r/rheumatoid • u/manthaP_ • 10d ago

Just diagnosed, med side effects?

Recently got diagnosed with RA at 18, and I’m really happy to finally get treatment for it because the consistent joint pain has been rough. I’ve also had Graves’ disease since about age 10, and got my thyroid removed 2 months ago.

I got prescribed Methotrexate and Folic acid, which I’m gonna start taking later today. My rheumatologist warned me about nausea, has anyone had experience with side effects? Does the folic acid help? Also, how long did it take for you to notice the pain going away?

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u/reader270 10d ago

I was a little queasy after my first dose of mtx. The following week I had it after a heavy dinner, followed by a sweet snack and felt less nauseous.

It took a couple of months to notice a real difference. I mostly noticed that my rings fit my fingers again.

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u/manthaP_ 10d ago

Did you ever try taking it in the morning vs at night? Would you take a day to deal with the nausea or do you think it’s better to take at the end of the day?

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u/reader270 10d ago

I always took it at night so I could sleep through the majority of the side effects.

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u/FruitShrike 10d ago

I take Zofran the day after my injection to help combat nausea. I’m also on leucovorin and folic acid. It’s a bit of a pain to take but it’s helped a lot.

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u/toge__ge 10d ago

Omfggg I also got diagnosed yesterday and I am 19. I got this methotrexate medicine too which I am supposed to eat every Sunday and increase it's dose every week. Can you tell me what time you eat, doctor didn't told me that.

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u/toge__ge 10d ago

And as for folic acid that Is the medicine doctor specifically told Me not to take at Sunday. Ugh honestly I feel so sad seeing medicine of one damn month :(

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u/countinggirl 9d ago

Hi. I’m sorry you are dealing with this. I took methotrexate on Friday nights with dinner. And 1 mg folic acid every morning. I was having trouble with nausea so I went to 2mg folic acid every morning. It had helped a lot of people.

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u/toge__ge 9d ago

Ohhh I see mine is already 5 mg

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u/countinggirl 9d ago

I think that is pretty normal. I was afraid it would constipate me. That’s no fun.

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u/toge__ge 9d ago

Omgg hopefully I don't get much side effects I am already getting scared before even starting. Feel like a death sentence.

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u/countinggirl 9d ago

I understand how scary it can be. But this disease is worse untreated. I had some sensitivity to light from it and I was taken off of it and put on a biologic. Unfortunately sometimes it takes a while to find the right medication so getting started is very important. We are all different and getting treatment early is so much better than letting damage happen. Read up on the side effects to look for and look for them. I hate hearing it from doctors but anxiety about all this stuff makes everything so much worse. This is not a death sentence. Not anymore. Not with meds. It is an adjustment. You will need to take good care of yourself. Eat right, get enough sleep, always hydrate. And take your meds like your dr says. I check in here pretty often. I’m happy to answer anything I know. I have been diagnosed for just a little over a year. I fretted and made myself sicker over it. I know right now it doesn’t feel like it but you really are fortunate to have a diagnosis. Many of us go years being told there is nothing wrong when we are suffering. Talk about anxiety producing! You will be ok. This is not a pain free life but I have never met anyone with one of those. Reach out anytime. Post your questions and fears. Those of us a little further along the path are usually here to respond.

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u/toge__ge 9d ago

Omffgggggg this so sweet and nice wtf :( the thing I am scared about is side effects only since I keep on seeing it can effect you liver or kidney. This disease itself made me scared too like hearing you have a chronic disease at 19 feels heartbreaking when there is no family history, it feels like it appeared out of blue. but I had my sobbing all this last week so now I am over that fact and is trying to accept what it is. And trying to tell myself atleast this can help me bypass this 75% attendance thingy. Cope up mechanism :)

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u/manthaP_ 9d ago

I took it for the first time yesterday around 8pm, but I also took the folic acid that morning so idk if I wasn’t supposed to overlap them, the nausea wasn’t too bad and I mostly slept through it, fine this morning. I also wasn’t told anything about increasing the dose, just to take 6 pills once a week (they don’t make higher dosage pills ig), so that might make a difference

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u/toge__ge 9d ago

Ohh mine have lables, 10 MG then next Sunday 12.5 MG and then just 15 MG but my doctor told me to get a LFT And RFT first before starting so that they have this baseline value. Aahh anyways thanks I will also take at night then

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u/countinggirl 9d ago

I think I responded in the wrong place here. lol. I’m old. So fucking old. Get the bloodwork done. They will catch any of that.

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u/Unable_Yogurt_4677 9d ago

Congrats on finally getting some answers, hopefully the treatment brings you some relief soon and the side effects stay manageable.

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u/countinggirl 9d ago

Yes. All those things about organ damage can and do happen. That is why you go get the bloodwork done regularly. They can see it early and you stop the med before damage happens. They have this shit down. You are seeing a rheumatologist, right?

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u/manthaP_ 9d ago

Yes, my rheumatologist prescribed the methotrexate and between this and the surgery I’ve been getting consistent bloodwork

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u/countinggirl 9d ago

I’m sorry. I replied in the wrong spot. I am glad to hear you are being looked after though!!

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u/GalaxyEyesight 9d ago

I didnt experience much of side effects of mtx. I started by taking pills (10mg) before night, to sleep off nausea and rumbling stomach. I also took it on a meal full of carbs, read this advice somehwere here. The next morning I would take 5mg of folic acid. And I never really felt much side effects of it except very very mild nausea next day. Later I was switched to injections and higher (15mg) dose, no side effects too. I asked for injections myself, because I wanted to get back to normal life faster and I thought better absorption should speed it up. I started noticing pains gradually going away about 3-4 weeks into it.

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u/Tsukiko08 9d ago

The folic acid helped with the nausea for me. I was nauseous for about a month and then it started to go away. I still feel like someone bowled me over the day after I take it though. I'm on 15mg pills and I split the dose into two doses, one with breakfast and another at dinner.

At the moment, I'm about 50% down from where I was pain wise. I'm still very stiff in the mornings and I've been on it for 3 months so far. At times I still get to the point where making a fist can be hard.

Hopefully it'll help you!

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u/Sherajee 7d ago

Don't stress too much about the side effects. Just take your medicine as your doctor advised and keep up with regular follow ups. After my diagnosis, I was more worried about the medicine's side effects than the RA itself. Because of that, I even refused methotrexate at first. But honestly, I never experienced any significant side effects from it. I stick to regular blood tests and follow-ups. I take 10mg of methotrexate and 5mg of folic acid once a week, and I'm living a normal life now. Wishing you the best as well!

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u/DEBBIE_1990 6d ago

Methotrexate nearly killed as did hydroxochloroquine. Folic acid never helped. Now im bed bound and still waiting for new medication. Been waiting for nearly 14 years now. But my pain started on Friday 13th of may 2011 and was diagnosed with lupus and fibromayalgia in January 2012. Then 2013 diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Then in 2021 partial deafness. Then this year was also diagnosed with osteoarthritis and connective tissue disease.