MTX and alcohol

[pberggren1]

How much do you drink?

[Donnak06]

Not loads but we usually share a bottle of wine on a Fri, Sat and Sun. If I was going to be on the MTX for a few months then giving up no prob but the Dr is talking about being on it for a couple of years. I would prefer to go on Imuran which I took before for a couple of years with no problem but for some reason he is insistent on MTX.

Also I have been taking 60mg of steriods for 6 weeks and he has told me to decrease by 10mg a week does this seem rather fast, other people I notice seem to decrease quite slowly or is this because I have only been on them 6 weeks. I should off steriods in another couple of months which is good.

[Dirty Don]

I wouldn't count on being off pred too soon...altho some have done it. If this is a 'knockdown' dose, then docs do prescribe a heavy hit and a fast taper. But, if pred has become a mainstay to keep inflammation at bay, then the drops you have now are way too fast. Some get headaches, some get sore, some have symptoms recur whilst in reduction. Best to you.

[annekat]

Our friend Sangye always said, I think, that if one has been on 20mg. or more of pred for 2 months or more, then the adrenals will have shut down and you must be extra careful about tapering. You have been on 60mg for 6 weeks, which seems to be cutting it pretty close. If you had only been on that much for 2 or 3 weeks, I'd feel a little better about a 10mg. per week taper, but even then, it would seem a little fast. Maybe you could do 5 mg. a week? I'd prefer 5mg. every two weeks. Some docs are flexible enough to work with people on these tapers, depending on how the patient is feeling. Ultimately it is up to you.... if tapering 10mg. a week makes you feel awful, I'd just slow it down on your own and touch base with the doc about it. I do understand wanting to get off it, but one can't assume in advance that a given taper schedule is going to work and not cause problems.

[RonB]

I cut out alcohol totally for 4 months, I was also going through kidney failure.

I am improving well now, it was a small price to pay, so why risk it

[Alysia]

I cut out alcohol totally for 4 months, I was also going through kidney failure.

I am improving well now, it was a small price to pay, so why risk it

welcome to the forum, Ron. if and when you will feel like, you are invited to tell more about you. (in "new members introduction").

[Dirty Don]

I cut out alcohol...period. Didn't matter one way or another...

[LisaT]

I am not on methotrexate (it made me too nauseous to function and I still feel sick when I see a needle or think about it, ugh.... But some of my other meds have an alcohol warning. I used to really look forward to a drink with dinner or while preparing dinner. Lately I've noticed that although I think I want the drink, I'm not actually enjoying it and it could be making me feel worse (other than a delicious grapefruit basil martini I had at dinner the other night... That one was worth it!), so I've just decided to stop, other than the odd occasion when I see something so intriguing as a grapefruit basil martini. I think what I was looking forward to was allowing myself a 'treat' at the end of the day. I can do that with a lemon ice water or freshly-made juice, which are both way healthier for me. I'm not suggesting this is the way to go for others, just what I think will work better for me. It will be interesting to see whether and how this affects my so-called social life.

[Dirty Don]

The end of each day IS a treat...for me.