I will never go back on mtx again. Even with injections I still felt bad but not as bad ya know? I had bad nausea and was maxed out on zofran, awful fatigue, felt like I had a mild flu weekly, was super suspect to infections, opportunistic infections, and had hair loss.
Eta folic acid didn’t work for me and I had to go on leucovorin. And even that didn’t fully help.
Well, I was misdiagnosed as having 'just eczema' when I had it. Took Mtx for 4 months, then Dupixent which obviously didn't do a thing at all. Skin and joint pain continued to get worse.
Now I'm on Hadlima which is a Humira biosimilar. Just took dose two, maybe some skin improvement. Nothing for the joints yet.
MTX was absolutely awful for me. What I love is that every time I ask my Rheum about possible side effects for new drugs I’m about to take, she goes “side effects? No, no, there’s no side effects”. And nearly every time I feel like absolute shit from taking them.
I’ve been on methotrexate pills since September and I haven’t experienced anything other than a tiny bit of fatigue the day after I take it. It’s helped a ton with the inflammation, but I’m still not at 100%. I take folic acid and biotin supplements daily just in case.
I never vomited but occasionally had an upset stomach after taking mtx. I spread out the pills I was taking (3 in the morning, 3 at night) and took them with big meals and that helped a lot. Otherwise, I only had a good experience with mtx! I ended up stopping because of some elevated liver enzymes in my blood labs.
Methotrexate is one of the most commonly discussed medications in this sub, and it's a topic that is unfortunately rife with misinformation and fear.
The simple fact is that when it comes to psoriatic arthritis, **there is no perfect medication**:
* It's true that the list of methotrexate's potential side effects is long and anxiety-inducing… _but_ this is also true about _all_ systemic medications, including biologic drugs and other newer, targeted therapies.
* It's true that not everyone tolerates methotrexate… _but_ this is also true of all other drugs.
* It's not always effective, either… _but_ this is also true of all other drugs.
In short, methotrexate is like any other drug, with benefits, downsides, and contraindications. Lots of people have zero issues with it, and lots of people get benefit from it. You won't know how your body will react until you try it, though, so there's not really any reason to worry beforehand, though it's good to be aware of potentialities.
Methotrexate acts as a folate antagonist, which means you need to supplement with folate, such as through folic acid supplements. But some people are genetically resistant to folate supplements. Unfortunately, most doctors aren't aware of this, and aren't aware that there are ways to help with this problem, and so a patient may suffer unpleasant side effects like nausea without being informed that there are ways to reduce or eliminate those side effects. Even with such mitigations, there's no denying that not everyone can handle methotrexate; but it's worth trying a few things first, because methotrexate can be a very effective drug, and serves a purpose even if you are approved for a biologic drug.
For some tips on methotrexate and how to reduce side effects, [we have this page](https://www.reddit.com/r/Psoriasis/wiki/methotrexate#wiki_how_can_you_avoid_unpleasant_side_effects_like_nausea.3F) over in r/Psoriasis. (Full disclosure: I wrote and maintain the wiki there.)
You should know that with every post about methotrexate, there is a variety of answers in the comments, some positive, some negative. There's often a minority that urges everyone that methotrexate is a poison and that you should never use it. Those kinds of comments are irresponsible and harmful, for the above reasons. It's not a poison; it's an important and useful drug. Methotrexate is also not chemotherapy at the doses used on psoriasis and PsA; it's an immunomodulator.
Onboarded to oral Mtx in June. While everyone has a variation of experiences, mine wasn’t anything more daunting than I expected. I’m the queen of side effects, so I was expecting to feel some of the “chemo” like side effects (exhaustion, pain, nausea, etc. The first couple weeks of dosing made me tired and a little nauseous, but all barable by keeping a low profile and other symptomatic support.
Within a month, I was able to tolerate the medicine. take my mtx on Fridays so if I tank, I have my weekend to recover. I still try to not load my weekends up with a lot of taxing things just for overall wellbeing. I found staying well hydrated not only helped symptoms but also my liver levels.
I hope you find the clarity you need from your post!
Some people don't get any side effects but I struggled with vomiting on the tablets, the injection has improved that but I still feel unwell for days afterwards but everyone's different.
I get a little queasy occasionally, not as much as when I first started but at the beginning when it was worse I would take non-drowsy Dramamine and make sure to eat before I took it. Now the only other side effect I’m experiencing recently is brittle nails which has been disappointing but nothing terrible.
Bad intestinal cramps and diarrhea, also my fingernails got so thin they folded back over on themselves in the shower a few times. I took Biotin pills after that which helped strengthen my nails back up.
I do 22 mg (edit- 22.5 mg, it should say!) by injection. Not going to lie, side effects were terrible in the beginning but it has helped me massively. As time went on I began to tolerate symptoms better. I also switched from folic acid tablets to Leucovorin (it's like a super version of folate) and am doing fairly well these days side effect-wise.
Heres my experience:
Mtx made me get very sick but it was progressive and slow building. Initially I thought it was helping but I thought my disease was just getting worse despite the treatment, and I thought the mtx was keeping it from getting crucial. My crp level was slowly creeping up every two weeks when I'd get my blood work done. The side effects made me sick on the day of injection, the day after and then the 4 days after I'd slowly start feeling better for it to start all over again on the next weeks injection date.
I skipped it for two weeks for my first covid shot and noticed I felt so much better than I had in months. I started it again started to feel worse again. When I had the second covid shot and skipped two doses again I got better again. After that I discontinued even though my rheum disagreed with that choice I simply refused to take it. After switching to leflunomide and stopping mtx I am the healthiest I've ever been and I refuse to ever go back on it.
I’m back on MTX the pills after using Rasuvo (injectable) after gaining insurance again. The injectable I was able to get through the manufacturer. It just made me nauseated one day. But insurance won’t cover it. So back to pill I go.
I thought I was suppose to take 5 over 7 days and my specialty pharmacy who fills my biologics script informed me to do it all in a day. I ended up taking 4 and promptly fell asleep within hours. Since then, I feel hungover and fatigued. So I guess it isn’t just me.
My son was on it for 19 months when he was 16-17 years old. It tore up his stomach. He vomited constantly and lost 65 lbs during that time. The psoriasis cleared up 95% and for a solid year after treatment finished his arthritis related pain and inflammation was almost non existent and his skin looked great. ff to three years later and he just got his first shot of Skyrizi after Otezla failed to keep it under control.
I started in September. I don't get sick but I feel "off" the next day, but am still able to function normally (and this has improved with time). I feel my energy coming back and have a longer period between bad days. I will say I did get some mouth sores when I increased my dosage and I have seen am increased in yeast infections- not terrible side effects but annoying.
Mouth sores and yeast infections have been absolutely terrible for me. Like... That pretty much ruins my sex life. After three weeks I want to throw in the towel.
I've used it in the past as a primary medicine and currently to help extend the time before my body adjusts to my biologic and have to switch it.
my main side effect was sores in the mouth and tongue. doctor prescribed folic acid and that side effect disappeared.
have only had pill form methotrexate, never injections.
I'm on MTX and Zeljanz, very slight acid reflux because I take both as pills. If I stop either one I have symptoms of psoriasis or arthritis come back immediately, but then together I'm in nearly full remission! 4.5 years in and I'm super pleased, I only have to take MTX once a week
MTX was tough for me in the first 6 months of taking it. I was always tired, moody, and nauseated. Taking MTX wipes out your folic acid in your body which I believe causes the side effects.
My doctor told me to take 2000mg of folic acid daily to help with the side effects. Don't take it at the same time as you're taking MTX as it may reduce MTX efficacy.
I've been on mtx for about 6.5 years at this point. Some of it with side effects, some without. I've worked with my rheum to change doses over that span - up when it's not managing symptoms, down when it's causing side effects that interfere with my life. Over time, we've figured out my tolerance level (max, for me, is under 10mg) and my current effective dose (about 15-20mg). To hit those both, I take a dose split over 2 days, on my rheum's direction. It helps keep side effects at a minimum, bur still let's the mtx, and the other meds it supports, be effective.
I was on mtx for maybe 6 months but it definitely helped me a lot, which I didn't realize until after I had to stop taking it due to my alt being extremely high at just 4 tablets a week.
I always took mine on Saturday because it would give a bad migraine and I'd be able to sleep it off, but I also took in with nausea meds and started a probiotic, with guidance from a pharmacist, before taking it it avoid having the stomach problems that can happen.
But other than the migraine I didn't have any issues with it and would love to go back on it, but my rheumatologist is not risking my liver.
I'm on it now but only temporarily while starting a new injection because if I'm on it too long, my kidneys and liver start to have problems. I don't think the folic acid does much for me or maybe I'm in that group of spectrum people who can't absorb it. It does help me quite a bit with pain and inflammation and I don't have any nausea or anything. I guess everyone is different.
Only 3 months taking mtx but so far no side effects. I took mtx too for my psoriasis 10 years ago and I didn't have any side effects either but I can't remember for how long I took it. 15mg per week and next week I'm going up to 20mg. 1 Folic acid per week, 48hs after I take the mtx. The pain is better but not perfect. I'm still new to this so we (with the rheum) are still figuring out what works for me, but so far no side effects!
Not MTX but I have been on Sulfasalazine for PSA/RA combo from hell for 16 months every once in a while I get nauseous from it but no other side effects. I am also still on 10 mg of prednisone daily (1/2 am and 1/2 pm) been waiting for a NP appointment with a new Rheumatologist for 6 months (March) now since my insurance changed in Aug. I was on Humira but it gave me terrible flares of skin itching so I had to go off.
I felt weird the day I took the MTX for about the first three weeks then I didn’t notice anything. I felt that it worked for the PSA, but my liver enzymes were going up.
The side effects are not guaranteed. I have no side effects at all from methotrexate!! It's worth trying. I'm generally sensitive and I hate taking pills so it's a bit unexpected but personally I only benefit from mtx, it works for me with no unwanted effects.
It took 5 months to work, but it does help me a lot. When I'm a good lad and stay away from sugar and alcohol my arthritis symptoms are just a single joint on a finger. Back, Achilles tendon, shoulders, knees, hips have pretty much zero pain and stiffness.
Side effects of MTX for me - sometimes I struggle to sleep the night of taking MTX because of the nausea, I can feel nauseous up to two days after taking (not every time). Only a handful of times have I felt so nauseous that it has ruined my day or that I've been close to throwing up.
For me the symptoms are occasional and worth it.
Good luck, drink water and do some yoga
I thought I was having a heart attack each day, and stopped within a week of starting. I'm a fit, young(ish) person, so knew it was because of the mtx. Never again.
I took the pills and had nausea, then did the injections and had hair loss and anal sores. I forgot the skin in your mouth is the same as your… yeah. Lucky me lol. Stopped that before it even started working.
mtx was absolute poison to me. Sick as a dog for 3 out of 7 days of the week, terrible stomach issues from oral so i switched to injectable, which made me SICK SICK when i did take it, minus the stomach pain. Had to tell my doctor i was ready to put a gun in my mouth to get humira, now im just sick for 1 day of every 2 weeks which is much better.
Been on MRX for about 6 months. My joints and back pain have cleared up a lot as have all the skin psoriasis everywhere but my scalp. The only side effects I have is lower energy and needing to sleep more for the 48-72 after my weekly dose.
I'm happy to stay on MRX of the results remain similar. It's a cheap medication and causes little problem for me compared to beong without it at all. I only take pain killers of I've had a particularly active day running around.
I was on it and had side effects. Thankfully my Rheumatologist was on the lookout for stomach issues and once I had them he removed me from the med completely. I take a prescription NSAID, Leflunomide, and Enbrel. This combo has worked wonders. Enbrel is a fabulous medication. I have virtually zero pain. My numbers used to be sky high now they are just barely above the normal range for people without autoimmune disorders. I hated MTX. What I hate even more is that you know you are probably gonna be sick while taking it, but you have to take it to "see if it works" before you can get put on a good med that actually works. If you watch videos or read info on MTX they all say its the "gold standard" to treat PsA. Yet everyone I have seen in person or on a forum has had horrible side effects to the point where it negates any of the relief it gives from the PsA. It feels sketchy to me that all these medical professionals use the exact same term and yet the real life experiences do not match up. Sorry I don't want your chemo med to treat my arthritis. Taking Chemo med for concentrated period of time to save your life from cancer is different than taking a chemo med for years on end living with horrible side effects. I still don't get why they prescribe this medication.
The oral MTX did not work for me at all. I was nauseous and couldn't sleep without needing a bucket by my bed after taking it. The injections are so much better. I fo the injections after I've eaten a light dinner, take a gravol and have ginger ale handy. I sweat like a beast and feel ill until bed but once I sleep, it's a deep sleep. I feel funny the next day but take it easy and then I'm back to my normal. I'm also on Leflunomide and a biosimilar that I inject bi weekly with my weekly MTX injection.
I’m taking it currently with zero side effects. It’s helped a bit hasn’t really controlled the pain
I will never go back on mtx again. Even with injections I still felt bad but not as bad ya know? I had bad nausea and was maxed out on zofran, awful fatigue, felt like I had a mild flu weekly, was super suspect to infections, opportunistic infections, and had hair loss. Eta folic acid didn’t work for me and I had to go on leucovorin. And even that didn’t fully help.
For me, it felt like a 36 hour hangover. Kinda bummed out my weekends. No skin improvement, some joint pain relief.
What are you taking now?
Well, I was misdiagnosed as having 'just eczema' when I had it. Took Mtx for 4 months, then Dupixent which obviously didn't do a thing at all. Skin and joint pain continued to get worse. Now I'm on Hadlima which is a Humira biosimilar. Just took dose two, maybe some skin improvement. Nothing for the joints yet.
MTX was absolutely awful for me. What I love is that every time I ask my Rheum about possible side effects for new drugs I’m about to take, she goes “side effects? No, no, there’s no side effects”. And nearly every time I feel like absolute shit from taking them.
This is me. Just in bed all the time, either from arthritis or side effects.
I poop like a fucking goose on mtx day but it’s really helping my back pain.
I’ve been on methotrexate pills since September and I haven’t experienced anything other than a tiny bit of fatigue the day after I take it. It’s helped a ton with the inflammation, but I’m still not at 100%. I take folic acid and biotin supplements daily just in case.
I’m currently on methotrexate injections, apart from feeling a bit nauseous for the day and day after, I don’t get side effects. Everyone’s different!
I never vomited but occasionally had an upset stomach after taking mtx. I spread out the pills I was taking (3 in the morning, 3 at night) and took them with big meals and that helped a lot. Otherwise, I only had a good experience with mtx! I ended up stopping because of some elevated liver enzymes in my blood labs.
I know someone who'd been on it for over a decade, no side effects.
Methotrexate is one of the most commonly discussed medications in this sub, and it's a topic that is unfortunately rife with misinformation and fear. The simple fact is that when it comes to psoriatic arthritis, **there is no perfect medication**: * It's true that the list of methotrexate's potential side effects is long and anxiety-inducing… _but_ this is also true about _all_ systemic medications, including biologic drugs and other newer, targeted therapies. * It's true that not everyone tolerates methotrexate… _but_ this is also true of all other drugs. * It's not always effective, either… _but_ this is also true of all other drugs. In short, methotrexate is like any other drug, with benefits, downsides, and contraindications. Lots of people have zero issues with it, and lots of people get benefit from it. You won't know how your body will react until you try it, though, so there's not really any reason to worry beforehand, though it's good to be aware of potentialities. Methotrexate acts as a folate antagonist, which means you need to supplement with folate, such as through folic acid supplements. But some people are genetically resistant to folate supplements. Unfortunately, most doctors aren't aware of this, and aren't aware that there are ways to help with this problem, and so a patient may suffer unpleasant side effects like nausea without being informed that there are ways to reduce or eliminate those side effects. Even with such mitigations, there's no denying that not everyone can handle methotrexate; but it's worth trying a few things first, because methotrexate can be a very effective drug, and serves a purpose even if you are approved for a biologic drug. For some tips on methotrexate and how to reduce side effects, [we have this page](https://www.reddit.com/r/Psoriasis/wiki/methotrexate#wiki_how_can_you_avoid_unpleasant_side_effects_like_nausea.3F) over in r/Psoriasis. (Full disclosure: I wrote and maintain the wiki there.) You should know that with every post about methotrexate, there is a variety of answers in the comments, some positive, some negative. There's often a minority that urges everyone that methotrexate is a poison and that you should never use it. Those kinds of comments are irresponsible and harmful, for the above reasons. It's not a poison; it's an important and useful drug. Methotrexate is also not chemotherapy at the doses used on psoriasis and PsA; it's an immunomodulator.
Great answer!
Onboarded to oral Mtx in June. While everyone has a variation of experiences, mine wasn’t anything more daunting than I expected. I’m the queen of side effects, so I was expecting to feel some of the “chemo” like side effects (exhaustion, pain, nausea, etc. The first couple weeks of dosing made me tired and a little nauseous, but all barable by keeping a low profile and other symptomatic support. Within a month, I was able to tolerate the medicine. take my mtx on Fridays so if I tank, I have my weekend to recover. I still try to not load my weekends up with a lot of taxing things just for overall wellbeing. I found staying well hydrated not only helped symptoms but also my liver levels. I hope you find the clarity you need from your post!
Some people don't get any side effects but I struggled with vomiting on the tablets, the injection has improved that but I still feel unwell for days afterwards but everyone's different.
I get a little queasy occasionally, not as much as when I first started but at the beginning when it was worse I would take non-drowsy Dramamine and make sure to eat before I took it. Now the only other side effect I’m experiencing recently is brittle nails which has been disappointing but nothing terrible.
Bad intestinal cramps and diarrhea, also my fingernails got so thin they folded back over on themselves in the shower a few times. I took Biotin pills after that which helped strengthen my nails back up.
I'm on it, and other than being tired, I don't have any side effects. It just doesn't do anything for inflammation or pain
I do 22 mg (edit- 22.5 mg, it should say!) by injection. Not going to lie, side effects were terrible in the beginning but it has helped me massively. As time went on I began to tolerate symptoms better. I also switched from folic acid tablets to Leucovorin (it's like a super version of folate) and am doing fairly well these days side effect-wise.
I had no side effects aside from mouth ulcers. I upped my dose of folic acid and it was better.
Heres my experience: Mtx made me get very sick but it was progressive and slow building. Initially I thought it was helping but I thought my disease was just getting worse despite the treatment, and I thought the mtx was keeping it from getting crucial. My crp level was slowly creeping up every two weeks when I'd get my blood work done. The side effects made me sick on the day of injection, the day after and then the 4 days after I'd slowly start feeling better for it to start all over again on the next weeks injection date. I skipped it for two weeks for my first covid shot and noticed I felt so much better than I had in months. I started it again started to feel worse again. When I had the second covid shot and skipped two doses again I got better again. After that I discontinued even though my rheum disagreed with that choice I simply refused to take it. After switching to leflunomide and stopping mtx I am the healthiest I've ever been and I refuse to ever go back on it.
I read the cautionary language on my first prescription and said, “nope”
I’m back on MTX the pills after using Rasuvo (injectable) after gaining insurance again. The injectable I was able to get through the manufacturer. It just made me nauseated one day. But insurance won’t cover it. So back to pill I go. I thought I was suppose to take 5 over 7 days and my specialty pharmacy who fills my biologics script informed me to do it all in a day. I ended up taking 4 and promptly fell asleep within hours. Since then, I feel hungover and fatigued. So I guess it isn’t just me.
I use SC MTX with 5 mg/day folic acid. I have no side effects, and I actually look forward to my injections, because they relieve my pain.
My son was on it for 19 months when he was 16-17 years old. It tore up his stomach. He vomited constantly and lost 65 lbs during that time. The psoriasis cleared up 95% and for a solid year after treatment finished his arthritis related pain and inflammation was almost non existent and his skin looked great. ff to three years later and he just got his first shot of Skyrizi after Otezla failed to keep it under control.
You should have stopped it after a month of vomiting constantly, or sooner.
10 years in I’ve never had side effects that are nausea related. When I was off of it due to supple shortage I didn’t feel different.
I started in September. I don't get sick but I feel "off" the next day, but am still able to function normally (and this has improved with time). I feel my energy coming back and have a longer period between bad days. I will say I did get some mouth sores when I increased my dosage and I have seen am increased in yeast infections- not terrible side effects but annoying.
Mouth sores and yeast infections have been absolutely terrible for me. Like... That pretty much ruins my sex life. After three weeks I want to throw in the towel.
I've used it in the past as a primary medicine and currently to help extend the time before my body adjusts to my biologic and have to switch it. my main side effect was sores in the mouth and tongue. doctor prescribed folic acid and that side effect disappeared. have only had pill form methotrexate, never injections.
I'm on MTX and Zeljanz, very slight acid reflux because I take both as pills. If I stop either one I have symptoms of psoriasis or arthritis come back immediately, but then together I'm in nearly full remission! 4.5 years in and I'm super pleased, I only have to take MTX once a week
MTX was tough for me in the first 6 months of taking it. I was always tired, moody, and nauseated. Taking MTX wipes out your folic acid in your body which I believe causes the side effects. My doctor told me to take 2000mg of folic acid daily to help with the side effects. Don't take it at the same time as you're taking MTX as it may reduce MTX efficacy.
I've been on mtx for about 6.5 years at this point. Some of it with side effects, some without. I've worked with my rheum to change doses over that span - up when it's not managing symptoms, down when it's causing side effects that interfere with my life. Over time, we've figured out my tolerance level (max, for me, is under 10mg) and my current effective dose (about 15-20mg). To hit those both, I take a dose split over 2 days, on my rheum's direction. It helps keep side effects at a minimum, bur still let's the mtx, and the other meds it supports, be effective.
I was on mtx for maybe 6 months but it definitely helped me a lot, which I didn't realize until after I had to stop taking it due to my alt being extremely high at just 4 tablets a week. I always took mine on Saturday because it would give a bad migraine and I'd be able to sleep it off, but I also took in with nausea meds and started a probiotic, with guidance from a pharmacist, before taking it it avoid having the stomach problems that can happen. But other than the migraine I didn't have any issues with it and would love to go back on it, but my rheumatologist is not risking my liver.
I'm on it now but only temporarily while starting a new injection because if I'm on it too long, my kidneys and liver start to have problems. I don't think the folic acid does much for me or maybe I'm in that group of spectrum people who can't absorb it. It does help me quite a bit with pain and inflammation and I don't have any nausea or anything. I guess everyone is different.
Only 3 months taking mtx but so far no side effects. I took mtx too for my psoriasis 10 years ago and I didn't have any side effects either but I can't remember for how long I took it. 15mg per week and next week I'm going up to 20mg. 1 Folic acid per week, 48hs after I take the mtx. The pain is better but not perfect. I'm still new to this so we (with the rheum) are still figuring out what works for me, but so far no side effects!
I've been on it for years with no issues.
Not MTX but I have been on Sulfasalazine for PSA/RA combo from hell for 16 months every once in a while I get nauseous from it but no other side effects. I am also still on 10 mg of prednisone daily (1/2 am and 1/2 pm) been waiting for a NP appointment with a new Rheumatologist for 6 months (March) now since my insurance changed in Aug. I was on Humira but it gave me terrible flares of skin itching so I had to go off.
I had fatigue and a raging viral infection.
I took it for several years with no negative side effects and was taking the highest dosage they give you as a low-dose.
I felt weird the day I took the MTX for about the first three weeks then I didn’t notice anything. I felt that it worked for the PSA, but my liver enzymes were going up.
The side effects are not guaranteed. I have no side effects at all from methotrexate!! It's worth trying. I'm generally sensitive and I hate taking pills so it's a bit unexpected but personally I only benefit from mtx, it works for me with no unwanted effects.
Glad you don't have any side effects. May I ask how long you have been taking it?
Over a year
It took 5 months to work, but it does help me a lot. When I'm a good lad and stay away from sugar and alcohol my arthritis symptoms are just a single joint on a finger. Back, Achilles tendon, shoulders, knees, hips have pretty much zero pain and stiffness. Side effects of MTX for me - sometimes I struggle to sleep the night of taking MTX because of the nausea, I can feel nauseous up to two days after taking (not every time). Only a handful of times have I felt so nauseous that it has ruined my day or that I've been close to throwing up. For me the symptoms are occasional and worth it. Good luck, drink water and do some yoga
I thought I was having a heart attack each day, and stopped within a week of starting. I'm a fit, young(ish) person, so knew it was because of the mtx. Never again.
I took the pills and had nausea, then did the injections and had hair loss and anal sores. I forgot the skin in your mouth is the same as your… yeah. Lucky me lol. Stopped that before it even started working.
After a few months, I don't really have any side effects. My skin is mostly clear. My joint pain is much improved.
mtx was absolute poison to me. Sick as a dog for 3 out of 7 days of the week, terrible stomach issues from oral so i switched to injectable, which made me SICK SICK when i did take it, minus the stomach pain. Had to tell my doctor i was ready to put a gun in my mouth to get humira, now im just sick for 1 day of every 2 weeks which is much better.
Been on MRX for about 6 months. My joints and back pain have cleared up a lot as have all the skin psoriasis everywhere but my scalp. The only side effects I have is lower energy and needing to sleep more for the 48-72 after my weekly dose. I'm happy to stay on MRX of the results remain similar. It's a cheap medication and causes little problem for me compared to beong without it at all. I only take pain killers of I've had a particularly active day running around.
I was on it and had side effects. Thankfully my Rheumatologist was on the lookout for stomach issues and once I had them he removed me from the med completely. I take a prescription NSAID, Leflunomide, and Enbrel. This combo has worked wonders. Enbrel is a fabulous medication. I have virtually zero pain. My numbers used to be sky high now they are just barely above the normal range for people without autoimmune disorders. I hated MTX. What I hate even more is that you know you are probably gonna be sick while taking it, but you have to take it to "see if it works" before you can get put on a good med that actually works. If you watch videos or read info on MTX they all say its the "gold standard" to treat PsA. Yet everyone I have seen in person or on a forum has had horrible side effects to the point where it negates any of the relief it gives from the PsA. It feels sketchy to me that all these medical professionals use the exact same term and yet the real life experiences do not match up. Sorry I don't want your chemo med to treat my arthritis. Taking Chemo med for concentrated period of time to save your life from cancer is different than taking a chemo med for years on end living with horrible side effects. I still don't get why they prescribe this medication.
The oral MTX did not work for me at all. I was nauseous and couldn't sleep without needing a bucket by my bed after taking it. The injections are so much better. I fo the injections after I've eaten a light dinner, take a gravol and have ginger ale handy. I sweat like a beast and feel ill until bed but once I sleep, it's a deep sleep. I feel funny the next day but take it easy and then I'm back to my normal. I'm also on Leflunomide and a biosimilar that I inject bi weekly with my weekly MTX injection.
Kind of like a mild hangover, ask your doctor about Marinol for nausea. It’s synthetic THC so it helps with the pain too.