Methotrexate or Fumaderm?

[jiml]

Fred, Caroline and Jiml. Seeing your replies are now making me lean towards fumaderm. Bill, my dermatologist seemed to be pushing Methotrexate a bit more during our conversation, she pointed out the side effects of Fumaderm and it didn't sound pleasant, hence why I made the thread the when I got home so that I could get advice from people who are actually on the treatment. Excuse my ignorance.

Would anyone have any advice on how to help the side effects? (I work with kids, so tummy cramps and other stomach problems will be difficult to deal with in an environment where I can't just leave the room to use the bathroom due to adult:child ratios) Any advice would be appreciated.

Dermatologists unfortunately are governed by protocols and they are obliged to offer the cheapest option first and that seems to be the methotrexate.
Resist for all,your worth it's worth the fight to get the fumaderm....
I have never had to rush from the room for the toilet it hasn't had that effect on me
The abdominal cramps for me were not enough to be called painfull and they always occurred within an hour of taking the tablets and were never to bad the occasional feeling you want to bend over but the cramp soon passed and I learnt to take plenty of fluid with the tablets and always with a meal. The flushes will occur at odd times I don't know what starts them but they are not unpleasant but in a class full of kids you may get some odd looks as in my case my face turned bright red ..... But it passes after a short while .... In my case it would not have given me enough trouble to want to leave the room...
I think it's worth the side effects, and yes some get them worse than others but the same can be said for methotrexate.... The difference is Fumaderm is not going to damage your body. It may reduce your white blood count and could affect your kidneys and liver as can methotrexate
With Fumaderm if bloods come back low they reduce your dose and monitor you.
For the last three years,I have been on it my kidney and liver functions are spot on my lymphocyte levels reduced to a lower than normal level so we reduced the dose of tablets my lymphocytes are back up where they should be ...... As for side effects I don't have any....... Wel the odd little flush but nothing like the side effects I had on methotrexate
Hope that is of interest to you