Dear All, we should take folic acid everyday except the day we take methotrexate. Read the reasons from the link below, folic acid helps to counteract methotrexate’s effects on our healthy tissue.
Yes folic acid helps counter side effects, but as the article says it can also make the methotrexate less effective. So you should take the amount of folic acid recommended by your medical team, who often aim to prescribe the lowest dose possible. I only take it once a week now, and that works well for me and I don't need more.
Have you checked with your physician to ensure that is the optimum about for you? Well, I will check with my doctor comes the next visit in August to see what she has to say. If she says I can reduce it then it will be great. We really have been taken too many medicines everyday.
Another medicine that my doctor said to be reduced if my condition continue to go well is ARAVA. I am also taken this daily.
Yes, it's on her advice. At one point I needed 3 a week to keep mouth ulcers at bay, but now it's fine. I have no proof, but in part I think it's improved because I have a good diet with lots of leafy green vegetables. She's also the type of doctor who is very careful not to over-medicate, so I'm always confident about her advice.
You and I are lucky to have good doctors with us. I will ask my doctor in coming Aug to see if I can also reduce the dosage of the folic acid. Thanks for the experienced talk.
I was prescribed 5mg folic acid x 2 tabs to be taken on the day before the MTX. Seems to be that different rheumies have different ideas about it? Before v after?
Anyway, thanks for your help folks.
Keep meaning to get one of those daily pill reminder boxes.
It is rather confusing, right? Anyhow, with the different prescriptions that we have learned here, we can always post them to our doctor and see what they will say. I will ask them about the daily in-take of folic acid as highlighted by helixhelix. If not necessary, it is always good to cut down some. However, remember no folic acid on the day of methotrexate.
Hi Amy Lee, yes, have just googled MTX folic acid and the debate about much folic acid and how often rolls on...maybe the medics will eventually settle on a conclusion I suppose we are, in a way contributing to the debate by our experiences. I don't like to use the term guinea pigs, lol, but at my RD- novice stage, not on MTX day is the most important thing to remember.
We certainly cannot blame the doctors too because no better medication available those days for them to use. I would say, they have to trial an error on us all to see the result too. Yes, we are all guinea pigs but we have no choice because of the extreme pain that we had on our whole body.
I've learned, through experience with quite a few unrelated medications, that timing/dosage is very individual. The way my body deals with medications seems to often be different to 'the norm' (as the drug companies see it). Happily, I have had some very wise pharmacists who know this, and they have helped me to find the regimen that suits ME each time. Trying a different approach with the medication is worth trying, with the help of a health professional.
Yes, I think the way our bodies react to meds can be quite different to someone else's. And docs don't usually have time to go into all the possible variables. I was just reading on a pharmaceutical website about splitting the MTX dose into two or even three (within 24 hour period) to avoid side effects, Hmm, might be worth asking the rheumy or pharmacist.
Think you're lucky if you find a side one, they are worth their weight in gold Met a few over the years who helped with other meds. and suggested different things.
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