Warning, always check with your chemist, about what medication you get from your rheumatologist nurse or your general doctor
First wrong dosage.
Hi, everyone, one of the family doctors i saw, misread the prescription that i got from my rheumatologist nurse at the hospital, she wrote 20mg of methotrexate and 5mg of folic acid.
I gave it to my doctor and he emailed my prescription to the chemist.
On picking it up, i was told, i take 20mg methotrexate and 15 mg of folic acid the day after.
I said no, it's only 5mg of folic acid I take and showed her the rheumatologist nurse prescription my doctor gave back to me.
She looked at the medication in her hand and said your right, the family doctor who emailed it, did not read the dosage properly, and she quickly gave me the correct dosage of folic acid.
She said it's a good job i told her that the dosage was too much.
SECOND totally messed up life threatening medication.
I saw my rheumatologist nurse last week and she changed my methotrexate tablets to methotrexate injections with folic acid 5mg and anti sickness tablets Zofran, to take an hour before the injection, and gave me a prescription.
After a hour passed, i was almost home and read what was on the prescription.
I went in to the chemist and said, is that zofran for anti sickness tablets, the chemist said yes.
I said the nurse did not tell me what the sickness tablets was called and i can't take it because
I had anaphylactic shock to either zofran or hypnovel, on a operation i had and the surgeon did not know which one i had the anaesthetic shock to because they was both put in my arm, one straight after the other one and i had filled that part in on my rheumatologist form, if you are allergic to anything, the first time i saw her and on the 2nd time i saw them about my inflammatory condition RA and psoriatic arthritis.
Well the chemist man said he was not going to give me Zofran just in case it was that and to see my gp about changing the anti sickness tablets before i have the methotrexate injection.
I could not take injection on Friday so i had to take methotrexate tablet again.
My appointment with my main family doctor is on Thursday so will sort it out then.
I have enough to deal with without worrying if my autoimmune medication is right,
That really sounds like it's time to have a talk with your doctor. Sometimes they don't konw that their office staff is doing things incorrectly, and rarely, it's even the docs themselves. It won't be a particularly pleasant convo, I won't lie, but it's a necessary one. I even had to stop a surgery once because the surgeon's office manager told me just to go to the surgery WITHOUT stopping my blood thinners and even I knew that was ridiculous. It happens. Let us know how it goes and we are always here to help! Keep on keepin' on, DPM no office staff was involved with the mix up both times.
It's the family doctor themselfs that sends prescriptions to the chemist
The family doctor practitioner wrote prescription via email to my local chemist but he didn't put the correct dosage down from what the rhuem nurse gave me.
Our hospital, each rhuematoid nurse looks after so many patients, ie makes visit appointments, orders any x rays, bone scans, steroid injections ect, because people have tended to get lost within the hospital system, so it's easier for a person to see the same rheumatologist nurse each time you go for an appointment.
And it was the same nurse who is looking after my health is the one that put that ( anti sickness drug ) down with the methotrexate injection on prescription.
I took methotrexate tablet 20mg on Friday because of her mix up.
She wrote prescription out in front of me and gave it me.
Hi
. Absolutely agree with . There are some things when dealing with medical personnel that have to be called out. Missing allergies and getting dosages incorrect are high on that list. As a side note, I'm also curious about your being diagnosed a sickness medication for the methotrexate injection, but not the pills. Did your doctor explain why this was happening? I ask because many people find they have stomach issues with the pill (since it goes through the digestive system), but that this goes away with the injections. Of course, every case is different and your doctor may have an excellent reason for you - like I said just curious. Wishing you the best and please feel free to keep us updated. Richard (RheumatoidArthritis.net Team) hi, i am wondering that myself why wasn't i given anti sickness tablets to try with methotrexate 20mg tablets, but rheumatologist nurse said she wanted me to try methotrexate injection now and will give me anti sickness tablets with that.
She said if swelling as not gone completely and still sore in my knee then she will look in to Biologic treatment next time i see her in October.
She did check to see if anyone was able to do a Dxa scan which i was with her but no one was around to do one, she sent me to have a steroid injection, because i still have a bad limp with the pain.
After steroid i did not see rheumatologist nurse again.
I have also been wondering why not try other drugs first before putting me on injections or next biologics.Hi
. Methotrexate, due to its long history as an RA treatment and, frankly, low cost is often used a first-line treatment. I want to share with you this article from our contributor on her experience with methotrexate, particularly noting that her stomach issues improved with the injection form: https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/living/methotrexate-negative-side-effects. I also want to note that methotrexate often takes 3 to 6 weeks to start working and up to three months for full effect (see: https://www.drugs.com/medical-answers/long-methotrexate-work-3554038/). This may be why your doctor wants to see you in October to make an assessment. If methotrexate does not bring the symptoms under control it is now pretty common to look to biologics as the next line treatment. Hoping you get some relief soon. Best, Richard (RheumatoidArthritis.net Team)
I did mention to the nurse what about trying the other dmd first before biologics,
After all that is why they have more than a few of the same kind of drugs , if one kind does not work, try another one in the end,
But she just poo pood it off and carried on typing in my file.
I'm scared of what could happen if i don't go on to new treatment but scared of what side effects stronger treatment can do.
Hi
. Many people do much better with the side effects of biologics than they do with DMARDs. Methotrexate seems to generate the most complaints in this community. I hope you can bring yourself to give them a try and that they are effective for you. You deserve some relief. Best wishes. - Lori (Team Member)
I'm a little surprised you got anti-nausea med at all. I never did. Further, the injectable form of MTX doesn't really cause nausea because of the way it's metabolized. I've used pills and the injections. But your point is loud and clear about having to make sure the doses are right. I take a number of meds, as does my dog, and I've never had a problem. Ever.
hi, i was put on methotrexate 15 mg on 16th June, only took 6 weeks of that then the rhuem nurse put it up to 20mg, but because my lymph nodes was up on collar bone, my general practitioner give me Amoxicillin tablets, it took 10 days to go down and was told not to take methotrexate at the time, so i missed 2 weeks of that.
Then i started the 20mg methotrexate and took 2 weeks of that dose, had to see rheumatologist nurse again and then she give me prescription for 20mg methotrexate injection and give me a steroid shot.
I was not sick, no stomach cramps or anything when i was on 15 mg meth tablets and 5mg folic acid each week.
On taking 20mg meth i was getting bad stomach cramps, burning but no sickness feeling or anything else.
I will be having my 1st methotrexate 20mg injection tomorrow and rheum nurse said to take anti sickness tablet an hour before i have the infection. I should of had injection last Friday but the rheum nurse did not check up on my adverse reactions drugs before giving me anti sickness tablet on prescription with methotrexate injections.
