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Anyone out there with PsA and Fibromyalgia?

Is there anyone out there with both PsA & Fibromyalgia? I would love to hear from you to share experiences.
Has anyone experienced bad side effects from taking Methotrexate tablets? When I took them I suffered from really sore and big mouth ulcers so I stopped taking them after one week as the medical leaflet that came with the tablets stated to stop if mouth ulcers and sickness occurred. My rheumatologist suggested I tried taking them again. I questioned this because of the unpleasant side effects from taking them before but he insisted I did. I took them again and as I expected the same side effects occurred. On my return to rheumatology it was advised that I should take Methotrexate injections and was told that this would bi pass the oral stage so would have the more desired outcome. I have yet to try the injections as I have yet to have the education I have to have before I can start taking the injections ( the hospital has to show me in person how to do the injections myself )

Has anyone had a similar experience as I did with the Methotrexate tablets and then went on to take the injections? I would love to hear from you.

  1. I have both Fibro and PSA.
    As to the mtx. I used the tablets at first and had nausea, but not ulcers. It did get better with time. I ended up on injections b/c of dose requirements, and years later still get nausea. I have found if I take cannabis oil about 15 min before taking injections, it handles most of the side effects.

    1. Thank you for your reply and tip about cannabis oil.

  2. Hello - Yes, I have both PsA and fibro. My PsA diagnosis came first, shortly followed by fibro and ra. I understand how challenging it is to try and balance both the PsA and the fibro. It has been a few years now and over time, I've "sort of" figured out how different parts of each disease feels. My fibro causes many points to be tender, even to gentle touch as opposed to the constant aches and stiffness of my PsA... If that makes sense to you...?
    I have found simple symptom tracking to be very helpful, not only so I can see the patterns, but it also give my rheumatologist a good idea of how I'm doing. I'll like one that you can see if it might work for you.

    https://psoriatic-arthritis.com/living/symptom-tracker



    I've tried mtx, (pills) and just couldn't tolerate it because of the nausea and flu-like side effects. But my doctor really didn't push it and we quickly moved to biologics. From my research and others shared experiences, it can take quite a bit of time for mtx to work, but many people do have a lot of success on the injections.
    That being said, if you are at all uncomfortable with your treatment plan, I do want to encourage you to talk to your doctor about it- if he/she is reluctant to take your opinion or concerns into consideration then perhaps you might consider a second opinion. Having a good relationship with your rheumatologist is very important to managing your PsA and fibro.
    Do you have your injection lesson soon? I know it can feel a little scary at first, but once you've done it a few times, you get much better at it. I know there are many people on here who have both PsA and fibro. Since mtx is usually the first line of defense against PsA, I'm sure many others will chime in with their experiences. Check back in and let us know how you are doing. 😀 Gentle hugs! - Leanne (Team Member)

    1. Thanks for your reply. I have yet to have the injection lesson ( long story )
      I do mostly understand the differences in pain and discomfort of PsA and Fibro but I have been experiencing what I can only describe as a constant ‘judder’ in my arms and legs which is very irritating and keeps me awake at night as it only appears to subside if I move about ( which you don’t need or want to be doing when you’re trying to sleep as it’s counterproductive really isn’t it! )
      I’m just awaiting blood test results as I have symptoms of thyroid problems which I had about 9 years ago. I also have a lot of inflammation in my body at the moment which causes me to overheat especially at night in bed.
      Thank you for the symptom- tracker link I will give that a go.

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