Methotrexate

METHOTREXATE

Drug Information

Methotrexate is the magic potion that works its miracles when all others fail to treat inflammatory skin disease like psoriasis. It could also find itself useful for the successful treatment of other disorders like rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, chemotherapy agent for leukemia and it also finds application in getting rid of cancerous growth of breast, skin, head, neck, and lungs. There are always possibilities of the development of side-effects when using the health-supplement. It is best to weight all the pros and cons carefully before trying out tablets in 2.5mg or 10mg.

 Mechanism

LIke all medicines and health supplements, Methotrexate works the best only when it is taken as prescribed. It works its magic by retarding the normal growth of cells in the body. This way, cancer cells, bone-marrow cells, and skin cells can't grow as quickly as they would in a normal course. It does its work as an anti metabolite this way.  It is successful in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis but it decreases the activity of the immune system.

How to take Methotrexate

Methotrexate is to be taken in orally as prescribed by the physician. The prescribed dosage may vary from person to person. It would also depend on the severity of the disease plaguing the individual. The dosage may be increased gradually from a negligible amount. This varies among individuals from 2.5mg to 30mg.

It is not recommended to stop the dosage or skip certain doses without consulting a physician. Clubbing of two or more doses is also not recommended. It would be best to complete a forgotten  dose as soon as you are reminded of it.

Some side-effects like nausea, diarrhea, temporary hair-loss, loss of appetite, shortness of breath, development of rashes or allergies, dry cough, fever, liver disorders, disorders of the skin, etcetera. Medical help should be subscribed to as soon as symptoms manifest themselves.

 Precautions

• Prescriptions and instructions given along with the health-supplement are to be followed.
• Consult a doctor is you are allergic to a certain medicine. The doctor would be the best person to advise you if the other medicine you might be taking    could interfere with the working of Methorexate.
• Ladies who are pregnant or those nursing children should consult a physician before trying out Methorexate.
• Methorexate weakens the immune system, and it makes you prone to infections. So, it would be best to avoid crowded places where you could catch infections.
• Be sure not to miss any tests or exercises prescribed by your doctor.
•  Methorexate should not be given to young children without the doctor’s consultation. Take care not to get pregnant while under a dose.
• Use a cool and dry place for storing Methorexate. Use an air-tight container to store it at room-temperature.
•  The medicine should be kept in a place where children can not reach.

• If you are plagued by any medical complication like a disorder of the kidney, liver, bone-marrow, lung, liver or stomach, do consult a doctor before initiating a dosage of Methotrexate.