Methotrexate

[Soundofmusic52]

I have been having really bad sweats for over 12 months my doctor done all tests menopause thyroid etc all clear so my consultant thinks try stopping methotrexate and just have Benepali see if it’s the methotrexate giving me these sweats anyone else’s had this problem??? 😩

[Hidden]

Oh yes yes yes ... never got a definitive answer .. RA not controlled or it’s just part of the disease 🤷‍♀️ I’ll keep trying . Like you had all the tests .. I also get dry very hot heat skin boiling too touch but no temperature 🤒 seeing rheumatologist on Tuesday ( yes a f2f) going to ask again

[Marionfromhappydays in reply to Hidden]

I get this hot skin too. Bloody heck 🥺

RA at the moment is getting right on my t*ts

[Hidden in reply to Marionfromhappydays]

Your being polite there .. I can’t print what I say 😂

[halsey18]

no it didn't happen to me actually, but maybe it's not the injection, so ask your rheumatologist tell us what he would say, stay safe!

[Mmrr]

Absolutely yes MTX made me sweat, my rheumatologist tried to pass them off as the menopause which I had gone through 15 years previously. Once I stopped MTX, the sweating stopped too.

[Dobcross1]

OMG yes indeedy!! I'm just on MTX so it can't be anything else. GP has said about the menopause but I'm 58 and on HRT and never had swoeats before MTX was increased to maximum dose.

[medway-lady]

I did it was like being on fire and my hair fell out in handfuls. So it was stopped because I was hypersensitive to MTX, it wasn't a normal side effect but horrific heat and sweating.

[Boxerlady]

This very interesting as I stopped HRT last year at a similar time to increasing Methotrexate and was blaming my hot flushes and night sweats on the menopause but now I'm wondering...Does anyone find that they happen at certain times every day and night as mine do?

[Hidden in reply to Boxerlady]

Yes I always get hot about 1.30 in the afternoon. Then cold about 3pm until about 7pm then boiling hot about 9 pm until about 4 in the morning

[Boxerlady in reply to Hidden]

Interesting - I usually feel a bit cold and then have a flush after 10 minutes or so and I can almost set my watch by them. First daytime one about 10.30 am, last one about 10 pm; at night 11.30 pm, then 2, 4, 6 am. Recently I've noticed that they've been getting a bit less frequent and had put it down to getting used to the lower hormone levels but I've just realised that I dropped my Metoject from 25 to 20 mg about 3 weeks ago so maybe it's that?! I've missed today's dose after having my 2nd Covid jab on Wednesday so I'll have to see if I get less flushes during the week.

[Hidden in reply to Boxerlady]

I’ve missed my MTX this week due to jab .. still getting it 🥺

[Soundofmusic52 in reply to Hidden]

My consultant told me it could take 12 weeks for the methotrexate to get out of my system so be patient if it works and the pain doesn’t come back I will be happy I have got sweat on now then 11 pm then 12 15 and so on there’s definitely a pattern to it but I’m glad I’m not the only one I will let you no how it go s stay safe everyone 💤

[Neonkittie17]

No I never have with Mtx but think it’s Rtx that does that for me as I’m not sure 6 years after meno I would still be having night sweats. x

[Brushwork]

I think the flushes, which are not like meno flushes, goes with the territory. I have had them for the 23 years I have had RA.

[Boxerlady in reply to Brushwork]

Interesting - the medication increase was because my RA seemed to be more active and thinking back, that was when the flushes appeared but because it coincided with stopping HRT, I blamed that. My GP seemed surprised that the flushes appeared so quickly so maybe it is the RA or the medication or a combination of everything! 🤷

[Boxerlady]

This is all very interesting so thank you for starting the thread! 🙏I recently dropped a dose (25mg to 20mg) because the hangover symptom was lasting longer and longer and because the strange salty taste in my mouth was increasing so asked if I could try a smaller dose. I'm coping OK with the flushes (which is why I hadn't restarted HRT) but it would be nice if those decreased too.

I'm hoping that my joints behave - maybe even be able to drop a bit further? - especially as adding Sulfasalazine seems to have helped more than increasing Methotrexate.

Hope it goes well for you 🤞

[Pitbull2017]

Just a heads up to anyone taking MTX with no problems stay on track with your medication, hope it works for you like it has for me who's now in remission after a number of years suffering, MTX works well with biological medication, the sun is shining just off for a game of golf, good luck.

[Jutsum]

Hello,

Poor you. I am 73 and yes have experienced hot sweats, particularly at night for a long time. When prescribed Hydroxychloroquin in addition to MX, sweats stopped, although I was reluctant to take it in addition to MX.

[Deeb1764]

I had really bad sweating episodes they have calmed slightly since on Olumiant but still at bed time getting them so fab on for sleep time. Just assume it’s a low grade fever you get with RA

[Soundofmusic52]

I will let you all no if the sweats calm down now I am off methotrexate thanks for all your reply s 😊

[Melys]

Yes, I had them really badly. If I didn't cool down quickly I felt quite sick. Also had terrible night sweats. I did some research and found that caffeine would make the hot flushes/sweats worse so I thought I had nothing to lose by cutting down on caffeine (I drink alot of tea). It worked for me but that's no guarantee for anyone else. Might be worth a try?

[Mumcon]

So glad you mentioned this as I’ve had this for a long time I get so hot I feel you could fry an egg on me I mentioned to rheumy but he never really took me up on it It’s definitely not the menopause as I’m nearly 70

[Hidden in reply to Mumcon]

Yeah it’s a different type of hot . Daft I know 😁 it’s a dry hot heat . Children at school say I feel like a radiator ( well the days they could touch me). Hate it

[Soundofmusic52]

And me I hate it just want to find out why ?? Perhaps it is all to do with rheumatoid arthritis flare up but not every day for 12 months🥵🥵

[Hidden in reply to Soundofmusic52]

I’ve had for years . Gp does blood test .. nothing he just shrugs his shoulders. I’m going to ask rheumatologist on Tuesday. I don’t want it anymore. I can’t sleep with it . I go for a walk on the coldest day don’t need hat , gloves or a coat it can’t be good for me

[LoneEra in reply to Hidden]

You can guess what I’m gonna say to you...it’s also a fibro symptom. It can send your body thermostat totally off the scale.

[Hidden in reply to LoneEra]

Go away you 😂😂 . It’s on my ever growing list . I take it there is sod all they can do?

[LoneEra in reply to Hidden]

I’m here all day 😂😂 Not really. They only tend to do something if you’ve got excessive sweating with it (be thankful)! But I find the more I get a handle on my fibro, the less I feel like a volcano. Still get bouts of it but it’s not constant anymore.

[Hidden in reply to LoneEra]

Have to learn what triggers it I suppose .. cursed is what we are 😂

[LauraJM]

Yes definitely, I get this too. I'm not sure if its MTX or menopause. Started taking it when I was 52 four years ago.

[lucymead]

Me too and how!!!! Been on others since then and had same problems with most of them. Now on Abatacept and the same thing is happening.

[Hidden]

Morning.... I had night sweats and burning up for a while a few years ago that I always put down to Mx. My periods stopped completely when I started on Mx (42), apart from a month of bleeding at my last increase to 25mg about 5 years ago (47). As ‘most women’ are diagnosed with RA 40-50, and ‘some women’ start menopause ‘40-50’ then I think some symptoms are confused or dismissed. I had hormone tests which only really confirmed that I am a woman in middle-age!! Women not being believed/ listened to has a large part to play in our diagnoses, and the subsequent lack of info..

I personally wouldn’t stop the Mx unless it is really bothering you. Mine just stopped after a while.. x

[Soundofmusic52 in reply to Hidden]

That the problem it is really bothering me I am woken every half hour sometimes every hour I can’t be doing with it I have been like it for 12 months now when I started the mtx I didn’t really want to stop it but got to get to the bottom of this or I think I will just go mad 🥵

[Hidden]

Oh dear ☹️

[boggyankles]

I'm 54, been in MTX 2.5 years now for SNIA and a month in on new HRT (the safer one derived from yams*). The flushes and mild night sweats I was getting have stopped and sleep improved, even though I am having flare/active disease atm and cant go walking cause my foot tendons are screaming. Is it oestrogen deficiency, active disease or both? Been very low, fatigued and stressed with trying to work it all out - every blood test comes back fine and dandy. My consultant mentioned in my last clinic letter it was more likely to be the menopause causing the flushes and sweats. She was right!

Next step add Hydroxy but wouldn't it be wonderful (and cheaper) if the oestrogen just helped out a little, it is afterall a steroid hormone.

The newer HRT is safer and there is no reason women cannot be on it indefinitely, you don't have to suffer, just need to educate the GPs.

For all thing menopause - menopausedoctor.co.uk/ - the Resources section is invaluable and free!

*For info Channel 4, Weds 12th 9pm programme about menopause/HRT and the long term risks of being oestrogen deficient.

[Soundofmusic52]

Just an update been off methotrexate now for 5 weeks still haveing hot sweats day and night so don’t think it’s that got to get to bottom of it 😡see nurse next week 🤞

[Deeb1764]

Oh yes it went almost quiet for 4 weeks but back with a fury again. Initially it was they thought down to my Vit D levels being so low but then it is now taken as low grade RA fever as not controlled or still flaring as such. Went to supermarket yesterday and by the time I got back to the car my hair was soaked as I had an attack in shop of heat! Lovely look x