Guest guest Posted January 23, 2004 Report Share Posted January 23, 2004 Joan, YES! I have been on MTX twice in my six year struggle with PA and both times I have suffered from insomnia while on it! I had posted the same question a while back but don't think I had anyone recognize the same side-effect. What do to???? I know how horrible this can be because you are probably exhausted, you know that you need sleep, and your body and brain just don't seem to turn off! This most recent time I've had worse side-effects from the MTX besides the sleeplessness (nausea just being one of them) and I had also been taking Phenegren to ward off the nausea. Well, phenegren makes you REALLY SLEEPY, but even with that I would still have periods of time where I couldn't shut down! The nurse at my rheumy recommended taking a benadryl or a tylenol PM for the occasional times that this happend to me. I would say to check with your doctor and see if there is something they can recommend that will not interact with the other meds you are taking. Getting proper rest is so important to overall good health, but especially important for us with PA. Hope you have sweet dreams soon! > Hi - I've been taking Methotrexate pills for just 2 weeks now - my doc > has me up to 10mg and plans to go higher over the next week or so till I > reach the 15mg mark So far I've had no side effects like nausea, > dizziness or cloudy thinking like some have reported.. In addition to > the Methotrexate I'm also taking 400 mg of Celebrex daily - 200mg in the > am and 200pm in the evening. > > For most of the past 4 or 5 nights I've not been able to get any sleep. > When I first lie down everything is fine - I feel comfortable and feel > myself drifting off to sleep. Within minutes I'm suddenly feeling pains > ::::: there's this burning, cramping kind of pain in my lower legs and > hamstrngs of my thighs. I have cramping sensations in both feet, and > most of all there is incredible pain in my shoulders and upper arms - > actually, upper biceps. It also feels like the shoulder joints > themselves are burning with pain. > As the minutes go by all these pains increase in intensity till I can't > stand it anymore and get up out of bed. > Now here's the strange part :::: after I'm up anywhere from 2 - 5 > minutes these pains and burning/cramping feelings almost all go away. I > still have some pain - those that I have during the course of my days > normally with this PA. > > Has anyone else experienced these kinds of things while on Methotrexate? > Actually, I don't know if it is the Methotrexate causing this - could > it be the high dosage of Celebrex? > > As of this morning I've had hardly any sleep in nearly 5 days - - once > in awhile I'm able to grab one or two hours in the afternoon and not be > too much effected by these painful, cramping sensations ....but that is > rare. > I think I mentioned a few days ago that my rheumy would not prescribe > pain meds as she " doesn't usually do that " . The most she would > prescribe when I kept on telling her how much pain I was having was > Tramadol 50mg. The thing is I can't take Tramadol - it makes me high as > a kite, dizzy, and doesn't take away the pain. After a number of back > and forths with the rheumy's nurse and PA, it was somewhat ok'd for me > to request " narcotic analgesics " from my internist as long as I don't > take too much of it. My internist was not surprised by my call and > request - she says larger numbers of docs are refusing to prescribe > narcotic-type pain meds today. Over the past few evenings I've tried > taking half or one whole hydrocodone before bedtime but find that the > pain comes through even after an hour or so. > Its reached the point now that I'm almost afraid to get into bed - - > afraid that I'm going to have these pains and cramps within minutes. A > good friend told me last night that I should get in touch with the > rheumy and let her know what's going on. > > This is a great list and I'm glad I found a place where I can learn from > the experience of others. > > Joan > > > (Editor's Note: Where to start? OK: Your good friend makes the right suggestion; however: talk to your internist as well. Internists have a less specialty-focused, more holistic view of things medical than do rheumatologists, in case your symptoms are coming from somewhere out in " left field " . > > Also, to be frank, I have little (read: No) respect for physicians who elect a pain-filled specialty such as rheumatology, and then arbitrarily (or at the least, decide for non-medical reasons, to) eliminate from their practice the most effective medicines for the control of pain. Compounding her medical case mismanagement, she then writes for a med (Tramadol) which doesn't work for you, and you don't tolerate, rather than observe the Hippocratic Oath. (You can print this and show it to her, as far as I'm concerned: damn, that behavior frosts my cookies!) > > Moving on: The symptoms you describe, especially the extremely rapid onset and (upon standing) clearance, are rather strange. (Is there something in the bed??? :-) > > Apparently, you did get some Vicodin (or Lortab or Norco) from your internist; what strength? If it's 10 mg. hydrocodone, a whole tab should certainly be adequate for relief. You say the pain is back, an hour after dosing; that would suggest the pain is still increasing, as peak blood level of the hydrocodone would be in the 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hour area. Be sure to mention this to your internist. > > It is unlikely the Methotrexate is responsible (but nothing is impossible, it seems). > > Let us know what you find out! > > D.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 27, 2004 Report Share Posted January 27, 2004 Any chance this could be neuropathy? Nerve pain feels like lightning in a nerve... pain runs along a nerve. Most folks describe a fast moving burning pain... might be something to get checked out .... Editor's Note: " neuropathy " simply means an abnormal and usually degenerative state of the nervous system, so the symptoms you describe fit within the term. Definitely, " something to get checked out " . D.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 28, 2004 Report Share Posted January 28, 2004 <<... The nurse at my rheumy recommended taking a benadryl or a tylenol PM for the occasional times that this happened to me... [sleep problems while on MTX.)>> This is why I hate to get my directions from nurses. Tylenol should be avoided when you are on MTX. Both attack the Liver. In fact, both my internist and rhuemy have told me DO NOT TAKE ANY OTC Meds without their ok while on the MTX. Also, I no longer take Percoset for pain. I take Percalone (No Tylenol included). Sandy swOhio Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 29, 2004 Report Share Posted January 29, 2004 PA also attacks the tendons. It could be that this is the pain you are feeling. I have shooting pains from my hips to knees to ankles to toes, and shoulders to elbows, to wrists to fingers. Just a thought. Thanks, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.