STOP Methotrexate Nausea: 7 Proven Tips That Actually Work

Introduction to Methotrexate Nausea 0:00

It's Friday night. You just took your methotrexate and you already know what's coming. That wave of nausea that's going to hit you hard tomorrow morning. Maybe you are already feeling anxious just thinking about it. Maybe you may have even thought about not taking your methotrexate altogether. Here is what I want you to know. You don't have to live this way. About one in four people who take metotrexit experience nausea. But the good news is this symptom is manageable and even preventable with the right strategy.

Today, I'm going to give you seven practical tips that you can use to transform your methotrexate experience. These are not just the internet tips. They come from medical literature and from clinical guidelines. And I am going tell you exactly how to use them to manage and prevent metotrexit nausea. But before we start, what is your biggest challenge taking methotrexate? Drop them in the comment below. Your experience might help other rheumatoid arthritis warriors manage their nausea from methoxacite.

Hello, all of you, rheuma arthritis warrior.

Why Methotrexate Causes Nausea 1:14

This is Dr. Ananth Shubhedi, your rheuomatoids arthritis coach at the RheumDoc, as well as a practicing rheumeatologist here at Empower Arthritis and Rheaumatology Center. Before I go further, don't forget to like and subscribe to our channel so that you can get these type of content for the future. And also, Don't Forget to accept our gift, the Holistic RA Guidebook just for you, as well as a recipe of a smoothie, an anti-inflammatory smoothie that can be used to manage your RA naturally. As I mentioned earlier, one in every four patients who take methotrexate, they experience nausea.

And as I've mentioned, it is a fixable problem and it's a preventable in many cases. So let me guide you through that process of how to prevent and manage methtrexit nauseas. Let's first start understanding why you get nausea due to methotrexate. We have talked about methtrexit in our prior video in further detail on how it works and why we use it in rheumatoid arthritis. Now let me quickly recap. we have discussed that methetrexy blocks folic acid, the folate, which is one of the essential vitamins in the body.

In particular, our gut lining cells also use folic acid during the growth. When you are taking methotrexate, those gut linings cannot get enough folate and that irritates those lining. And because of those gastric irritation lining, you feel sick. You feel that nausea when you take metho trexite. And the nausea is not because of something you have done or because something that you've eaten.

Tip 1: Folic Acid and Injection Methotrexate 2:51

It's a biology. Because of the biology of your gut lining, it can cause nauseas. As you can see in these pictures, focus on your right, you see that the methotrexate causes that irritation of those gastric lining. You can compare that lining with the one on the left, which is a normal, healthy lining Under the effect of metotrexit, your gastic lining becomes very, very irritable. They are irritated, causing that symptom of nauseam. So let me walk you through those seven steps that you can use to minimize nausea.

The first number one tool is take your folic acid daily. Research has suggested that it can reduce your nauseam by 26 percent and even the liver problem. It can be reduced by 77 percent. So your doctor typically recommend taking folic acid one to five milligrams depending on your symptoms. That's why the doctor recommended taking Folic acid from one two five milligram depending upon your need, depending your side effect. And it's a very reasonably cheap option to help you manage and prevent nausea from methotrexate.

The tool number two, ask your rheumatologist to switch your oral, the pill metho trexid to an injection form. if you are having nausea when you're taking the pill methotrexate, switching to injection form could be a very effective strategy. If you take methodrexxate by injection, it can bypass the stomach lining, which is typically irritated when we take it by mouth, and it minimizes that irritation. And it resolves, so by taking injection methtreixate it causes less nauseas. There's good news too.

If you take methotrexate by injection, your body absorbs it better. So it's also clinically better effective to control your rheumatoid arthritis. There is a win-win. You have less nausea and your RA is better controlled when you are taking methoxy by injections. Now, many of you RA warrior might be afraid of the needles, but the needle that you use to inject metotrexy is very small.

Tip 2: Split Dosing and Anti-Nausea Medication 4:46

Sometimes you can even find auto injector, a form of metoxy that is easier to injection. So the tool kit number three to minimize methotrexate side effect is splitting the dose. Typically metotrexit is taken in variable doses. Some of you start with four pills, some of might need up to 10 pills. So there is a lot of variation on how much metho trexid do you need. typically we use meto trexit once a week but if you are having nausea when you're taking once-a-week split those metatrexic. For example, if you take methotrexate every Friday, take half of them Friday morning and the half the Friday evening.

By doing so, your irritation in the stomach is less and it can also get better absorbed and become more effective. And by spitting, it becomes more affective too. So you have a win-win. The third important tool is splitting your methotrexxate dose into two doses on the same day when you get methoxy. So the toolkit number four is your anti-nausea medication. You try all those other tools, but if you are still having nausea, then you can ask your doctor, ask a rheumatologist or your primary care doctor for anti nauseam medication, which you take on the day or two after taking methotrexate.

And please take those medication 30 minutes to an hour before your method of dose so that you prevent the nauseas. So this is an important toolkit that you have if you are already experiencing nausea from methotrexate. Now, the toolkit number five is the timing of your medication, timing on when you take your metho trexite. If you took methotrexit at bedtime, then you may feel less nauseous while you're sleeping and also be consistent on.

Tip 3: Timing, Food, and Anxiety Relief 6:32

When you. Take your. Metho Trexit. Taking it consistently on the same day also minimizes your risk of nausea from methotrexate. The other strategy is, on day when you take methtrexit, also watch out what you are eating. Try to eat more bland meal on that day. Some of the meal can also cause gastric irritation. That's why having a simple meal, might protect your gastric irritation. Now all of you rheumatoid arthritis warrior, I hope you are understanding more about how to minimize methotrexate. If you like this video, give us a thumbs up.

Also subscribe to our channel so that more of your RA warriors can get these type of content. Please help us spread this information to those who really need to know about metho trexite side effects. The toolkit number six is we call breaking the anxiety cycle. I have talked about this in the earlier video regarding anticipatory nausea, which is typically common in up to 10% of the patients. What happens in anticipative nauseam is this nauseation even before you take methotrexate. Just having that thought of taking methtrexxate might give you nauseas.

And here are three different things that you can use to minimize this anticipatory nausea. The number one, deep breathing exercises that can help you minimize your nauseam. Number two, even the guided meditation can distract your brain, minimizing your anticipative nauseas from methotrexate. And the number three is distraction. Watching something fun, watching something favorite channel when you are taking methotrexate might minimize this anticipatory nausea. So use these three tools to help you minimize these type of nauseas when are you taking Methoterexates.

Now the seventh important tool is stay hydrated and eat smart on the day you're taking Methotrexxate. Dehydration can worsen your symptoms of nausea and fatigue due to methotrexate, so stay hydrated on the day when you are planning to take your methtrexxate. And also eat small and bland meal like crackers, which can help you minimize nauseas related with methodre xate Some of my RA warriors also suggest that taking ginger tea or ginger capsule can also minimize nausea that sometimes can happen with methotrexate.

So use your ginger, the spice, to minimize the nauseam from methoxy. Now, despite taking all of those seven precautions that we talked earlier, you are still having nauseas. You might be wondering when to call your doctor when you're concerned about the methyrexy side effects.

Tip 4: Hydration, Ginger, and When to Call Your Doctor 9:08

So here are the four important tools or four symptoms you need to watch out. Number one, if you are vomiting and you're not able to put things down, call your doctor so that you don't get dehydrated. The second one is if your having recurrent nausea to the point that your have to skip your methotrexate dose, alert your rheumatologist. let them know that you are not able to tolerate so that they can look into options, either changing the methotrexate dosing, changing, the form of metho trexade, or even some other medication that we are able.

To tolerate, so effectively communicate to your rheumatologist. The number three is you're already thinking about stopping metotrexxate. Let your doctor know, let your Rheumatolytist know. That you cannot tolerate the Metho Trexid and we need to find some others safer and effective option. And the fourth one is You have tried all those seven tools that I talked earlier and you are still having difficulty managing your nausea. In that case, let your doctor know soon so that we can find better options for you.

All of you rheumatoid arthritis warrior, Let me summarize those 7 toolkit or 7 actions that you can take to minimize nauseas. Let's me quickly summarize them. Number one is take your folic acid every day. number two is switch your Hill methotrexate to injection form, which might be better tolerated. Number three is split your metotrexxate into two doses every week. 4. Ask your rheumatologist if you need nausea medication. 5. Time your dose, typically taken in the evening, so that you can have less nauseas.

number six is break your anxiety cycle where you can get that anticipated nausea by doing those three techniques I mentioned earlier and the number seven is stay hydrated and eat smart on the day when you are taking methotrexate. If you If you follow these 7 tips you may not have nausea or you can minimize your nauseam.