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methotrexate toxicity fatality

Posted , 23 users are following.

kristy7
kristy7

Dear Methotrexate Gang,

Hi - I'm writing this post because my father has passed away from methotrexate toxicity in February. This cause of death has been officially confirmed. I'm in a state of shock and I really don't believe that the general public understand the severity or danger of this drug.

As I've read here many MTX patients have been on this drug for months if not years. My Dad was on this drug for only five days.

Here is some advice for everyone on this drug:

> Please everyone always ask for a consumer information pamphlet and be aware of the side effects.

> Even if you feel fine don't ignore any side effects

> Hospitals don't check for MTX levels in the blood - if you find yourself in Hospital ask them to test the levels.

> Be aware of leucovorin therapy ; known as 'rescue therapy' (this is administered if you have suspected MXT poisoning)

> Always follow the directions from a rhumatoid arthritist specialist or dermatologist or oncologist - not a general practitioner

 

3 likes, 65 replies

65 Replies

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  • Dinah54
    Dinah54 kristy7

    Posted

    I'm so sorry for your loss - it's a shocking tale.

    Did your father take it daily instead of weekly by mistake? Or was it just a reaction to the normal dose?

  • mrsmop
    mrsmop kristy7

    Posted

    Hi Kristy, I'm very sorry to hear about your father.  Do they know exactly how he came to suffer this toxicity?  Do you know what dose he was on?

    I was on MTX for 18 months until I stopped taking it nearly 8 weeks ago.  I was supposed to have a follow up appt with my Dermatologist in February and was given an appt for March 31st, which was cancelled on March 30th.  I now have one for April 21st.

     

  • kristy7
    kristy7

    Posted

    Dear Dinah and Mrs Mop,

    Hi - thank you for your replies - it is much appreciated lol

    Dad was prescribed 2 x 2.5 mg dose daily for 5 days

    • mrsmop
      mrsmop kristy7

      Posted

      Daily?  They usually prescribe it in weekly doses.  I was on 10mg [4 x 2.5mg tabs] weekly.

      Did your Dad take Folic acid too?  Some patients take it every day, except MTX day and some take it once a week.  It helps with nausea.

      What was wrong with your Dad?

    • Yejyde
      Yejyde kristy7

      Posted

      Sorry to hear about your loss Kristy and it's said to hear a life has been lost.

      Thanks also for sharing but I have never heard about a daily dose of Methrothrexate and i have just gone through many sites after reading your post to check the allowable dosage and so far, everything points to a weekly dose. I have been on Meth for almost two years for rheumatoid arthritis and although it's got some side effects (i suffer from skin rashes since switching to injection), it's been very helpful with my joint pains. Infact I can hardly remember the pain.

      Having said that, i think you should challenge the prescription and the doctor that prescribed it to your dad.

    • kay31346
      kay31346 kristy7

      Posted

      Hello Kristy...I know that a good deal of time has passed since your original posting, but I fear that we are facing a similar issue with my mother's death...Can you tell me if you decided to pursue a case with this? We are wondering how to even begin such an endeavor, but at the same time, we do not want anyone else to have to through losing a loved one to a incorrect dosage of this drug. If you could let me know, I would greatly appreciate. Thanks, Kay

  • Lisa_Batts
    Lisa_Batts kristy7

    Posted

    Kristy I am so very sorry to hear of your sad news. Thank you for sharing the informat
    • Lisa_Batts
      Lisa_Batts

      Posted

      Sorry keep hitting wrong keys today ... Thank you for sharing this information. My thoughts are with you x
  • kristy7
    kristy7

    Posted

    Thanks for your replies - yes it was a daily prescription for 5 days and Dad was told to take folic acid on the same day as the MTX.
    • mrsmop
      mrsmop kristy7

      Posted

      I was told, by my Consultant, to take the folic acid at the same time as the MTX because I had had a bad reaction to the MTX and passed out.  Taking them together, certainly worked, though nurses and pharmacists all told me to ignore the Consultant.  I ignored what they said.

      I have heard of taking MTX every day but very rarely and I can't remember who said it now.

       

  • kristy7
    kristy7

    Posted

    oh forgot to say that it was for psoriasis (I didn't think the psoriasis was that bad to warrant a MTX prescription)...
    • mrsmop
      mrsmop kristy7

      Posted

      I think they seem to think that MTX has fewer side effects than long term Prednisolone

       

  • cheria
    cheria kristy7

    Posted

    Oh Kristy, I am so sorry.. Methotrexate should only be given in doses of 7.5 to 10 mg weekly(3 to 4 tablets which are 2.5 mg each)...taken all at once, and watched extremely closely for signs of liver toxicity or infection.. Are you sure this is what was prescribed??? You may have a very strong lawsuit case if this prescription is accurate.. You are saying he was prescribed 20 mg of methotrexate..when the starting dose is typically 7.5 mg Wkly.. Please look into this further.
  • sharniemarsh
    sharniemarsh kristy7

    Posted

    Hi Kristy

    I am so sorry to hear about the loss of your father sad  I recently lost my mum just over a month ago and although the cause of death was not listed as methotrexate toxicity, my mother was prescribed the wrong dose for 2 years, 40mg instead of 10mgs and eventually they picked it up when she was told to take 6 pills (60mg a week) as her pain was worsening.  She was on 60mg for 3 weeks before they realised the error. Somewhere along the line, over 2 years ago, they had changed her dose from 2.5mg to 10mg tablets and the doctors spoke only of pills and not mg - i.e - take 4 pills weekly, take 6 pills weekly.  I really do feel for you and I am also wanting to make people more aware of how easy this can happen. I have not heard of anyone taking a high dose like my mum over such a long time, its normally acute poisioning.  I am actually surprised my mother lasted as long as she did.  She kept getting ill and just wanted to get all the posion (methotrexate) out of her body as she felt it was that, that was slowly destroying her. I would definitley look into this further if I was you. Once again, I am so sory for your loss.  Wishing you lots of love and strength x

  • kristy7
    kristy7

    Posted

    Hi guys,

    Thanks for your replies everyone smile Yes, the prescription dose was definetly 2.5x2 daily for five days.It's so upsetting because all the sites on the internet state that the usual dosage is weekly. On top of all this Dad had compromised kidney function which the prescribing doctor knew about.

    Wow sharnie - 60 mg is a huge dosage. I'm so sorry for you. Was she hospitalised?  Did the treating team talk to you about calcium folinate or 'rescue therapy'. Was the cause of death related to the methotrexate in any way (ie liver or kidney failure?)

     

    • cheria
      cheria kristy7

      Posted

      Kristy, i hope you follow up on this. Gather all your fathers medical records, hospital records, and pharmacy. Do not tell why in case of coverup. Determine if this was a pharmacy screw up or doctor. Get good representation. Results will be tremendous.
    • sharniemarsh
      sharniemarsh kristy7

      Posted

      Hi Kristy, no she wasnt hospilised until it was too late - It wasnt picked up for soo long.  She worked at the medical centre too and spent months coughing up blood, and her doctor saw her the days she worked there, and heard this. She was getting regular blood tests, but I guess none for the methotrexate levels, but it should have been picked up that she was on the wrong dose much earlier when she was going downhill each day. It was only when she was about to come to Sydney from NZ to visit me in October 2014 that it was picked up that she was on the wrong dose (60mg). She checked her medical records (as she worked there) and found out that for some reason her medication had been changed from 2.5mg tablets to 10mg tablets over 2 years prior... She had been currently taking 40mg (4 pills her week) for 2 years but they upped it to 6 pills a week when she was getting worse (for 3 weeks) before they figured it out.  When I saw her in October 2014 she sounded terrible with her breathing. That eventually got a bit better as soon as she came off the methotrexate, but she was still coughing up loads of blood every day unless she was on antibiotics. She then developed serious back pain in January 2015 and eventually got an MRI in February which showed she had a few tumours on her back/spine and also on her lung.  She passed away within 3 weeks of these results. She feels it was the methotrexate that destroyed her body as so much posion in there over such a long time and all the coughing inflamed her lungs but this was not the cause of death. She was hospilised when they found the tumors to give her an operation as at that point she couldnt walk from the back pain, from then, she developed clots after the operation and her tumour on her lung started bleeding... At that point, she didnt want to continue and we had to let her go, she had been through enough.   We are currently in the process of taking this further for the simple fact that we dont want this to happen to anyone else.  I really wish you all the best for whatever you decide to do.  My thoughts are with you.
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