Methotrexate: Incorrect Dosing Can Cause Serious Harm
Tuesday August 3, 2004
Britain's National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA) has stated that oral methotrexate tablets are safe and effective if taken at the right frequency and the right dose. The drug is normally taken weekly, not daily. Confusion over the correct dosing schedule can cause serious harm. England is focused on making changes to eliminate human error in prescribing and by adding warnings and more information. Over a 10-year period in England, there were 25 deaths and 26 cases of serious harm linked to methotrexate.
Methotrexate belongs to the drug class known as DMARDs, or disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs. DMARDs slow the progression of rheumatoid arthritis and other rheumatic diseases, and help prevent joint damage. Methotrexate was developed as a leukemia drug in the 1940s. The drug was considered experimental in the 1970s. Methotrexate was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat rheumatoid arthritis in 1988.
- The Facts of Methotrexate
- Methotrexate For Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Second Course of Methotrexate May Be Effective
- Combination Treatment For Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Humira and Methotrexate in Combination Better Than Either Drug Alone
Photo by Garrett Bautista (iStockphoto)
My uncle in hosptial 2 months dieing most likely according to the MAYO CLINIC, as a side effect to Methotrexate!
Oh my God, what is going on with your Uncle if you don’t mind me asking. I just started Methotrexate and need any info I can get. Thank you and may your Uncle have a God given recovery.
Methotrexate is an awesome drug, I’ve been taking it for my RA for about 17 years and I’ve never had one side effect or bad reaction. I have taken both oral and injectable methotrexate. It is a powerful drug, but if you just follow the instructions, you’ll be fine. Millions of people have used it safely.
My mother has taken methotrexate for RA quite successfully for 15 years with only minimal side effects (canker sores in mouth, mainly). On 10/23/08 she went to the hospital after suffering a TIA. Six days later she was transferred to another hospital for PT to strengthen her limbs. In the transfer, the Dr. wrote her methotrexate order as a daily dosage rather than her normal (6) tablets weekly. He meant to write (1) 2.5 mg tablet daily and it came out 12.5 mg daily! The error was not caught for 11 days. She is currently fighting for her life in an LTAC with a vent and a trach. We had given the hospital a print-out of our mother’s meds and thought that was clear enough–now we know…question everything! It’s sad that we can’t trust our medical professionals. A patient almost has to have someone with them every minute in the hospital to ? every dose!
Kim,
That is truly sad. I hope your mother can recover. There seems to be a lot of confusion over methotrexate dosing…as you said….even when spelled out on a medication list. The “once-weekly” schedule really stops nurses in their tracks because it is unusual. Your last sentence is so true….even though not always practical or convenient…you do need an advocate there for you when in the hospital. Thanks for sharing your story.
I have just started taking methotrexate once weekly, 6 – 2.5mg pills. This is my third week… hopefully i will have luck with it, as i am only 27 years old with moderate RA. So far so good, i haven’t seen any side effects of it. So sorry to hear about the misfortunes of it’s misusage
condolences to all.
I have been on methotrexate for 1 month and after 3 weeks I experienced extreme dizzy spells/vertigo…could not function for 3 days. Has anyone who reads this had this same reaction? If so, send me a response. Thanks,Grace
I was on 13 tablets a week. Google methotrexate lung disease and see why I spent 101 days in ICU and but for the grace of God, almost died.
I am on my third week dose yesterday. Was taking 6 2.5 tablets of methotrexate for fist two weeks, but have been told to take 4 now as i experienced nausea, diareea,also feeling giddy and half drunk, and neck and head pain.
I’ve been taking methotrexate for 5 years now. I take 8 pills a week, and my doctor said I could divide them 4 one day, 4 the next, to ease side effects.
Hey people, I have a question. Can taking Methotrexate for over five years do alot of harm to you when you don’t even HAVE RA?
I have been on methotrextate for about a month. I have been experiencing some nasty side effects. I have had shaking, severe naseua, vomiting and dihareah. Not pretty and I take 60 units once a week and the next day the voniting and the rest of the fun begins. Is there any hope this will lessen?? My arthuritis is bad, but not sure the med is much better.