Methotrexate Injections?

I finished my 6 rounds of R-Chop for my large B-Cell Non-Hodgkin lymphoma. The Pet scan showed all clear though the doctor said sometimes it can't show if every single lymphoma cell is gone.

Oncologist is setting me up for a set of 4 shots (1 a week) of Intrathecal Methotrexate (type of chemo) which will be shot into my spinal cord. Risks are headaches and central nervous system infection. It is to keep the lymphoma from going into my brain as the chemo doesn't reach there. Oncologist said it was a lot more of a risk not taking the shots than taking them so I am having her set them up for me starting next week.

I was wondering if anyone else here has taken these shots. What is your opinion about them and what was your reaction to them, etc.??

Thanks for the help!

Comments

  • Max Former Hodgkins Stage 3
    Max Former Hodgkins Stage 3 Member Posts: 3,803 Member
    New One on Me

    Folks,

    I had never heard of this drug, and looked it up at chemocare.com. It is used for a numbet of cancers, and is delivered as an IV in most cases, sometimes as a pill, and when used in the nervous system, as an injection.

    It has the usual side-effects: low blood counts, hair loss, nausea, fatigue, low appetite. It is one of the few chemo drugs that can affect fertility also.

    When given as a spinal injection, it sometimes causes a toxic reaction n the CNS. Rarely, it can cause kidney toxicity as well.

    You may want to go to chemocare.com and read the article yourself.

    It sounds as if the nervous system reactions are very rare. Good luck with it.

    max

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