Experiences with Methotrexate Shot

[jland25]

Happy Saturday!

I was just wondering about anyone's experience with methotrexate shots and his or her child. My son's doc is recommending this rather than Remicade to start.

My son is very afraid of shots (of course) but infusions are no bargain, either, so I have to consider this. I like that if the shots work it's quicker relief and have my fears about the 6-MP/lymphoma risk, although I know methotrexate is not a benign drug.

How have you gotten your kids through the shots, and have you seen good results?

I am also concerned about the preservatives in shots, so if anyone has access to the package insert, I'd love to know what they list as inactive ingredients.

As always, thanks so much!

Jland

 

[Clash]

My son recently started mtx injections but he is much older, 17.5. He used to despise needles but being on remi for two years kind of fixed that. He gives himself the shot, the needle is super tiny and he says he can't really feel the needle go in(i guess in comparison to remi IV).

Maybe for a younger child have the shots start in the GI office and go from there? C's doc showed him how to inject but using a model. He injected himself 4 days later when we picked up the px.

 

[Farmwife]

Mtx are so much better than Humira shots.
The needle is so fine that you have to look to see it.

I use to pinch the fatty part of Grace's thigh and put it in....no pain.
Now Grace doesn't even want me to pinch it tight.


Grace does have a few side effect but not enough to change her meds right now.

Hugs, I hope it all goes well.

 

[Willowcat05]

Hi, my son has been injecting methotrexate shots since november last year.he injects his thighs alternative each friday night ,he has a bit of nausea afterwards but takes zofran to help with this .this drug has kept him in remmision where azathioprine failed.

Past meds
Azathioprine

Hemicolectomy oct 13
Methotrexate nov 13
Folic acid

 

[Maya142]

We've done methotrexate shots in the past, they're really not so bad. The needle is tiny. We started out icing before the shot but after a while my daughter realized that they didn't really hurt and stopped caring about the ice.

We used her thighs mostly and later when she learned how to give them herself, she did them on her belly. She's pretty thin and can barely pinch up fat but she said they really didn't hurt.

She had a lot of side effects from them but many kids have no problem at all. You can ask for Zofran to lessen nausea if it's an issue for your son.

 

[dodie74]

My 11yr old son has been on mxt shots for 3 months now and is doing good. He injects himself every friday evening before bed and has no sickness etc. prior to the mxt he was on 6mp sine he was 7 but it was no longer working. Last bloods show his inflammation levels are coming down and all is looking fine, Also calprotectin coming down so mxt doing well for him at this time. Hope all goes well. Xx

 

[my little penguin]

DS used buzzy bee for Mtx two years ago.
At the time he was very thin so some of the med would leak out.
Needle was tiny as well.
He was pred the entire time with Mtx and in a bad place crohn's wise so not sure if the side effects of Mtx or crohn's.

Remicade was by far the easiest of all the drugs .
No extra blood work ( done at infusion).
No pokes from me nurses did those .
Guy time with dad .

Good luck

 

[CrohnsKidMom]

My 9 yo so has been on MTX for the last 10 mos. It is a sub-q shot and easily done. I got a crash course from the GI nurse, did the 1st shot on my son with her supervision, the following week I had a nurse friend come by for moral support, and the 3rd time I was on my own. The GI nurse said kids 10 yrs old or so, can learn to do it themselves. My son has a real fear of needles, and at first he took forever to mentally prepare himself for "the poke". I think his anxiety level increased the longer he tried to get himself ready. So now, I get everything all set up, get him to take a couple big breaths then in it goes. Quicker seems better. My son had some side affects, but nothing major... A little nausea, some tiredness initially, and looser stools initially. As far as preservatives, all I get from the pharmacy are the vials, which state it contains a preservative, but doesn't provide any additional info. Good luck!

 

[my little penguin]

also note MTX is only good for 28 days once opened - so less than a month.

 

[Clash]

Wow that is weird about being good for 28 days. I haven't checked the vial since I was sure C was ok with injecting. And 2 vials came in one med bottle so he may be on the second vial by now but I need to check that out.

 

[AZMOM]

jland25 - Our doc orders the "preservative free". There is more than one formulation. There has been times that the pharmacy couldn't get it but by and large, that's what we get.

Maybe that's where the 28 day thing is coming from???? The preservative free formulation????

Here's the package inserts for you on this link......

http://www.hospira.com/products_and_services/drugs/METHOTREXATE

J.

 

[Brian'sMom]

Ours is also preservative free... so ours say "one use only" vials. The needle is very tiny and its a small amount of medicine and so it goes really fast. My son likes to use EMLA on the skin before... But really this just drags is out. But since he likes to do it that way... we just keep doing it that way. He gets 8 shots a month... so I feel like he gets to choose. In the past 4 years he's gotten so so so many needle sticks... in the beginning we would use distraction to help. He likes to play this game on his phone where you play a song by hitting the dots as they come down the screen. I think the app is called Smule. It kept his brain really busy and it took away anxiety. (However, on the flip side, he would always play the same songs it seemed and it eventually kinda bugged me!! They were instrumentals of popular songs. One was Bruno Mars. He doesn't need to do it anymore, but to this day when I hear these songs on the radio I think... "Oh, that's the methotrexate song. That's the Cimzia song..."--- Goofy!)

 

[my little penguin]

28 days is from here .
http://rheuminfo.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/METHOTREXATE_INJECTION_SHEET.pdf

According to the cdc it applies for all medicine in vials once open unless the manufacture states something different.

We found this out for the lidocaine DS uses as well.

Something to keep in mind

 

[Clash]

Ok I need to look into this further. What is the reasoning behind preservative free? I mean are there more side effects, allergic reaction, inclined to shy away from any and all preservatives?