticed that I'm less side-effecty on the injections and so far it seems to be doing the trick - since I switched I've been maintained remission for nearly 7 months now :-)
Posted 9/20/2009 1:14 PM (GMT 0)
For those of you on MTX, do you find it helps your joints issues too? Just curious as my Rheumy recommended this, but I never started it as the Folic Acid upset my gut.

Hugs!
Gail*Nanners*
Posted 9/20/2009 1:35 PM (GMT 0)
Im on methotrexate for joint pain and found that its doing nothing for me at all. Was on it for crohns for a short while too but once again made no difference to my illness. Developed severe joint pain after ileostomy and now under the care of rheumy and will possibly go back on to humira for my joints. Also take folic acid tablets for 2 days after my meth dose. Hope it works for you
Posted 9/20/2009 4:00 PM (GMT 0)
Nanners, My cousin who has Crohn's who also is a doctor takes MTX injections. He takes them mainly for his arthritis, says he could not function without it.

He had a resection 20 years ago only has an occasional flare so it's probably helping the Crohn's as well.

I noticed when I missed three weeks of injections before and after surgery, I felt joint pain and took a month to get rid of it after resuming MTX. But I also was forgetting to take as much calcium and less exercise which may have contributed to the joint pain.

Things are good again now.

My cousin is also a strong advocate for taking Vitamin D as well as my GI recommends 1000IU's of Vitamin D.

Posted 9/21/2009 12:21 AM (GMT 0)
I'm on the mtx for arthritis.  When I was taking .5ml, it really helped with my arthritis.  It helped more than the Humira and prednisone have and was the first thing to get my arthritis under some control since my flare started in January.  After it raised my enzymes and we stopped for a while, I started back on it at .3ml and it didn't seem to do anything.  Now we are at .4ml and it may be helping some, but not like it was before.  Taking the .5 seemed to me to be the best thing in the world for my arthritis, but I guess my liver just didn't like it. 
Posted 9/21/2009 3:25 AM (GMT 0)

CUBFAN26 said...
So still in recovery from surgery to remove the inflamed part of my intestine/colon the crohns has now moved to my transverse colon and i am having a HUGE flare up. I meet with the doctor tomorrow and he wants to put me on methotrexate. I read about all of the side effects and was just wondering how you have dealt with them and if methotrexate has worked for you. any advise/own stories would greatly be appreciated

thanks and good luck!

I don't know what to tell you. I have RA as well as a recent diagnosis of Crohne's. I tried Humira, but wasn't happy with the way it treated the RA. I have now for the last 6mos been on Remicade. It seems to be working well. I am so nervous with the Crohne's cause I eat what I want and really don't have too many problems. I'm hoping that the Remicade isn't hiding any probs that the food I'm eating is doing. Everyone I read about has serious probs with Crohne's!! When I was diagnosed I was in the hospital for almost 2 weeks and lost almost 40 Lbs! I thought I was going to die!! I'm 32 years old and go through soo much on a daily basis with depression, pain, fatigue, and all the other bullcrap that comes with these terrible diseases that I have! I feel your pain, and it sucks cause noone at home, work, or anywhere else understands what we have to go through. I always try to put my game face on no matter where I go, so when it is really bad no one thinks it's that bad!! What the hell are we supposed to do!?!?
Posted 9/21/2009 3:32 AM (GMT 0)

Octobergirl said...
I was recently diagnosed and started weekly injections of methotrexate about 2 months ago. I'm taking it in conjunction with Remicade, so I don't know if it's the Remicade that's helping or the methotrexate.

When I first started taking it, my blood test showed that my liver (not sure what exactly was being measured) was high, so my Rheumatologist lowered my dose. Since then the test have been fine. As far as physical side effects, I don't notice any, except for maybe some dry skin, but I'm not sure if it's from the methotrexate or not.

I hope you are recovering well and the methotrexate works for you.

Do you have RA and Crohne's? I have been taking Remicade for the last 6 mos and have been putting off the methotrexate. My RA has been pretty crapty, but I would rather some pain than my liver failing me!! The way I look at it is that there is no really good way to take care of this crap!! One takes care of this while it kills that! I have either bad stomach pains or bad knee and joint pains. I'd rather have joint pain than stomach issues!! I have been lucky with the Crohne's. I can eat what I want and drink what I want. I don't know if thats just the Remicade though. Please let me know what you think. I'm 32 years old, and already I'm a grumpy old man!!! haha but I am always happy, and have a good outlook on life!!! GOD BLESS ALL OF US!!!
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