Showcase Timestamps
00:00 Intro 07:17 Graeme 26:37 Cynthia 44:30 Emily 1:06:58 Kayla 1:24:17 Results!
July 2024
July 2022
What impact does MTX have on the female reproductive system and fertility?
Both males and females should avoid pregnancy while taking MTX as if it is taken at the time of conception or during pregnancy it can cause birth defects and/or miscarriage. Individuals should be stop taking MTX for 3-6 months before trying to conceive. The available evidence suggests that MTX does not have any long-term [...]
What is the risk of mixing MTX and other medication i.e. Naproxen with substances such as alcohol for older teens and young adults?
The main risk of mixing MTX with alcohol is that both of these can irritate the liver and thus together could lead to higher risk of liver problems. This is particularly true if one is binge- drinking while taking MTX. In contrast, liver toxicity with naproxen is rarer.
We were told that taking B12 supplements every 12-24 hrs may help ease nausea as well as taking folic acid 5mg the day after MTX. How effective is this is managing side effects and intolerance?
There is no evidence to recommend vitamin B12 supplementation to help ease nausea or other side effects of methotrexate. Pediatric rheumatologists usually prescribe folic acid or folinic acid (leucovorin) supplementation, which helps reduce some of the methotrexate side effects, such as stomach upset, nausea and liver toxicity. There are many ways of prescribing folic [...]
My daughter does not find anti-sickness drugs to help her nausea in any way, which can last 48 hrs each week. Is there anything else that she can try?
There are many ways to help reduce nausea caused by methotrexate. Reducing the dose, changing its route of administration (pills versus subcutaneous injections), and splitting the dose if given orally, may be proposed by your pediatric rheumatology care team. Other suggestions may include giving it at bedtime during the weekend so it does not [...]
How do you know when a symptom is a side effect of MTX versus something else?
Methotrexate is prescribed either in pill form or in subcutaneous injections given every week. The most common side effects of methotrexate are stomach upset, nausea and fatigue. These side effects usually manifest themselves within 24 hours of taking methotrexate and may last up to 24-48 hours. If these symptoms are present every day of [...]
What are the ways that the side effects manifest themselves and how do you cope with them?
Pediatric rheumatologists may prescribe various classes of medications to treat juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Each medication or class of medication has its own side effect profile. Some side effects may be prevented or reduced in various ways (for example: by reducing the dose, changing the administration schedule, or prescribing additional medication). If you believe you/your [...]
Can you explain the immunosuppression related to methotrexate? Is it immunosuppressing or immunomodulating and can you explain the difference?
Methotrexate (MTX) is considered a mild immunosuppressing medication. It works by decreasing the activity of certain types of white blood cells (WBCs). WBCs are also a part of our body’s immune defense against infections, thus by definition MTX does suppress the immune system to a mild degree. However, WBCs are overactive in autoimmune diseases [...]
My son has been on 10 MG of oral methotrexate/week for five months. He also started Humira 3 weeks ago. His disease has been getting worse since diagnosis. Do you think increasing the methotrexate dosage would help to slow the progression of the disease?
The dose of methotrexate is generally prescribed by a child’s weight, with the dose calculated based on a calculated body surface area. Your pediatric rheumatologist will suggest dosing changes in your child’s medication depending on several factors including having a reasonable trial of a new medication, such as Humira that your child just started. [...]
Is it a good idea to split the dose of oral MTX in half and do 4 pills in the morning and 5 at night (for a 22.5 dose)?
In some cases, your pediatric rheumatologist may suggest splitting the methotrexate dose in this way; this may be an attempt to avoid stomach upset from the methotrexate.
