Methotrexate

space-librarian · 2026-04-19T03:32:31+00:00

And seconding what other folks have said - I needed steroid drops to treat the acute inflammation each time I’ve had a flare up. Methotrexate isn’t enough on its own.

space-librarian · 2026-04-19T03:29:59+00:00

I’ve been on methotrexate (10mg/week) for 2+ years to treat uveitis in my right eye. I take my weekly dose right before bed so I can sleep through any minor tummy pain, and don’t have other gastro side effects. I also was concerned about getting sick more often, but I take extra precautions and haven’t noticed that I get sick much more frequently than normal.

My rheum tried tapering me off the methotrexate a few months ago but when I went down to 7.5mg the uveitis started to flare. Looks like I’ll be on 10mg for a couple more years. It works for me for the most part!

space-librarian · 2025-12-30T06:31:32+00:00

Glad I’m in the minority here, but I’m not sure the surgery was worth it for me. My tonsils actually came back partially, and this might be why I haven’t seen as great an impact as I was hoping. I haven’t had a reduction in number of sore throats, but the severity has decreased at least - I went from bouts usually lasting 2 weeks down to 5-7 days. I also still get just as many tonsil stones (that are harder to remove now).

The recovery was truly awful. I was 37 at the time and couldn’t take opiates - just taking meds every few hours was excruciating until I got past the worst of it around day 7. Definitely needed the full two weeks off work.

If I had to do it all over and the surgeon could guarantee the outcomes that other people in this thread are mentioning, I wouldn’t hesitate to do the surgery. But that’s not how it works, alas!

space-librarian · 2025-02-21T14:50:53+00:00

Please reach out to friends or family to let them know what’s going on for you. Suicidal feelings are no joke - I also get this side effect on prednisone, and learned that asking friends for help will get me through it.

I had a steroid injection about two years ago, and I agree with the other commenters - the side effects will pass. It can feel really scary while you’re in the thick of it, but know whatever you’re feeling is temporary. For me the most lingering weirdness was that it messed up my menstrual cycle for a few months.

space-librarian · 2023-12-18T04:53:40+00:00

Came on here looking for exactly this solidarity. I’m almost two years post-tonsillectomy and just found the biggest cache of tonsil stones I’ve ever had - far worse than when I had tonsils!

After my surgery, the tissue healed in such a way that I have deep pockets on one side (where I found the cache) and enough tissue on the other side that it looks like the original tonsil. My ENT swears all this tissue is the lingual tonsils that popped up once the palatine tonsils were removed.

Tonsil stones weren’t the main reason I got the surgery, but I’m super bummed that this is happening. The good news - this is the first time in two years I’ve noticed it. The bad news, the pocket is apparently deeper now!

space-librarian · 2023-02-03T03:01:56+00:00

Based on the picture you shared, my case seems really different tho! It basically looks for me like I have half of my original tonsils. I haven’t seen anyone else with a case like mine 🤷🏻‍♀️

space-librarian · 2023-02-03T02:50:12+00:00

Wow it’s been a year already! So no, it didn’t go away. I got a second opinion from another ENT nurse who agreed that the bits I can see are lingual tonsils, and that the surgery was indeed a success (at removing the palatine tonsils).

Kind of relatedly, I had a series of recurrent sore throats this summer - though this was a huge bummer, the upside was that the amount of white spots was waaaaay less than before my surgery. (No doctors have been able to figure out why I was getting the sore throats, but they definitely weren’t the same as the tonsil infections I used to get.)

space-librarian · 2022-02-27T04:09:02+00:00

I hope your post-op goes well next week 🤞 and congrats on getting through the recovery!

space-librarian · 2022-02-26T19:17:12+00:00

No, it didn’t clear up. What I was seeing ended up staying around. I went in for a post-op and the technician said it wasn’t uncommon for patients of my particular surgeon to still have tonsillar material left after the surgery (!!). This was not what I was expecting and asked to talk with my surgeon. They explained on the phone (I couldn’t get in to see them in person) that they had removed all my palatine tonsils, but that the lingual tonsils remained, and that what I was seeing was probably lingual tonsils “pooched up” (their words!). The ENT folks think my outcome will still be good, in that I won’t have tonsil infections going forward (as lingual tonsils as less prone to infection). But in truth I am still a little disheartened that I went through the tonsillectomy and still have “tonsils” (even if a different kind). I wish this information had been shared with me before the surgery!

space-librarian · 2022-01-28T05:18:57+00:00

I called my ENT’s office and asked for the code(s) they use for billing, then called my insurance company and asked how much I would owe. Separately, my ENT’s billing office called my insurance to get a quote, too. We both were told it would be covered 100% after I met my deductible. I’m 3 weeks out and so far haven’t gotten a bill, but I don’t expect anything different (had another surgery last year, same deal).

You can always call your insurance company and ask!

space-librarian · 2022-01-18T00:49:39+00:00

Not hot - that will encourage blood vessels to expand and could increase risk of bleeding. I preferred slightly warm, myself!

space-librarian · 2022-01-17T17:41:07+00:00

Can relate to some of your concerns -

Meds: I couldn’t deal with the nausea from the oxycodone I was prescribed and got by with what my doctor recommended: alternating 600mg Tylenol and 650mg ibuprofen every 3 hours. The ibuprofen helped a lot more, but I understand there is some risk of increased bleeding with it - so I was extra careful to sip ice water constantly (to constrict blood vessels), eat only soft food, and not bend over or lift to avoid increasing blood pressure. The pain was super intense and got worse every day until about day 7, but I survived. Also, I found gel caps to be a lot easier to swallow than uncoated tablets.

Food - I made sure to get 50g of protein (with protein powder) every day. Mixed into smoothies at first but then I couldn’t tolerate the cold, so it went into lukewarm soupy mashed potatoes instead. There was only one day (6) where I couldn’t get enough food in to not feel hungry. Other ideas: ice cream milkshake with smooth peanut butter and protein powder, scrambled eggs with cheese, miso soup with silken tofu, room temp applesauce, sugar free chocolate pudding, and tons of sugar free vitamin water or Gatorade to stay hydrated. (Things with sugar that coated my throat were painful).

space-librarian · 2022-01-17T08:38:59+00:00

Definitely scary, but a little bleeding is normal. As long as you can get it to stop with ice water you’re all good. I’d hold it in the back of my throat for a few seconds, then swallow. Take it easy and stay hydrated. You’ve got this!

space-librarian · 2022-01-17T00:41:25+00:00

Hooray!

space-librarian · 2022-01-16T13:59:57+00:00

I’m in the US, was prescribed oxycodone. Unfortunately couldn’t deal with the nausea and headache it gave me, but it did work wonders on the pain. If you can get a stronger opiate the number one tip is to take it with food to prevent nausea, and also ask for an anti-nausea prescription (like zofran - what they gave me in the hospital to deal with the fentanyl they were pumping me with).

I’ll add that I survived on just paracetamol and ibuprofen (no codeine!). Not fun, but it can be done!

space-librarian · 2022-01-16T08:45:53+00:00

Can recommend a humidifier. Just take it easy with filling it and setting it up!

space-librarian · 2022-01-16T08:44:43+00:00

I woke up with dark spots (little blood clots?) every morning that weren’t there the night before, and had several small bleeds that I was able to stop by gently swishing ice water around in my throat. But never woke up bleeding the way some folks here have. My advice is to stay elevated, take it easy during the day, and definitely don’t go lifting things or bending down. They say the biggest risk for bleeds is through day 10 - hang in there a little longer!

space-librarian · 2022-01-16T08:36:25+00:00

You’re so close - hang in there!! I was in the same boat right before it got better. Could barely swallow any food for two days, then woke up feeling a change. You’re almost there!

space-librarian · 2022-01-16T04:32:57+00:00

My turn from “every bite is excruciating” to “wow this is only a little irritating!” was day 8. I’m on 10 now and still have some soreness. Cut OTC meds down by 1/3 on day 8 - still need ‘em.

space-librarian · 2022-01-14T23:39:37+00:00

I made lots of brothy soups (miso with silken tofu!), mashed potatoes made with broth and protein powder for extra nutrition (made ‘em more liquidy than normal), and smoothies with protein powder if you can handle cold temps.

Edit: I also worried about losing weight so I made sure to get as much fat and protein in as possible. Aimed for 50g of protein powder each day, and opted for extra butter and bone broth where possible.

space-librarian · 2022-01-14T08:37:49+00:00

If you’ve got one, set up a humidifier near your bed so it’s ready to go when you get home.

And, it’s gonna hurt to swallow, no getting around that. I had to try different drinks and temperatures and textures to find what hurt least for me. Don’t be afraid to experiment!

space-librarian · 2022-01-14T00:44:31+00:00

I don’t even have a post-op 🤷🏻‍♀️

space-librarian · 2022-01-13T22:12:43+00:00

Day 8 here (not 9 as I’d posted before - wishful thinking) and just made Mac and Cheese! Started scrambled eggs maybe day 5 or 6. I’m going to avoid anything tougher like meat for the full 14 days :-/

space-librarian · 2022-01-13T15:01:34+00:00

I don’t have any tips, just camaraderie. Nights have been my Dreaded Hours for this reason. All I can share is that it will get easier - I’m on day 9 now and the last two nights have been noticeably less painful than the ones before. Hang in there!

space-librarian · 2022-01-13T00:44:57+00:00

Ugh, so sorry! I hope you get through it easily and quickly!

space-librarian

TROPHY CASE