Weening off MTX

[Guest guest]

I'm on Mtx injections and I recently stated weening off. I was

on .08 ml (I think it's like 20mg) so I went down to .06 ml and i

was fine....then last week I took .06 ml again but after I pulled

out the needle a lot of the medicine flowed out of the puncture. (I

don't know why that happens) so I don't know exactly how much mtx I

actually got, but I felt fine all week. Until last night. I take my

mtx on Fridays. So it was Thursday night last night and I could

almost feel my inflamation rates rising by the min...my throat got

swollen, my glands in my neck were swollen, and I started geting

the " I just ran a marathon " soreness in my legs and shoulders...So

today I woke up and my hands are covered in the blister bumps, my

elbows and wrists and armpits are covered with these horribly ugly

and itchy lumps and I've got the red splotchy rash all over my arms

belly and thighs.....My doctors are all gone for the holiday...I

HATE calling the doc on call because I feel like sucha a pest. So I

just took my mtx but went to the original .08 ml and I'm scared that

I took too much, but it's proabably irrational...I'm probably just

upset that I reacted so severely to not being on the mtx when I

wanted so badly to be off of it....But At least I know now that I

need it. I didn't want to take it and not actually need it. Now I

know I need it and I won't be so reluctant to accept that it's a

part of my life for good (for the time being). ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!

I've never been so friggin itchy in my enire life! It's hellish!!!!

Will benadryl help or just make me sleepy????

P.S. Happy New Year to everyone....I have a good feeling about the

year to come. I hope 2005 will bring us all closer to cured.

[Guest guest]

Hi Lissah.....I am taking MTX by pill every Wednesday. I just got started on

this. So I have not experienced the tapering of it. But I have experienced

the horrors of " the Rash " quite a few times. One time I was hospitalized

because it was so bad. And it itched horribly! They did give me Benadryl by IV.

All it really did was make me sleepy. I had to just wait it out, about 5 days

and it eventually dissipated after receiving a high dose of Steroids through

IV. I think it was 160mgs twice a day. I'm sorry that you are experiencing

this now. I know it can be rough. But hang in there, and try to relax and rest.

You will get through it.......I think someone had mentioned to me about an

anti itch stick that you can buy and rub on. It is actually made for animals,

but supposedly works well for the itching. I'm sorry but, at the moment I

cannot remember the name of it.

Take Care,

Carey