Hi
I take methotrexate and have weekly blood tests. Ive been on it now for a few months. It came to my attention that alongside bloods, individuals prescribed methotrexate should also have routine examinations of the lymph nodes.
Does this happen? Neither my gp nor rhuemy has ever mentioned this to me.
Never had mine checked while I was on it
They never mentioned it at all , strange
Which lymph nodes do they check ?
Half are in your abdomen I guess you are thinking of breast and arm
Lymph nodes
On bio Logics now as methotrexate ended up damaging my liver
Strange they are giving you weekly blood tests
I was on 25mg max dose and only ever had monthly tests sometimes they will go to 30mg very rare though
Maybe they think you are a high risk then
Hi
Thanks for your response. I am on 20mgs going up to 25 Mtx weekly as well as enbrel but don't think I am considered any more at risk than the next person?
I have been having bloods taken weekly since beginning Mtx and every month re biologics ?
Marie
Hi
I'm on mex for about 2 months now.I get bloods done weekly my dose is 7.5 very low
But last bloods showed that my liver is getting damaged and if it gets worse they will need to stop it or replace it with something else.
My friend is on 35mg weekly and she is fine on it.looks healthy and has lost slot of weight with mex.
Not sure Eiram50 is necessarily considered high risk dobsey1111 . When we're started on a new DMARD or have a dose increase on one we're already taking it's normal to have more regular drug monitoring bloods, usually for approx the first 2 months. Some Rheumys prefer weekly, mine prefers fortnightly. Once they're satisfied there are no issues then we go on to/back to regular monitoring, usually monthly.
I've never had my bloods checked more often than monthly, myself. At one point (early on) I think my bloods were only checked quarterly (every three months). I've never had my lymph nodes checked either.
It could be different in Canada Karen. Similar to you when I lived in Spain I only used to have 3 monthly bloods, taken a week before each Consultant appointment. I didn't have weekly or fortnightly bloods for an increase in dose or new med either but I was told in those instances if I had problems to ring. I never needed to so don't know for sure but I think I'd probably have been told to collect a bloods request form from Rheumatology, go down to Haematology, have them done again & probably instructed what to do if they were awry, maybe even given an extraordinary appointment. I didn't have lymph nodes checked there either.
I had been on Methotrexate for 30months at first I was on 7.5 then a few months laters during that time I had bloods taken every month so they gave me a higher dose of 10 that was going nicely when it went up to 12.5 my blood was taken weekly I had to go right back down to 7.5 as my kidneys couldn't cope and my white blood cell dropped down to 2.7 So for 3 weeks I attended the clinic but only to give blood until such time as the Drs though my system could manage to take the injection. I have now been advised to take it in tablet form waiting on my own surgery to give me a prescription. The other tablet has Septrin and I am allergic to Septrin as well as penicillin. I am depending on these plasters I have at the moment Has anyone taking the tablets found any side effects with them
Wow, maybe the reason I didn't get them so often is that my lab results didn't show such sensitivity to the drugs?