Reduction of MTX after shocking blood results.

Hi All

What a day! Hubby and I went food shopping this morning, problems at the checkout with things not going through for the correct amount, took an age to sort out.

Got home to find message on answer machine, my appt at the hospital was for 11:45 but could I get there for half 10. We hurriedly put the shopping away and dived back into the car. On arrival in the Rheumatology Department at 10:25 was told she was now running late and I would have to wait 30mins!

I didn’t see the consultant just one of her team, who I must admit treated me with a lot of consideration.

I had my last blood test done on the 25th May and found out this morning that my AST/ALT were 80 and 184, am shocked that I didn’t receive a phone call about this. So my MTX has now been reduced from 20mg to 10mg and I am to carry on having blood tests every two weeks for the next two months, hopefully these figures will be back to normal over this time. I must admit I am still a bit worried about this, I assume it’s just something that happens until the MTX is at the correct dosage.

On a brighter note she says I am in remission, my CRP/ESR has been 1 for the last three blood tests.

What a chaotic morning though, the hospital I attend doesn’t have a pharmacy and so I had to go to a different one for my meds, there was a wait of over an hour and a half.

At least I did get a few questions asked and answered this time, so that was an improvement.

Hope you are having a pain free day.

All the best.

Mary

[sylvi]

What a day that you have had mary,i don't think i could haave managed that these days.At least they are taking care of you which is a good thing.

sylvi.xx

[bestnana]

Remission what a lovely word that is Enjoy it Mary

[Hidden]

Oh dear! it is always an hour wait to see my rheum at my hospital. no hospital pharmacy oh dear , top tip get your consultant to write up a FP10 prescription next time( the green one like your drs!) then you can take it to your local chemist!, at my hospital were I work in the pharmacy consultants have access to hospital only prescription pads( white! drugs can only be obtained from hospital pharmacy or green ones( fp10) that can be used to get drugs from either hospital or local chemist) our hospital pharmacy waiting time is 30mins.. we prescriptions for all out patient clinics, drugs for wards and operating theatres,discharge medication for patients leaving hospital, drugs for all the ambulance service in the county, some clinical trials , so our 30MIN time is good x

[Hidden]

So good that you're condition is in remission Mary. Do you feel better now your inflammation has fallen? It's good that the blood tests did their job and picked up on the raised AST/ALT and it proves how important regular testing is. I always feel much better after my weekly blood test when I get the all clear but I'm now due to move onto monthly testing which I was a little worried about, more so after reading about your experience! I hope things settle down for you soon and you can get back onto your full dose. Out of interest were you put on 20mg of mtx as standard or because that dose was needed to control your symptoms as my rheumy said he expected me to settle on 15mg?

Paula x

[Hidden]

Paula,

I think it was just standard practice, start on 10mg then move up in two stages to 20mg. Am just hoping that these markers come back down quickly.

Mary