Treatment and methotrexate

Hello Lou I am Jean, I have had Psoriasis for nearly 40 years and have tried most lotions potions and various other medications available to me on the NHS ( and have also tried a few private ones )I took Methotrexate for a while whilst undergoing PUVA treatment at the hospital ,I took 5 tablets 2 hours prior to the light treatment ( the tablets make you very light sensitive which is why you take them with PUVA light treatment ) I have never taken them as a normal medication but do remember they made me feel really nauseous .My only advise is to read up on the drug before taking it and your doctor may give you something to ease the nausea , as with other drugs they have side effects, i for instance have just been taking Acitretin and although it has cleared my Psoriasis have lost all my eye brows,eye lashes my hair is falling out in clumps and my skin is so sticky i cannot touch anything with out using talc on my hands ,it also effected my muscles and i developed Sciatica so PLEASE read up online .. I hope it works for you and you get some relief x

Hello Jean, thanks for your reply, how is your psoriasis doing now? I ended up finding out a bit more information about methotrexate last night and have a few more questions for the doctor when I go back to dermatology before starting treatment. I am so sorry to hear about the side effects you have and I hope they ease for you and improve quickly :)

Hi Loupop, I took Mtx for ten years 2009 to 19. I had a bad flare up in 2009 and was prescribed cyclosporine plus Mtx. My P improved significantly so stopped cyclosporine after six months and remained soley on Mtx for the next ten years. Highest dose or 25mg, lowest about 12.5mg. In that time I probably maintained 90% clearance. Your Derm may offer you Mtx injections rather than tablets. You will also be prescribed folic acid at the same time. Like with many of our drugs, we have to have regular blood tests and Mtx is no different usually every 3 months for me. I used to take it late on Saturday night so I could sleep off the side effects which was mainly nausea. After ten years of putting up with the side effects, my derm offered the opportunity of biologics. So in Nov 19 started Stelera which is currently working. Good luck.

Thanks steview for your response, glad to hear that is working well for you, right now my P seems to be getting much worse and a bit out of control so I will try anything, light therapy failed twice previously so think they wanted to try another treatment, thanks for your good luck wishes :)

Hello, Im Chloe, very new to this whole forum thing haha. I started having psoriasis roughly age 12 but with many creams, it dissipated. I’m now 19 and last year November, i took some antibiotics which triggered a massive flare up of psoriasis on my back, chest, belly, legs and face. I was prescribed MTX about 6 weeks ago and currently on 10mg. Luckily i haven’t suffered from many side effects, only the occasional headache and fatigue. A lot of my psoriasis has gone away, but i am left with a lot of scarring. Some of which being lighter than my skin, others being a darker tone. Did anyone else have the same experience ? Hope everyone is doing well, have a great day !

HI everyone, I have just joined the forum today. I am due to come off of cyclosporine very soon and currently plan to switch to methotrexate. I am a little anxious about the side effects but hopefully that will be ok, I will have to see. I am concerned about how this has impacted people's lifestyle. I am 26 and a social drink is currently a big part of my social life, not always a blow out getting wild but pints after work, wine with a meal on a Friday maybe, at weddings to name a few. The doctor says it is not possible to keep these behaviors and I am worried how it may impact my social life. I was worried this would seem trivial because the main thing is that I maintain 95% clear of P. However, it's really been getting me down in a way. I tried to start a new topic about effects on lifestyle but haven't been able to get to the front of the queue. What have you guys been through or experienced in this are of your treatment. Thanks, L :)

Hello L, I can speak from my experience. Anyway in a pretty much similar position to yourself, I had a major flare and put on Cyclo for about 4 to 6 months which really helped. My derm then introduced Mtx along with Cyclo for a few more months and gradually weened off Cyclo completely. I remained on Mtx tablets with good clearance for about 9 years till Nov 19 when moved onto biologics. Anyway all these meds come with side effects and Cyclo plus Mtx are no different. Cyclo is a very strong drug so they don't like to over prescribe. I was informed the odd drink is OK but I personally would not go against the advice. I always stuck within the recommended guidelines on alcohol consumption. Some weeks I may not drink at all. With both of these meds you should have regular blood tests and any negative effects due to taking the drug and alcohol consumption will come up on the tests. I used to take my meds before bed on a Saturday night because I didn't work on Sunday. That way I could sleep of the nausea side effects of the drug. I know if I had a beer or couple of glasses of wine that night I would suffer more with a headache or nausea. I think you will have to suck it and see how you go but definitely listen to the advice of the specialists, but everything in moderation is the best way I. M. O.

Hi Stevie, Thanks for that, it's good to hear your experiences. I think it is inevitable that I will be put on the medication soon, It's also helpful to hear people's tips on when to take the medication and how to mitigate any side effects. I agree, I will see how I handle the medication and go from there, after all, keeping the condition under wraps is the priority. All the best, L

Hi guys, Im new to the forum, I’ve suffered from psoriasis for 10 years, and psoriatic arthritis for about two years now. I have been on methotrexate for just over a year, I was put on it to treat the arthritis, there was a lot of side effects but I was glad when I heard it could also help clear my psoriasis as well as help the arthritis. Sadly for me I haven’t noticed any difference in my psoriasis since taking the methotrexate, although it has made a huge difference in relieving my arthritis symptoms so for that I am pleased. Just wish it cleared my psoriasis too, some days I feel okay but others I get very down about it! Hope everyone is okay and staying strong :) x