Methotrexate

I have suffered with Ra since I was a boy and was never properly diagnosed until in my fifty's I took all kinds of inflammatory to deal with the pain and swelling and even had to have an elbow joint replaced. by which time I was properly diagnosed. At that time I was as started on a dose of methotrexate which is a disease modifying drug which by and large brought it under control I still take small s of steroidal anti inflammatory as well. Methotrexate is however referred to as the gold standard in rheumatoid arthritis control

yes

"Meth" is used as slang for methamphetamine in pop culture. In chemistry, molecules that contain a methyl group like the two mentioned as well as methamphetamine often have meth in their name. A chemical having a methyl group doesn't imply that it has "street value" or even any activity as a drug at all.

I had a MTX injection almost 2 months ago due to a suspected ectopic pregnancy. I'm supposed to wait 2 cycles before trying again but have yet to have one. I haven't confirmed this with my dr (I see him Friday, 1/21/11), but I believe MTX is the reason for the delay in the onset of my cycle. Hope this helps.

Yes, just be very careful to keep everything quite clean. You are more susceptible to infections while using methotrexate.

It depends on the type of tumor. It is used for some types, like some tumors in the breast or bone.

Yes. A medical abortion is done by either Mifepristone (pills) or Methotrexate (injection) followed by Misoprostol the next day.

Methotrexate is not recommended for women with liver or kidney disease, inflammatory bowel disease, clotting disorders, documented immunodeficiency, or certain blood disorders.

I had a bit of trouble with that when I first started using the stuff I was taking 15 mg so I took 10 one night and another 5 the next that settled it down. I found however that after a few weeks of taking the stuff it stopped upsetting my system and now I don't feel a thing when I take it. always take it just before going to bed that way most of the bad feelings are gone by the time you wake up. at least that is my experience with it. And I am still on it.

You can take all the common pain killers like paracetamol, ibuprofen, indomethacin, naproxyn.

The mode of action of the anticancer drug methotrexate is through its strong competitive

inhibition on

I'm a little confused by "mercury drug", since methotrexate does not actually contain mercury. The IUPAC name is (2S)-2-[(4-{[(2,4-diaminopteridin-6-yl)methyl](methyl)amino}benzoyl)amino]pentanedioic acid, which probably doesn't mean much to you unless you're a real organic chemistry geek, but if you're asking what it's for... it's mainly an antineoplastic, though it's also used in lower doses for autoimmune diseases and as an abortifacient. It's structurally very similar to dihydrofolic acid, so it acts as an inhibitor for dihydrofolate reduction and effectively shuts down a crucial metabolic pathway for the synthesis of DNA, RNA, and purines generally.

You can go for quick outings, but you should avoid prolonged sun exposure. It can make you feel pretty ill.

Yes, you can. You will actually be more likely to get infections, and get them worse, when on methotrexate. At some point, you will likely need antibiotics.

You can, but you should always check with a doctor before adjusting anything to do with medication.

In my particular case I would say that the rheumatolgist works to a general standard. due to the risks involved with the drug they like to use as little as possible so he started me of on 20 mg of prednisone which was reduced to 5 over time and 10mg of MTX to be taken once per week. (it is best to take it prior to a non working day as it can make some people feel a little seedy) this is done while checking with blood tests for adverse reactions. at first I had blood tests done on a monthly basis and there were no particularly adverse signs. My condition improved and it seemed as though it was going into remission for a while. however at a certain point I noted that there was a return of some inflammation. ( by this time I was having blood tests every 3 months) So the hematologist increased the dosage to 15 mg once a week. there was an improvement, however not as good as we would have liked so at this point he did not raise the dosage but prescribed 200mg Plaquinil twice a day. As I said earlier MTX is great stuff for helping to keep RA under control they would rather use as little as possible. Aside from a few slightly annoying side effects this regime seems to be keeping the situation under control.

Yes. The prescription bottle for methotrexate must have your name on it, as well as the proper information (as printed from the pharmacy).

Methotrexate (50 mg per square meter of body-surface area) is a injection given by the doctor performing the medical abortion unless he thinks mifepristone fits you better. It's followed by Misoprostol the next day to complete the abortion.

This would be best discussed with his doctor I am an adult on the same stuff and from what I understand there is an increased risk if infection. At one stage I ended up not being able to get rid of a lung infection while on Methotrexate and antibiotics until i dropped the methotrexate for the course of antibiotics plus one more week.

If you are on methotrexate make a point of mentioning it to your Doctor if you are going to have any live inoculations against illnesses because the methotrexate will reduce the effectiveness of the injections or possibly make them useless altogether.

No, the injections are made differently than the oral medications. If you are having a hard time giving yourself the injections, they do make methotrexate in a pill form. You can ask your doctor to switch what type you are on.

Yes. There is no interaction between the two drugs.

Yes. Your liver does not need to process alcohol while you are on methotrexate.