Methotrexate

[imoches21]

Hi guys,I'm really struggling to drink the methotrexate, it feels as though i cant get it down, dr advised that i should perhaps drink 4 tablets an hour or so before drinking the other 3. I just cant keep it down. I feel miserable, and depressed. I also seem to struggle to even drink folic acid. :-(... I took myself off the meds for like 6 months and only drank athroguard intensive.

[nellysgran]

HI if you have trouble getting the tablets down why don't you ask your consultant or nurse if you can change to the injections, they worked better for me x

[Sharon56]

Yes I agree with nellysgran why dont you ask about injections. I am on eight tablets on a Friday and i hate swallowing the dam things but do manage to get them down.x

[imoches21]

Problem is if i do go for the injection, he would need to inject all my joints

[trace65]

Hi, methotrexate injections are given subcutaneously rather than into joints like steroids . I think that most people inject into their tummy but you can do it into your thigh. I t then works on the whole body without so many side effects. I changed quite quickly due to stomach problems but I do find that giving my self an injection is so much easier than swallowing all those tablets. Its also more efficient by injection so the same dose of injection is equivalent to a higher dose of the tablets. Hope this helps x

[allanah]

The other wAy to do it apart from changing to injections which works well is to have some anti sickness tablets before your methotrexate, might help?! X

[DrWhoFan]

Good morning, I am late on this discussion, sorry! What dose are you on? I am on 25mg, which means I take 2x 10mg and 4 x 2.5 mg. fortunately I can manage to swallow them. I can remember my Mum crushing her tablets between two spoons, then mixing the powder with jam or such like. That was the only was she could take pills. My friend is also like that and I think she got a pill crusher from Boots. Hope that helps. Anne x

[Rosie_rabbit]

I'm late here too ... My dose is 20mg so I take 8 x 2.5mg tablets. I take them as I'm eating my tea, and I'm sorry if this sound disgusting, but when I've chewed a mouthful of food and before I swallow I just pop in 1 or 2 tablets and swallow it straight down with the food and I don't even notice that I'm swallowing them. I take them all in this way with my main meal in the evening and lots to drink (unfortunately not wine!!) and it's no problem for me.

Alternatively as other have suggested, there are anti sickness meds out there or perhaps considering swapping to methotrexate injections. Injections, as someone has said, don't go into the joint but under the skin of your thigh or tummy. It's just a different way of getting the medicine into your system bypassing your tummy so it reduces the chances of these side affects.

Good luck and let us know how it's going. Rx

[Hidden]

Slightly worrying that you haven't been told about different methods of taking Methotrexate by your rheumatology team. Having discussed the difficulties of swallowing horrible amounts of tablets and them upsetting my stomach, I was changed onto self injecting with a tutorial by the rheumatology nurses. Easy peasy - once a week, under the skin and all the paraphernalia supplied. I still hated the drug and the side effects but at least it wasn't the trial it had been! Talk to your team asap if you think you could self-inject. Good luck.

[Angela123]

I took mine in a spoonful of yoghurt just two at a time otherwise they stuck halfway down my throat. Angela x

[Hidden]

I was fine at swallowing them until suddenly when I moved briefly up to 20mg I just couldn't do it anymore. I think I took this dose once and felt terribly sick within an hour and after that it became a mental block somehow. I was switched to injections - once a week into my tummy before bedtime and it was so much better. Maybe you should ask about this?

[kazp]

you used to be able to get this in liquid form, in a syringe and down the throat

[imoches21]

I take 2.5mg x 7 tablets weekly, in the past it wasnt so bad to get it down, but lately i have been struggling. Will try the anti-sickness meds. Im really struggling, been on the meds for the last 8 years. I wish there was a cure already!! Thanks guys for all the support at least i know theres people who knows what I feel and what I am going through!! mwah

[JEM95]

I switched to injections a couple of weeks ago. I have done three on my own now, it's really easy and the improvement taking it sub-cutaneously in respect of side effects is fabulous.

It's bad enough having to take these drugs apart from having trouble swallowing them, I can highly recommend injections

[imoches21]

i will speak to my rheumy and hear what he says. But do you have to inject yourself weekly? if so how many injections per week?

[trace65]

Hi, yes you inject once a week. Hope speaking to your rheumy goes well. X

[imoches21]

thanks