Next stop Methotrexate

[LizzyD]

Hi All

I’ve recently stopped acitretin due to side effects, and not being effective, so methotrexate is next on the list.
I’m starting on 15mg weekly, bit worried about the side effects of this. I know people get mixed results.
How long before seeing a benefit?

Thanks

Liz

[Fred]

Never got on with it myself Liz so can't help, but just wanted to say I do wish you good luck with it.

Do pop in and update this thread as your input could help others.

[Caroline]

I was on it shortly, around 6-8 weeks if I remember correctly, and I did not see much results in that time. But after that time with me the side effects in feeling badly were so serious that I just stopped.

Your can also ask for Skilarence, not an easy but a safer drug with a good working substance reputation.

[jiml]

Hi Liz .... I can’t remember if I said hi when you posted before so just in case I missed it I’ll do it again   ... it’s nice to meet you .... shame you didn’t get on with acetretin and are moving on to methotrexate. I was on it for a while before I went onto fumaderm ..... it worked well on the Psoriasis but the side effects were to much for me and I had to give it up
I hope it works as well for you, without bad side effects

Good luck
Jim

[Raxyl]

Hi Liz, I was on methotrexate via weekly subcut injection for about two years. Initially, the results we outstanding and spent about 18 months totally clear however about six months ago I had a flare up and the Methotrexate was not controlling it.  The only issues I had apart from it stopping working was feeling a bit ordinary for a day or so after the injection and my dislike of injecting myself.  Hope it goes well for you.

Craig

[Maryam]

I was on it for a few weeks. 10mg was ok, no side effects, but 15mg made me really tired.

Ask for injections if you can, the pills make a lot of people nauseous, if you can bypass your digestive system it may help with the side effects.

It also helps to take a low dose of folic acid every day (except mtx day) instead of a large amount once a week. Folic acid is water soluble, so what can´t be absorb will leave the body. If you don´t have enough folic acid in your body, the side effects will increase.

[fragil3]

i used Methotrexate for four months and it cleared my skin.But i got a very nasty side effect erectile dysfunction from it.so i stop using it.hope i will recover from side effect.

[D Foster]

Hi Liz, I was on MTX for 9 years, 6 on oral and 3 with injections. I did have side effects on the oral but not initially but towards the end of the 6 years they got really bad and then I went on to the injections with similar sort of results . MTX did work for me but never gave me above 80% clearance , as a drug it works OK for many people but has a bad reputation which in my opinion not really deserved as many of the other treatments can be as bad if not worse than MTX. Acitretin gave me bad side effects and cyclosporine was so bad I felt I was at deaths door but what works for one or the side effects that we have individually are not necessarily the same for others. All the best I hope you do well on it, for me by the way I saw results within the first 4 weeks.

[LizzyD]

Thanks everyone

The dermatologist is starting me on 15mg weekly, to be taken in the evening after a meal. She did warn me about nausea - not looking forward to that!
I’m trying to decide what day to take it on - I might remember better on a sunday?!
I’ll let you know how I get on!

Liz

[jiml]

Good luck Liz.  I hope you get on well with the Methotrexate ....I will follow your journey with great interest, when I used to take Methotrexate I took mine on a Friday evening, so I had the weekend to get over the side effects