Methotrexate tablets
Does anyone struggle to sleep taking methotrexate? I... - NRAS
Does anyone struggle to sleep taking methotrexate? I’m taking 20mg tablets and lay awake for at least three hours on methotrexate night .
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Amb1xkr
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MXT had the opposite effect on me. I really struggled to stay awake and felt quite fatigued for a day or two after taking it.
Yes! Sorry I'm quite new to methotrexate so I have nothing helpful to add. But I definitely get methotrexate day insomnia. Takes ages to fall asleep then I'm in a kind of half sleep half awake mode all night. Hopefully will settle down.
We’re you anxious about taking Mtx?I think insomnia can be caused by anxiety….so hopefully once you start to feel the benefit..you will be off doing all the things you have missed & will be tired out ….so sleep like a log!
No, my experience with methotrexate has been pretty good really.
In that case….try talking to your rheumy nurse.How often are you taking the Folic acid that seems to make quite a different?
No I was happy to try. I can be an anxious person but I had been misdiagnosed and was on high dose steroids for polymyalgia Rheumatica for a while and then weaned off over months when a different consultant did further MRIs and said it was AS and also in my peripheral joints too. I think I would have taken anything at that point to ease the joint pains. it did take about 4 months to work and then hubby got covid in August so they suggested I stop methotrexate for a few weeks and its been a struggle getting back from flares.
It depends when I take it. 4pm works well, although change of brand might also help. They say there’s no difference but difference in size suggests an added ingredient.
Although I do sleep, I’m convinced my sleep is more disturbed on methotrexate night and on that night will often have dreams driven by anxiety e.g lost and can’t find my way home type scenario.
I used to take my MTX 💉 at night but like you did not get on well with sleeping 😴, I now take mine first thing on a Monday morning after I've have had a few glasses of water. Much better, get the odd time feel sick for a while but mostly a lot better. You might like to try it. Good luck.
Take mine in morning too as I tried evenings for a couple of weeks and had disturbed nights both times and the nausea lasted longer, but I will also try drinking more water on methotrexate day as Egpa says.
I take mine with my tea so 5/6/7 depending on when I eat. I started taking Amitriptyline (20mg at 7pm) a couple of years ago, and now sleep like a log 😴.
Hi there. i don't have any trouble sleeping but i'm on the same dose as you and my rheumatologist told me to take the 20mg as a split dose, 10mg in the morning and 10mg in the evening, apparantly its absorbed better this way, so maybe worth a try for you? I always take it after food too.
Hi, yes I've noticed I sleep much less on a Monday night, even though I take the MXT in the morning.
It never affected me that way but it was suggested to me from when I started tablets that I didn’t take them at night, my Consultant's reason being restful sleep was important & if it was broken by being ill that wasn't good. He suggested I took my tablets divided throughout the day with meals. I've injected for a long time now & do it straight after my morning shower.
I don't wish to assume but could my Consultant's concerns be yours subconsciously too? Maybe by changing the time of day when you take your tablets would resolve, or at least prove or disprove, the problem.
Thank you ill try that. I now split them rather than all at once as they upset my stomach but I'm wondering if I should ask for injections instead. no one fancies needles but a couple of years ago I had to inject anti blood clotting injections into my stomach for a couple of months and managed without too much bother. its surprising what we adapt to.
Always best to take MTX with food if you can, help lessen possible gastro problems, until you can start injecting. I divided my dose 3 times a day, mealtimes. I hope you can try injecting. It really isn't difficult. Most find the pens easy to work & as they bypass the tum it will probably be the end of your problems. Your dose may be reduced too, so that can only be good!
Thank you for that it gives me some confidence to ask about injections
I never would take metrotrexate because of the side effects,
Only some people get side effects, as with all drugs. I don’t get any. Do you not take any drugs at all?
Not everyone experiences them, or if they do they are tolerable if it works well, or eased further with folic acid. I've been on it for 12 years & many others here do well on it. Did starting an anti-TNF not give you similar concerns? They are not without some pretty serious side effects, but, in a similar way to MTX, it's not guaranteed you'd have any.
I use mtx injections and dont sleep well the night of the evening I inject . The nurse recently prescribed an anti nausea drug that I take 2 hrs before injecting and that has helped me sleep and helped the nausea.
Not sure what time of day you take yours but I take 20 mg injection on a Saturday morning by 5pm I feel quite tired and Sunday day time I feel pretty rough x Mondays are still a little on the rough side but mostly I want to sleep as feel drained x.
Sorry to hear you are struggling with Methotrexate and not sleeping well. I take 20 mg on a Friday night, for the first few months felt very sick and had an upset stomach the next day but thankfully that has passed now, I don't suffer with not sleeping but do find I have horrible dreams on that night. Maybe like others have said you could try moving when you take them to the morning or split the doseage. Hope that helps for you.
Can’t say I’ve ever thought about it to check. I’m not going to stop taking it even if I do. I regularly get sleepless nights but whether they’re on mtx day I don’t know 🤷🏻♀️
