New here with side effects from metho

Hi all,

Looking for help from anyone! I've been on meds for RA for 2 years. I have only a positive anti CCP, no other results in my bloodwork indicate RA.

I WAS on metho 8 pills a week, celebrex 200 mg daily, and folic acid 5 mg daily.

I was unable to tolerate the metho; it made me so tired/sick, even paralysed for several hours. I made mistakes at work...anyway, we lowered the dose gradually to 3 pills a week. Then this past January I got stomach issues. I thought I was dying. Still not sure what it is, I am awaiting an appointment for an endoscope. I think it is ulcers. I lost 15 lbs, and stopped taking the celebrex. Tried various antacids, losec etc. Gradually I am getting better but have occasional flare ups of tummy pain. I switched to injectable metho last week to see if my stomach would be less affected. The same dose made me so sick for so many days! Tired, nauseaous, and a mouth full of sores. Then my stomach started up again. I have not slept in three nights. Could the metho be agravating the ulcers? I have to assume that my digestive system is like my mouth; full of sores. I am reducing the injection to 2.5 mg this week, hoping it will stop the tummy pain. Any thoughts ideas?? Help!!! I hate methotrexate.

Carol

Hi Carol, I wish I had an answer for you! I can't take Celebrex (allergic to sulfa drugs) but its cousin, Vioxx, threw me for a loop as well. Not so much stomach, as it made me horribly lethargic and depressed. I'm now on Mobic and much happier.

Unfortunately some people are just sensitive to certain meds, you just don't know until you try it. As long as I ate food with oral mtx, my stomach was fine. I also switched to injectible a while back and from what I was told, bypassing your digestive system is a good thing. So my thinking is your stomach issues are not due to injectible mtx.

Mouth sores, though, is a classic mtx side effect. Normally folic acid alleviates that, but it looks to me like your doc is being aggressive with the folic acid dose, so again I don't have an answer.

Sometimes side effects lessen over time, though. If the meds are otherwise helping your swelling and pain level, maybe try to hang in a little longer and see what happens?

Hugs, Carolan

Carol,

Welcome to Creaky.  I started on teh same combination you are on with the MTX and Celebrex.  Celebrex is not the standard NSAID since it is a Cox-2 Inhibitor and shouldn't be causing any stomach issues, though everyone is different. 

MTX is what caused all my stomach, tireness etc.  I talked to my doc and went off the Oral MTX and onto the injections and it made a world of difference for those side effects.  Though you want to stay on the Folic Acid even on Injections, now all i have is my hair falls out a lot faster but not in huge clumps.  The Folic Acid will help with the mouth sores you can get from the injections also.

If you want to stay on a oral DMARD look into Planquenil or one of the others, I have the 2009 Drug Guide for RA if you need any info let me know.

Tess

PS Good luck to you.

Thanks for the replies Tess and carolan,

I guess I am just sensitive to certain drugs. I have tried plaquenil and sulfasalazine, but the stomach issues are intolerable for those as well. I will try the reduced dose of MTX for a few more weeks and see what happens. It's untimely that I am having a flare this week. My mother recently started enbrel for her RA and she is having great results with little side effects. What a long journey this will be!

Yes, it can be a long, frustrating road to find the right meds for you!

Has your doc considered adding a medication to help with the nausea? I had an iron stomach for most of my life, but now I have to take Prevacid for acid reflux. Maybe it's a shot in the dark, but perhaps your mouth sores could have something to do with acid reflux. Phenergan is also great for nausea but you'll need a script for that. I was given Phenergan after my first joint surgery, when I discovered that codeine pain meds make me deathly sick. Taking the Phen along with the pain medication worked like a charm.

Hang in there!

Hi Carolan,

I was on 5mg daily Folic Acid except MTX day, which is standard in the UK.   Was on MTX for two years and was totally unaware of being on it apart from I knew because I injected myself.

Dozey.