Methotrexate Medication - Uses & Side Effects

Methotrexate belongs to the group of medicines known as antimetabolites. It is used to treat cancer of the breast, head and neck, lung, and tumors in the uterus. Methotrexate is most effective medicines and it is used to treat various forms of arthritis. It is also known as a disease-modifying antirheumatic drug.

Methotrexate Dosage

• The usual starting dosage for rheumatoid arthritis disease is 7.5 to 10 mg and you should be taken all together once a week.
• The medication can also be given as an injection and which comes as 25 mg per 1 milliliter or cubic centimeter under the skin, like insulin, to reduce side effects.

Uses of Methotrexate

• Methotrexate is used to treat various types of cancer, psoriasis, and rheumatoid arthritis.
• It may also be used to treat other medical conditions those are listed in this medication guide.

Side Effects of Methotrexate

Before taken Methotrexate medicine, you should discuss the side effects with your doctor.  If any develop or change in intensity, then you should inform your doctor as soon as possible. Because only your doctor can determine if it is safe for you to continue taking Methotrexate. Side effects may include:

• General feeling of illness
• Chills and fever
• Nausea
• Dizziness
• Decreased resistance to infection
• Mouth ulcers
• Fatigue
• Abdominal pain and upset

Warnings and precautions before taking Methotrexate:

• If you are using this medicine, then you should not drink alcohol. Because it may increase the chance of liver problems.
• If you are taking any prescription and nonprescription medications such as azathioprine, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as aspirin, ibuprofen, indomethacin, ketoprofen, then you should tell your doctor.
• If you have kidney or liver disease, ulcers, problems with your immune system, intestinal disease, lung disease, or cancer, then you should tell your doctor.

Drug Interaction :-

If you are taking Methotrexate with certain other drugs, then the effects of either could be increased, decreased, or altered. So it is especially important to check with your doctor before combining Methotrexate with the following:

• Sulfa drugs such as Bactrim and Gantrisin
• Probenecid
• Retinoid drugs such as Retin-A and Renova
• Phenylbutazone
• Cisplatin
• Phenytoin

Overdose

After taken Methotrexate if you feel that overdose is suspected, then you should contact with your doctor immediately. Because it may lead to another serious effect. Symptoms of a Methotrexate overdose include:

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Bleeding in the stomach
• Sores in the mouth
• Blood and bone marrow problems
• Possibly death

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