About Your Treatment
Your doctor has ordered methotrexate to help treat your illness. Methotrexate comes as a tablet to take by mouth. Your doctor will tell you how often you should take methotrexate. The schedule depends on the condition you have and on how your body responds to the medication.
You may take methotrexate on a rotating schedule that alternates several days when you take methotrexate with several days or weeks when you do not take the medication. Follow these directions carefully and ask your doctor or pharmacist if you do not know when to take your medication.
Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully and ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain anything ...
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About Your Treatment
Your doctor has ordered methotrexate to help treat your illness. Methotrexate comes as a tablet to take by mouth. Your doctor will tell you how often you should take methotrexate. The schedule depends on the condition you have and on how your body responds to the medication.
You may take methotrexate on a rotating schedule that alternates several days when you take methotrexate with several days or weeks when you do not take the medication. Follow these directions carefully and ask your doctor or pharmacist if you do not know when to take your medication.
Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully and ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain anything you do not understand. Take methotrexate exactly as directed. ...
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Important Warning
Methotrexate may cause very serious side effects. Some side effects of methotrexate may cause death. You should only use methotrexate to treat life-threatening cancer, or certain other conditions that are very severe and that cannot be treated with other medications. Talk to your doctor about the risks of taking methotrexate for your condition.
Tell your doctor if you have or have ever had excess fluid in your stomach area or in the space around your lungs and if you have or have ever had kidney disease. Also tell your doctor if you are taking aspirin or other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) or naproxen (Aleve, Naprosyn) or are being treated with radiation therapy. These conditions and treatments may increase the risk that you will develop serious side effects of methotrexate. Your doctor will monitor you ...
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Other Uses
Methotrexate is also sometimes used to treat Crohn's disease (a condition in which the immune system attacks the lining of the digestive tract, causing pain, diarrhea, weight loss, and fever). Talk to your doctor about the risks of using this medication for your condition.
This medication may be prescribed for other uses; ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.
Overdose
In case of overdose, call your local poison control center at 1-800-222-1222. If the victim has collapsed or is not breathing, call local emergency services at 911.
It is important to get medical help right away when you realize that you have taken too much methotrexate. If you take an overdose of methotrexate, there is a medication that you can take to stop the overdose from causing serious harm. This medication works best when it is taken as soon as possible after the overdose.
Symptoms of overdose may include:
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Precautions
Before taking methotrexate,
tell your doctor and pharmacist if you are allergic to methotrexate, any other medications, or any of the inactive ingredients in methotrexate tablets. Ask your pharmacist for a list of the inactive ingredients.
tell your doctor and pharmacist what prescription and nonprescription medications, vitamins, nutritional supplements, and herbal products you are taking or plan to take. Be sure to mention those listed in the IMPORTANT WARNING section and any of the following: certain antibiotics such as chloramphenicol (chloramycetin), penicillins, and tetracycyline (Bristacycline, Sumycin); folic acid; other medications for rheumatoid arthritis; phenytoin (Dilantin); probenecid (Benemid); sulfonamides such as co-trimoxazole (Bactrim, Septra), sulfadiazine, sulfamethizole (Urobiotic), and sulfisoxazole (Gantrisin); and theopylline (Theochron, Theolair). Your doctor may need to change the doses of your medication or monitor you more carefully for side ...
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Possible Side Effects
Methotrexate may cause side effects. Tell your doctor if any of the following symptoms are severe or do not go away:
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Special Instructions
Do not let anyone else take your medication. Ask your pharmacist if you have any questions about refilling your prescription.
Storage Conditions
Keep methotrexate in the container it came in, tightly closed, and out of reach of children. Store it at room temperature and away from excess heat and moisture (not in the bathroom). Throw away any medication that is outdated or no longer needed. Talk to your pharmacist about the proper disposal of your medication.
