1. Community
  2. Bones, joints and muscles
  3. Methotrexate

Methotrexate and memory loss

Posted , 11 users are following.

Dinah54
Dinah54

I am on my second week of methotrexate which was prescribed for sero negative inflammatory arthritis.

I am finding it hard to string a sentence together. It's word retrieval that is the problem. Not ideal for a journalist!

Is this a known side effect of methotrexate?

1 like, 24 replies

24 Replies

Next
  • cheria
    cheria Dinah54

    Posted

    Gosh none that I am aware of at all..this sounds a little serious to me and is not a typical side effect I have researched...I would absolutely call your doctors office as soon as possible to let her know of these new symptoms.. With this happening suddenly I would even consider going into an emergency clinic..just to be sure of blood flow to your cerebral area..there are conditions known as mini strokes that have this symptom..please don't put this off.
    • Dinah54
      Dinah54 cheria

      Posted

      Thanks for your quick reply. I have possibly made it sound worse than it is. I'm not having problems speaking - I guess it's more like brain fog and not being as lucid in my writing as I normally am.

    • cheria
      cheria Dinah54

      Posted

      Okay lol.. You prob know already that methotrexate depletes folic acid and making sure you get this daily is a way to shirt circuit this for many people.. I.took this in tablet form but also got plenty from smoothies in which I added a handful of.spinach leaves.. I could.barely tell.the.spinach was in them..the pineapple and other things were the stronger flavors ;-)
    • Dinah54
      Dinah54 cheria

      Posted

      Yes I'm slightly confused about the folic acid thing. I take one tablet a week - not on same day as the mtx. But I noticed on this website it says not to take any vitamin supplements which contain folic acid. I take Beroca every day which does contain it. So maybe I shouldn't?
    • cheria
      cheria Dinah54

      Posted

      Not sure who would post no multi vitamins...Definitely take a multi vitamin..this and the other supplements I take keep the pain more manageable, encourage healthy sleep patterns, reduce stress, and keep my immune system stronger, which methotrexate compromises.. When stopping my supplements for 2 -3 days, my pain starts to creep back up on me and eventually if I go on over a week towards 2 wks, a flair begins for me..I did this as an experiment 3x.. Also magnesium glycinate has taken away all fibromyalga symptoms/muscle pain.. It is responsible for over 300 enzyme reactions with many involving muscle, bone and protein. Lab work does not show deficiets, as only 1% max shows up due to this being stored in bones.
    • hollz98148
      hollz98148 Dinah54

      Posted

      I felt like I was in a "brain fog" also, and found myself just feeling a bit slower than usual. I had to take a break due to a UTI, but I'm going to start back on my mtx next weekend.

      Best of luck to you, hopefully your side effects subside!

  • chris91257
    chris91257 Dinah54

    Posted

    Hi Dinah, You have the same as me. I've been on methotrexate for a good few years now. I have trouble picking the right word to use, only trouble is I'm stubborn so wont finish what I'm saying until I find the word. I put it down to my age - 58 - but I suppose it could be the drug. Other than that I find it wonderful. The relief from the aching joints creeps up on you. I only notice how much relief I got when I had to come off it for a few weeks, boy, did the pain come back. Stick with it, it's worth it in the end. If you struggle with the odd word it's a small price to pay x

     

    • deborah26407
      deborah26407 chris91257

      Posted

      Hi Chris,  My father has been on methotrexate since 2009 for Rheumatoid Arthritis.  Shortly after starting it he started having trouble finding words which has become progressively worse (he has been on injections of methotrexate weekly since 2009).  He was given a diagnosis of FTD but his behaviour doesn't seem to quite fit any type of FTD and I was wondering how you were going? I'm probably clutching at straws here but I was wondering if you had any updates since you posted.   If you had noticed your speech has become any more difficult?  Also, is there anyone else on this forum who has experienced progressive, gradual aphasia over years of methotrexate?  Many thanks. Deb

  • Lisa_Batts
    Lisa_Batts Dinah54

    Posted

    Hey Dinah, if I makes you feel any better I struggled with this for my first month then it seemed to go away. The only thing I would point out that the doctors don't, is that should you have a bout of extreme confusion, ie, not knowing what you are doing then you should go and get seen straight away. Don't forget as well when we are diagnosed with something and then put on an extreme medication like this there is going to be a lot of stress with it which addled my brain. Best of luck ☀️
    • Lisa_Batts
      Lisa_Batts

      Posted

      Re the folic acid I asked my specialist to up the dose so I took it 6 days a week just not on MTX day. It must be prescribed by the doctor and not bought over the counter. For some reason the components if the drug are slightly different 😊
  • tog_pogle
    tog_pogle Dinah54

    Posted

    I start mtx today hence why I'm looking around at forums and discussions.  My memory has been getting gradually worse since I've had RA (2 years now) and it concerned me enough to have mentioned it to my Rheum nurse a few weeks ago.  She suggested that I give the mtx a couple of months to see if my memory improves but if not then to go and see my GP.  I've googled RA and memory loss and have come up with the "Brain Fog" explanations that some Doctors believe in but some dismiss it as just a side effect of depression that RA sufferers can experience.  I know that I feel OK in myself though (mentally and emotionally) and my memory is ridiculous at times.  It's actually embarrassing at times if I'm speaking to someone and can't remember a place name or an objects name or just an everyday word.  I would see your Doctor because the Rheum nurse said to me that there are a lot of different reasons for memory loss and I should ultimately get it checked out. Seeing as she implied that the mtx would treat my RA and therefore my "brain fog" I'd go see your GP.  Apparently memory loss is very rarely caused my dementia so don't be nervous and good luck. x
    • Dinah54
      Dinah54 tog_pogle

      Posted

      Thank you so much for your reassurance. I think I was probably over reacting to a bad day as I haven't had a problem since. In fact I've just done the Guardian cryptic crossword for the first time ever - so maybe mtx has given me super-powers!
    • Lisa_Batts
      Lisa_Batts Dinah54

      Posted

      Hey Dinah freaky! I love the Guardian cryptic and have been struggling with it lately.... Today I actually finished one too! I have the books and was struggling so much more I thought 'at least I'm getting my money's worth' 😂😂😂😂😂 x
    • Lisa_Batts
      Lisa_Batts tog_pogle

      Posted

      I would argue with the doctors that the 'brain fog' is very real but you are right to get things checked out if they are persistent. I didn't have memory loss with RA alone, only when on the MTX. Good luck with your journey 😊😊
    • Dinah54
      Dinah54 Lisa_Batts

      Posted

      Well I really struggled with the Guardian today! - so either it was an easy one on Monday or the brain fog is worse the first couple of days after taking Methotrexate.... It certainly seems that way.

       

    • Lisa_Batts
      Lisa_Batts Dinah54

      Posted

      I found the brain fog worse on day 2 and 3 for some reason. I do the Guardian Cryptic from the books but if you are doing it from the paper maybe it isn't you, it's the compiler! Give me a Gordius or Paul I'm well away but Araucaria may as well be written in Russian MTX or no MTX! 😂😂
    • deborah26407
      deborah26407 tog_pogle

      Posted

      Hi tog_pogle,  I am looking into links b/w medication for RA and memory loss, as this happened to my dad soon after staring methotrexate injections and prednisone. A neurologist told me that he has only seen methotrexate frontotemporal dementia when it has been injected into the spine, not muscles, which makes me think maybe it is Prednisone that causes it.  Were you on Prednisone when you started getting brain fog? If you Google 'steroid dementia' you can find some research on this topic.  Makes me wonder how much of this brain fog is from the medication, rather than the RA itself.  The medication has led him to be pretty free of RA symptoms for seven years, so that is good. Sounds like a very painful condition.

Back to top
Next

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.