mtx dosage and confusion, fatigue

[Guest guest]

HI all:

I am interested in hearing about whether you have observed your child's mtx

has had an affect on his/her ability to concentrate in school. I have an A

student that has started school with a flare and a return to 1 ml injected MTX

weekly and naproxen 1/day. He is having trouble getting through homework,

remembering to write down homework, bringing the correct school book home, etc..

He wasn't like this last year. He was off meds last year and di very well in

everything he tried.

(son, Carrick, poly JRA sliding into spondy, onset age 9, now 14)

[Guest guest]

I had total brain fog while I was on MTX. It was absolutely awful, I went from

being an a-b student to getting a 2.46 GPA for that semester. It was so

frustrating. Eventually I went off that medicine because I felt that it affected

me too negatively. Its not a real common side effect.. but it is one of them..

With Love

(JAS, 21, onset 7)

cmjoconnor@... wrote:

HI all:

I am interested in hearing about whether you have observed your child's mtx

has had an affect on his/her ability to concentrate in school. I have an A

student that has started school with a flare and a return to 1 ml injected MTX

weekly and naproxen 1/day. He is having trouble getting through homework,

remembering to write down homework, bringing the correct school book home, etc..

He wasn't like this last year. He was off meds last year and di very well in

everything he tried.

(son, Carrick, poly JRA sliding into spondy, onset age 9, now 14)

[Guest guest]

My son has concentration issues, too. Try to be sure that it is

happening outside of school too so you have more to tell the doctor.

Though Andy has been on mtx (25 mg) injected for about a year, the

doctor has mentioned that it is the naprosyn that is causing the

trouble. You might want to check into that drug's side effects too.

Mtx overall has cause lots of weird things with my son: nausea, severe

vomiting, mood swings, thirst.

On 9/26/06, cmjoconnor@... <cmjoconnor@...> wrote:

>

>

>

>

>

>

> HI all:

>

> I am interested in hearing about whether you have observed your child's mtx

> has had an affect on his/her ability to concentrate in school. I have an A

> student that has started school with a flare and a return to 1 ml injected

> MTX

> weekly and naproxen 1/day. He is having trouble getting through homework,

> remembering to write down homework, bringing the correct school book home,

> etc..

> He wasn't like this last year. He was off meds last year and di very well

> in

> everything he tried.

>

> (son, Carrick, poly JRA sliding into spondy, onset age 9, now 14)

>

>

[Guest guest]

:

Thanks for your response. So, you dealt with it by going off the MTX?

[Guest guest]

:

thanks for the tip on the naproxen. I will call our doctors today and

inquiry.

[Guest guest]

Liz:

Thanks for your reply!

I was wondering what was the effect of being 14 and what was the MTX /

naproxen influence. It is probably a combination. We also, as parents, are to

blame in that we had him signed up for way too much after school. it wasn't

much

different than last years schedule, but the school work has picked up. So, we

have cut back the after school, even though we hated to cut out Choir and

cross country. He still has Chinese lessons and Hockey. We are about to drop

Chinese. And, he loves chinese.

I know Hockey is contrary to all recommendations regarding what sport to play

but it is my husbands passion and it has become Carrick's. Our doctor said

play it as long as you think you can do it.

cynthia

[Guest guest]

, we've not had any problems with the methotrexate and " brain fog " ,

though I know others have. With Carrick, in addition to the meds you might

want to look at whether or not the meds are controlling things yet. Pain can

also interfere with learning. Then, of course, there's always the non-JA

issue~~~ he's a 14 year old boy! Some kids just go thru spells like this and

need extra guidance for a while. We've been there, done that with our boys!!

Liz

_____

From: [mailto: ] On Behalf

Of cmjoconnor@...

Sent: Tuesday, September 26, 2006 3:35 AM

Subject: mtx dosage and confusion, fatigue

HI all:

I am interested in hearing about whether you have observed your child's mtx

has had an affect on his/her ability to concentrate in school. I have an A

student that has started school with a flare and a return to 1 ml injected

MTX

weekly and naproxen 1/day. He is having trouble getting through homework,

remembering to write down homework, bringing the correct school book home,

etc..

He wasn't like this last year. He was off meds last year and di very well in

everything he tried.

(son, Carrick, poly JRA sliding into spondy, onset age 9, now 14)

[Guest guest]

my child has been on mtx for years and I have not ever notice a decline in

school work or anything else. She is 12 and has JRA since 18 months old. She

even goes and does her work with out being told. It might even be your

child's age that has caused this change. Children that have no health problem

do

this also.

[Guest guest]

Hi-

I have a healthy nine year old son that was a straight A student last

year, but he is having the same problems as your son this year.

Forgetting books, not doing nearly as well on tests and we are working

with him a lot this year on homework. Maybe it something in the air???

I have read that some kids get " brain fog " from MTX. My six year old

is on 20 mg/week (she's 42 pounds), and I haven't noticed anything

other than increased appetite the next day and sleepiness the next day

after her dose. On the Arthritis Foundation discussion board, a mother

used to write in about her 5 year old that experienced lack of

concentration after MTX.

Take care.

Sophie