Methotrexate is a drug used to treat rheumatoid arthritis RA and other inflammatory conditions.
You will choose a day of the week, for example Saturday. You will then take your methotrexate every Saturday.
The pills are 2. Do not take more or less medicine than ordered. This medicine can be taken with or without food. You should also take 1mg of folate folic acid each day.
Your rheumatologist will prescribe the folic acid.
This will help prevent side effects. Methotrexate can cause mouth ulcers in click here few patients, in the beginning of treatment. This should go away with time. Another possible side effect is nausea and vomiting. Methotrexate can also cause hair thinning or hair loss. In rare cases some people may develop lung problems.
Methotrexate can cause mild liver irritation. Please tell your doctor if you have a history why do i have to take folic acid with methotrexate pills any alcohol abuse, hepatitis, yellow jaundice, or liver disease. While on click here you must limit yourself to 2 click at this page beverages per week.
Blood work will be done every weeks to check your liver function.
This blood work will also include a complete blood count CBC since methotrexate can also cause a decrease in blood counts. This blood work is very important. It allows the rheumatologist to make timely changes to your dose of methotrexate if there is ever problem.
If you are pregnant, considering having a child, or nursing, discuss this with aricept walgreens rheumatologist before why do i have to take folic acid with methotrexate pills this medication. You must use an effective form of birth control while taking methotrexate and for at least 3 months after the methotrexate is stopped.
Your rheumatologist or nurse can give you additional guidance. When you are taking methotrexate, it is very important that your doctors know if you are taking any other medicine. This includes prescription and non-prescription medicines as well as birth control pills, vitamins, and herbal supplements.
Most patients who use methotrexate to treat their inflammatory arthritis take between 10 and 25 milligrams mg per week. By contrast, the doses used to treat leukemia and certain other types of cancer may be hundreds of times larger.
What should you know? Since its introduction for juvenile arthritis over a quarter-century ago, methotrexate has significantly improved the lives for countless kids with the disease. If your child is taking methotrexate or her doctor has recommended it, here are nine things you need to know about this treatment mainstay.
If you have rheumatoid arthritis RA , your doctor may have prescribed methotrexate for treatment. Methotrexate is one of the most commonly used drugs to treat RA. However, it can decrease the levels of an important vitamin in your body called folate.
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