Can you have chills from methotrexate?

by Nathan Wei, MD, FACP, FACR

Nathan Wei is a board-certified rheumatologist and author of the Second Opinion Arthritis Treatment Kit. It's available exclusively at this website... not available in stores.

Click here: Second Opinion Arthritis Treatment Kit

Yes. You can. And here are other things you need to know…

• Methotrexate should only be administered under the supervision of a qualified physician experienced in the use of this medication.

• Methotrexate may cause side effects that could be dangerous or life-threatening. Discuss with your doctor the risks and benefits of using methotrexate before starting treatment. Methotrexate has been reported to cause blood and bone marrow problems (fever, chills, sore throat, unusual bruising or bleeding, black, bloody or tarry stools,); lung problems (unexplained shortness of breath, coughing, or wheezing); stomach problems (diarrhea, abdominal pain, sores in or around the mouth); liver problems (yellow skin or eyes, unusual fatigue); kidney problems (blood in the urine; darkened urine, swelling of the feet or legs); and others. Notify your doctor immediately if you develop any of these symptoms.

• Do not take methotrexate if you are pregnant or could become pregnant during treatment. Methotrexate is in the FDA pregnancy category X. This means that it is known to cause birth defects in an unborn baby. Methotrexate can affect a baby both when a woman is treated and when a man is treated. If the woman is being treated with methotrexate, pregnancy must be avoided during treatment and for one ovulatory cycle following treatment. If the man is being treated with methotrexate, pregnancy must be avoided during treatment and for 3 months following treatment.

• Do not take aspirin or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, Nuprin, others), ketoprofen (Orudis KT, Orudis, Oruvail), naproxen (Aleve, Naprosyn, Anaprox), and others except under the direction of your doctor. Although these medications may be prescribed together to treat certain conditions, methotrexate may interact with aspirin and NSAIDs, and possibly cause serious side effects. Discuss the use of aspirin and NSAIDs with your doctor.

• Do not drink alcohol while taking methotrexate.

• Methotrexate interferes with the production and maintenance of DNA, which is the genetic material in the cells of the body. Methotrexate has a greater effect on cells that reproduce often such as cancer cells, bone marrow cells, skin cells, and others. This is how methotrexate works in the treatment of cancer and psoriasis. It is not known exactly how methotrexate works in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.

• Methotrexate is used to treat certain types of cancer, psoriasis, and inflammatory arthritis.

• Methotrexate may also be used for purposes other than those listed in this medication guide.

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