Major appetite changes with methotrexate
Posted , 4 users are following.
I have been on injectable MTX for 4 months now and not only have i lost weight (12 pounds-which i probably needed) but am experiencing major appetite changes. Eg. I used to love chocolate... It was my middle name!! I seem to have no desire for it and other goodies i used to love. Anyone experiencing the same?
0 likes, 5 replies
Lisa_Batts kat54641
Posted
Hi Kat
I'm on oral MTX and I lost one and a half stone when I went on it. It settled down though and I managed to put the weight back on. Chocolate is my first name 😂😂 and although I still have it I don't enjoy it as much as I used to. In fact I struggle every day with what to eat as I don't seem to get hungry. If a meal is put in front of me I'm ok and eat it but deciding what to have is a daily struggle.
Food tastes different if that makes sense. Bread us like chewing cardboard. I make myself eat (because I have too!) but every day I make a big bowl of fruit salad and it is the one thing I really enjoy. I'm on morphine also which has tainted food further.
Its also difficult because I cook but because of my limitations with the arthritis I can't do that any more and ready meals although convenient aren't good!!!
Play with different foods to see what you really enjoy. A great chocolate substitution (I have such a sweet tooth) is ice cream and chuck in what's to hand.... Fruit meringue sauce etc like an Eton mess!
I wonder as well if you suffer with the really dry mouth syndrome which I do. This makes certain foods almost 'sink' their flavour into your mouth like garlic I used to love but now I can just taste it even the next day.
Eating is now a chore but I've found through trial and error things that are more enjoyable to me. I've also found lemon mousse and ginger biscuits (which I used to hate!) are great to have on hand as they both combat nausea, but also cleanse that 'metallic ' taste in your mouth.
I just thing your food tastes different overall so try to jazz things up a bit. Even sandwiches..... Chutneys, mustard things like that are good strong flavours. Also try toffee instead of chocolate. Sorry a bit waffly but very tired today
Good luck
Lisa ????
teresa37102 kat54641
Posted
Hi, I am only on my 2nd week of methotrexate, and I too have noticed that food just doesn't really taste right. And my stomach is always upset and bloated. Not liking this drug much. Especially since my joints are only marginally better.
teresa37102 kat54641
Posted
Hi, I am only on my 2nd week of methotrexate, and I too have noticed that food just doesn't really taste right. And my stomach is always upset and bloated. Not liking this drug much. Especially since my joints are only marginally better.
Lisa_Batts teresa37102
Posted
Hi Teresa
Hang on in there. That your joints are marginally better is a good sign. The drug takes anything from 3 to 6 months to fully work so as you can feel a difference already it sounds like the treatment will work for you.
You can ask your doctor for a stomach protector such as Lanzoprazole which stops medication being so brutal on your stomach. A glass of milk can help with the bloated feeling. Also be aware that your diet may have changed because of the change in taste which can affect your stomach. I always make a bowl of fresh fruit which I eat in the evening as it's refreshing for that 'metallic'taste and also helps to go to the toilet if you're not eating properly!
Two weeks in is still very early and believe it or not your body does adjust to the drug. Remember what you are putting in your body is a huge jolt to what your body knows.
I've learned too that caffeine is more likely to upset your stomach and make that 'sickly' feeling worse 😫😫 so I've had to cut back on that.
Also a reminder that anything you are worried about go to the doctor, however small it seems. Don't worry that you are bothering them.... They are already bothered!!
Also you can ask for your folic acid to be upped to 6 days a week, if it's not already. You take it every day except MTX day and this helps greatly with side effects.
As I said the fact you feel a difference already is great and if you can stick with it, it sounds like you are one of the people it will work for. Good luck 😊😊??
Lisa
mike11926 Lisa_Batts
Posted