Help!

[Gayle1969]

I’ve just started methatrixate as dint get on with solphazazine! My immune system is so low. Help please😓

[Gayle1969]

I am taking 10mg methatrixate and 5mg folic acid a week!

[helixhelix]

Happy to try to help, but what do you need help with?

10 mg of methetrexate is the lowest dose, so you should be fine. Drink lots of water.

[Gayle1969 in reply to helixhelix]

I keep getting ulcers and now I have a water infection😓 my immune system is so low!

[helixhelix in reply to Gayle1969]

Talk to your doctors about increasing the dose of folic acid as well. That helps.

You immune system is probably ok, after all haaving RA means your immune system is super active so it takes quite a bit to damp it down. As as stormpetrel says you need to check you are not run down.

[EricaN in reply to helixhelix]

Call your doctor and stop taking them. Tell your doctor you arent ready to die. Tell him no thanks no more methotextrate especially if that low of a dose is making you sick, it darn near killed me, I can not have chemical treatments I was put on biologicals for this reason.

[Stormpetrel]

Hi Gayle

Methotrexate takes quite a while to kick in and 10mg as already mentioned is a low dose.

It maybe that you are generally run down. Especially if your Arthritis? Is not under control. Cranberry juice if you like it is very good for the bladder. Up your vitamin C with fruits that are high in antioxidants I.e red/black grapes, blueberries. As already mentioned drink plenty. I used to take high dose Vit C tablets to help ward off infection but not sure if it actually helped. Try and rest, hope you feel better soon.

[SLEepyhead123]

Plaquinel was my first drug which didn't help so I was put on methotrexate tablets slowly increasing dose to 20mg. Folic acid every day apart from day of methotrexate. Because it affected my stomach I was changed to injections which I found much easier. My ancient rheumatologist made an error prescribing methotrexate injections for every day. Changed rheumatologist who stopped the methotrexate and put me on sulphasalazine. But lots of side effects, now waiting for appointment with cardiologist, pulmologist and urologist before my rheumatologist works out what will be the best treatment for my SLE.

Good luck 💜💜💜

[EricaN]

None of the above methods worked for me. Perhaps you would do better on a biological medicines instead of chemical medications. Ask your doctor about it. I was on orencia. That, besides steroids, is all I can take. I can't do chemical treatments like plaquenil or methotextrate. Maybe your body is reacting like mine did to them.

[Gayle1969]

Thank you for all your advice. Wishing you all pain free😊

[Hidden]

Gayle1969 I think it’s your prescriber of MTX via your GP that you need to look to for help. But I can say that after taking MTX for years and years I am now totally blasé about what can go wrong. A bit like riding a scary rollercoaster time and time again, each time you become more confident in its ability to return you unscathed back to the start.

Which reminds me of the Mr Bean sketch where he went on a heartstopping coaster ride and had to be woken up to get off when it finished 😂

[Gayle1969]

I have now had another steroid injection and been put on leflunomide. I have been taking it a week now and already it’s effecting my bladder😩 Rumi said it will take at least 2 months to get into my system and if this didn’t work then he said there is not much else he can give me😢 why are they not working for me! I’m in so much pain🙏