Beware Of Methotrexate Toxicity (causing Death)
Apr 13, 2015
I'm writing this post because my father has passed away from methotrexate toxicity in February. This cause of death has been officially confirmed. I'm in a state of shock and I really don't believe that the general public understand the severity or danger of this drug.
As I've read here many MTX patients have been on this drug for months if not years. My Dad was on this drug for only five days.
Here is some advice for everyone on this drug:
> Please everyone always ask for a consumer information pamphlet and be aware of the side effects.
> Even if you feel fine don't ignore any side effects
> Hospitals don't check for MTX levels in the blood - if you find yourself in Hospital ask them to test the levels.
> Be aware of leucovorin therapy ; known as 'rescue therapy' (this is administered if you have suspected MXT poisoning)
> Always follow the directions from a rheumatoid arthritis specialist or dermatologist or oncologist - not a general practitioner
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Don't do it. The operation went as expected. The side effects were not explained at all. First it does change sex. The tingling feeling that occurs when achieving orgasm will never happen again. Not what was stated by the nurses who obviously were fed a lie, how would a female know? The second thing was urinating problems. Don't be in a hurry because gravity is the master now. The day I went home I found out that pushing only made the flow stop. That was only part of the problem since I now could not hold as much as could previously. It will be that way forever. So now how to I get it reversed at the cost of the insurance? I have been to a urologist but cannot get them to admit that those are serious problem. The year I got my vasectomy I was told I have Multiple Sclerosis.
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Any females out there who have lost all or most of their hair on their body? Look at copper toxicity from the pill.
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I post this to alert anyone checking these boards about the dangers of amiodarone. My father was given this drug for a minor arrhythmia, while he was hospitalized with bronchitis. It killed him in just 4 weeks as a result of sudden, irreversible pulmonary toxicity. If you or anyone you love is taking this drug, you need to know just how dangerous it is. The pharmaceutical companies have dodged responsibility for its many toxic effects for years, and doctors are woefully ignorant of its potential life-threatening complications. By doing an internet search under "amiodarone toxicity" you can find a wealth of information and a vast support system of people determined to stop this drug from killing anyone else.
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I have a horrendous rash on my feet, upper arms, back and hands. I have been taking Omeprazole for about 6 weeks, and am due to see a consultant in a few days. As no one had mentioned a rash to me, I assumed it was a heat rash, as I have a habit of warming my feet by the fire, but the rash has got much worse, and now I have ENORMOUS blisters on my big toes and small ones elsewhere on my feet and hands. I have phoned the GP surgery as I see this is listed as a possible side effect, and was told to stop taking the omeprazole which I did yesterday. So far there is no improvement, but it is only 24 hours, so I am hoping there will be some improvement very soon. I have also lost my sense of taste and smell which may be due to a bad cold, but I have a very dry mouth and a horrid taste in it when I wake up in the morning. This is also a listed side effect. The doctor I spoke to seemed to think the rash IS due to the omeprazole. Incidentally, I took lapromazole for 2 weeks previously, but it gave me dreadful diarrhoea, so the consultant changed me to omeprazole. I will post another message on here when I have seen the consultant.
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I've begun taking a dosage of 10mg of Methotrexate and that was on 10 of May, I have a party to attend on the following Friday the day before my next dosage. I know that alcohol is not suggested on Methotrexate and up to two drinks is permitted but it will be a day before my dosage so that means i've only taken one tablet, there wouldn't be enough in my system to start inhibiting it would there? I plan on drinking more than two standard drinks and I need some help to know if I there will be any drug interaction producing liver problem or illness.
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And what would you say your side effects are? And how good is the drug at easing your condition?
For me, and I have been taking it for around 2 years now. My condition has improved greatly. But, my elbows and wrists are still not fully flexible, I was tempted to ask my GP for some 'one off' steroid injections to ease the swelling in some of my joints. But other than that awesome.
I do get tired though quite easily, particularly the morning after the methotrexate intake. Folic acid probably eases the side effects though, which I take the following day.
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I am starting MTX on Friday and am a bit nervous to start it, mainly because I have some dental work that needs to be done and I cannot afford it. Does anyone know how MTX affects the teeth? Will it make my teeth worse? We do not have dental insurance and I have one tooth that probably needs a root canal and didn't know if the MTX would make things worse.
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My period is really strange this month. It's supremely heavy bleeding for over 5 days, super bad cramps and pain and (gross alert) it smells like a rotting carcass when i remove my tampon. The smell is so bad I have to spray air freshener. It happened briefly last month, but it is about a hundred times worse this time. I was thinking maybe I forgot a tampon, but I don't feel anything up in there.
I had endometrial ablation almost 2 years ago for prolonged periods and they had been much lighter since then until this month and then holy crap.
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My partner has been taking methotrexate for two years but due to the effect of it lowering his immune system he has suffered many infections and problems with wounds healing etc. As a result he has had to take various antibiotics, almost continually, for the past year. He has recently had a severe bout of mouth ulceration which, after research seems to have been caused by the excessive amounts of antibiotics creating a build up of the methotrexate. Does anyone out there know of an effective, natural alternative to methotrexate
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Did my first methotrexate injection on Tuesday. Seem to have had a splitting headache ever since. Do not know if coincidence or side effect. If side effect any tips?
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Hi, so i've read here multiple times that although you should not be drinking while on methotrexate, people have found that their alcohol tolorance has gone way down. Has anyone else had the opposite effect?
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It's now two years since first diagnosed with Polymyalgia Rheumatica and the first Prednisolone which was like a miracle and I guess still would be if I 'overdosed'. Currently well stuck at 10 mg there seems no way forward. I've tried the slow taper but the first day I drop there is a reaction so I had decided to just take a quiet view and stick at 10mg until the new year and then try the slow taper again.
I'm not uncomfortable at this level and it does not worry me to stay at this level.
But, the Hospital called today as there was a cancelation and I was overdue to see the Consultant. Chatted over my position and he expressed concern that I had become steroid dependant, something that can happen after two years. Whilst the dependency was not something that concerned him in itself it did however at the 10 mg level. Get to 5mg 'ish and that would be more acceptable.
So he wants me to go on Methotrexate, starting with a three month course running alongside the 10 mg of Prednisolone. This is to be closely monitored by a 'specialist' under one if the consultants (can't remember for what) and will mean blood test one or twice a week. Then after another Rheumy appointment in three months a decision will be made to start lowering the Prednisolone.
The whole thing seems horrific, especially as I have just noticed in an article on this site the following 'There is little evidence for the efficacy of steroid-sparing agents - eg, methotrexate or anti-tumour necrosis factor agents. Methotrexate is the most commonly used corticosteroid sparing agent.'
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I took my first dose of 6 - 2.5mg pills last night for my arthritis. Woke up a few hours later in the most excruciating joint pain I have ever had--in EVERY joint including my knuckles of my fingers. Anyone ever experience this crazy reaction to this medication?
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Although my symptoms began a year ago I was not diagnosed with PMR until the end of July when the RA Doctor put me on a 15 mg daily dose of Prednisone. Within a week I felt like a totally different person. I thought I had my life back. In Sept my blood work showed my inflammatory markers had dropped to normal range. In three months the Dr wanted me to reduce to a 12.5 daily dose which I did. It only took about 4 days and all my symptoms were back full blown. She told me to go back to the 15 for a month and then try again. Again the same results and I went back to 15 for another month then dropped again. Same results. Only this time the RA Dr doesn't want me to increase the Prednisone but take pain meds to help me adjust to the lower dose. I ask if I can at least try lowering the dose slower she agrees so I go to 14 mg for two weeks then to 13 two weeks then 12.5 then 11 then 10. I want off the Prednisone as well having had many of the lovely side affects that come with taking it so even though my pain is growing I try to stick with it. I see my primary Dr for pain management. My blood work is showing elevated C reactive protein but my RA Dr seems to think it's an acceptable level. I start PT, and do a pain education class. Slowly the flu symptoms come back as well many nights sometimes all day. I break down many a morning trying to get up to start the day and often cry myself to sleep at night. I go back to my Primary Dr to see how to handle all the pain. She had put me on Cymbalta in January and I thought it helped some so she increased that. I don't like taking so much pain meds but I have to now to get through the days and nights. She does blood work again and my C Reactive Protein has doubled. I get a call the next day that she has talked with my RA Dr and I should go back up to 15mg a day till my apptmt with the RA Dr which was today. The thing is the 15mg is not subduing all the pain like it did before so here I am 7 months later back to where I started only I now have pain in more places than before. Today the RA Dr says she still wonders if I could actually have RA even though I am not manifesting the swelling in the joints that accompanies that. She suggests adding Methotrexate but I dont like adding yet another drug with its own set of side affects to the steroids until I research it. I have to increase the steroids now greater than the 15mg a day so I can have a life! I would like to hear any input/experience on the Methotrexate and just on the steroid use for PMR in general. I sometimes wonder if I was reduced too quickly !!
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After being prescribed the said drug she became gravely ill, mouth ulcers eventually spread to her intestinal area, bone marrow dried up, with all the resultant problems.
she died a very untimely death in June last.
The death certificate cited the drug as the cause of death.
An inquest is due shortly, If I may be allowed to report it's findings at a later date I would appreciate the fact.
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I've been on citalopram now for the last 2 years for what started from work induced stress causing anxiety attacks and depression. However, I've since started a new and better job but anxiety and panic is all still there, even depression. My anxiety now seems to be focused around something more worrying that work, it's now caused by thoughts of death, not so much the process of dying but the inevitability of death, the idea that is is nothingness after death and also how I perceive time being quick. I'm 24 years old with 2 beautiful daughters but feel like it was yesterday that I was 16. My panic attacks are awful with terrible heart flutters and light headedness. Felt derealisation/personalisation symptoms more times than I can count. Some attacks have leave me physically sick and bed bound for a whole day.
These thoughts were just an every now and then thing but now it's almost constant. I've read all sorts to try and stop this fear of death. I've read scientific theories or reports into the survival of consciousness etc etc...
It's gone too far and now I'm booking my first cbt session but I was considering also hypnotherapy as well. Is there anyone else that has had or that has this sort or anxiety? Has anyone also tried hypnotherapy alongside medication and cbt?
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I have a son who thinks he is going to die young and is causing him anxiety everyday it is literally spoiling his life, He is fit and healthy other than this as he plays sports. The thing is this, I need to help him get over this and I need help with technics to make him well again. Any suggestions that helped you overcome this feeling of death?
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I am a girl and I am 21. I'd to know if I suffer from anxiety or maybe it's just a crisis that will soon pass. However,every single day I wake up thinking that another day passed and we all are getting older as a result. I can't stand the idea that one day I will lose my parents. Of course no one wants it but the thing is that I can't control these scary thoughts and whenever I have fun with my parents or close people I unwillingly start to think that one day this day will be just a memory.This is so overwhelming.I can't enjoy even a moment that's why I prefer being alone. The fact that my parents are much older than the parents of my friends makes it even worse. I count days, months, try to see if they have too many wrinkles.It is so unfair to them but I can't help doing it.I love them too much but I get that this is not normal.I used to be a very calm,happy,rational girl but after graduation I don't see the girl I used to be.
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I would like to ask if it's possible to have PTSD 8 years after a traumatic event that happened in childhood. My father died when i was 11 and now as an adult,memories are interfering in my life. So much that i'm not able to function properly.
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I am struggling with existential depression, anxiety, fear of getting old and death, fear of losing and so on. Where does one find help with this? I'm having no success with therapists.
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