Meditrex 20mg Tablet is a medicine used for treatment of cancer in various parts of the body such as breasts, head, neck, lungs, blood, bone, lymph, and uterus. It is also used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, severe and uncontrolled psoriasis, and Crohn’s disease.

Meditrex 20mg Tablet may be used alone or in combination with other medicines. You should take it exactly as your doctor has advised. Taking too much of it can cause serious side effects. It may take several weeks or months for you to see or feel the benefits but do not stop taking it unless your doctor tells you to. You should avoid drinking alcohol while taking this medicine as it may increase your risk of liver damage.
The most common side effects of this medicine include nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, abdominal pain, tiredness, and mouth sores. Your doctor may advise you to take folic acid to reduce some of these. If they do not go away or get worse, tell your doctor. There may be ways of preventing or reducing these effects. This medicine may lower your ability to fight infections and lead to problems with your blood, liver, or kidneys. Your doctor may perform several tests such as blood tests, x-rays, and physical examinations both before and during treatment with this medicine to check for these.
Before taking it, tell your doctor if you are pregnant, have problems related to the stomach, liver, or kidney, or are taking any medicines to treat infections. Many other medicines can affect, or be affected by, this medicine so let your healthcare team know all medications you are using. This medicine is not recommended during pregnancy or while breastfeeding as it may harm the baby.

Uses of Meditrex Tablet

Benefits of Meditrex Tablet

In Treatment of Cancer

Meditrex 20mg Tablet works by slowing the growth of cancer cells in the body. It is used to treat a wide range of cancers such as acute leukemias, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and solid tumors found in breast, lung, bladder, head and neck as well as cervical, ovarian and testicular cancer. It may be given alone or in combination with other medicines. It is a potent and very toxic medicine and you should discuss the risks and benefits with your doctor. You should avoid drinking alcohol while having this treatment and drink plenty of water to stay hydrated.

In Treatment of Rheumatoid arthritis

Meditrex 20mg Tablet belongs to a group of medicines called antimetabolites. It may be used to treat severe rheumatoid arthritis if other treatments have already been tried and have not worked. It is not a first-line treatment. It works by reducing the body's immune system, this decreases swelling, reduces pain, stiffness, and improves function. Take it exactly as prescribed and for as long as it is prescribed to get the most benefit. Do not take more than you should. It may take several months to become fully effective.

In Treatment of Psoriasis

Meditrex 20mg Tablet belongs to a group of medicines called antimetabolites. It may be used to treat severe psoriasis when other treatments have not worked. Psoriasis is a condition where the skin cells in the body grow too quickly. Meditrex 20mg Tablet works by killing these fast-growing cells. It is potent and very toxic medicine and you should discuss the risks and benefits with your doctor. Take it exactly as prescribed and for as long as it is prescribed to get the most benefit. DO NOT take more than you should. It may take several months to become fully effective. You should avoid drinking alcohol while having this treatment and drink plenty of water to stay hydrated.

In Treatment of Crohn’s disease

Crohn’s disease is a chronic (long-term) inflammatory disease of the intestines. The most common symptoms are diarrhea and pain in your abdomen. Meditrex 20mg Tablet helps reduce the inflammation, relieve the symptoms, and prevent them from coming back.

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Side effects of Meditrex Tablet

Most side effects do not require any medical attention and disappear as your body adjusts to the medicine. Consult your doctor if they persist or if you’re worried about them

Common side effects of Meditrex

Ulcerative stomatitis
Nausea
Abdominal pain
Increased liver enzymes
Hair loss
Decreased blood cells (red cells, white cells, and platelets)

How to use Meditrex Tablet

Take this medicine in the dose and duration as advised by your doctor. Swallow it as a whole. Do not chew, crush or break it. Meditrex 20mg Tablet may be taken with or without food, but it is better to take it at a fixed time.

How Meditrex Tablet works

Meditrex 20mg Tablet inhibits enzymes (dihydrofolate reductase), prevents cell division and leads to anti-inflammatory actions. Meditrex 20mg Tablet kills cancer cells by preventing them from making DNA. Meditrex 20mg Tablet can help control psoriasis by retarding the production of skin cells and suppressing inflammation. Meditrex 20mg Tablet may treat rheumatoid arthritis by suppressing the immune system, preventing it from attacking the body's cells. This helps reduce the inflammation that causes swollen and stiff joints in rheumatoid arthritis, or damage to bowel in Crohn's disease.

Safety advice

Alcohol

UNSAFE

It is unsafe to consume alcohol with Meditrex 20mg Tablet.

Pregnancy

UNSAFE

Meditrex 20mg Tablet is highly unsafe to use during pregnancy. Seek your doctor's advice as studies on pregnant women and animals have shown significant harmful effects to the developing baby.

Breast feeding

UNSAFE

Meditrex 20mg Tablet is unsafe to use during breastfeeding. Data suggests that the drug may cause toxicity to the baby.

Driving

UNSAFE

Meditrex 20mg Tablet may decrease alertness, affect your vision or make you feel sleepy and dizzy. Do not drive if these symptoms occur.

Kidney

CAUTION

Meditrex 20mg Tablet should be used with caution in patients with kidney disease. Dose adjustment of Meditrex 20mg Tablet may be needed. Please consult your doctor.
Regular monitoring of kidney function test is advised while you are taking this medicine.

Liver

CAUTION

Meditrex 20mg Tablet should be used with caution in patients with liver disease. Dose adjustment of Meditrex 20mg Tablet may be needed. Please consult your doctor.

What if you forget to take Meditrex Tablet?

If you miss a dose of Meditrex 20mg Tablet, take it as soon as possible. However, if it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular schedule. Do not double the dose.

All substitutes

For informational purposes only. Consult a doctor before taking any medicines.

Meditrex 20mg Tablet

₹38.71/Tablet

Folitrax 20 Tablet

Ipca Laboratories Ltd

₹52.19/tablet

35% costlier

Methora 20 Tablet

Hetero Healthcare Limited

₹48/tablet

24% costlier

Mtxe 20 Tablet

Ankaa Pharmaceutical

₹43/tablet

11% costlier

Quick tips

Drink plenty of liquids to stay hydrated while taking this medication.
Take folic acid if advised by your doctor. This will help lessen the side effects of this medicine.
It may take from weeks to months for Meditrex 20mg Tablet to work. Keep taking the medication as prescribed.
Your doctor may get regular blood test done to monitor your kidney function, liver function and level of blood cells in your blood.
Avoid drinking alcohol while taking this medicine as it may increase the risk of side effects.
It can be harmful to an unborn baby. Avoid pregnancy for at least 6 months after your last dose.

Fact Box

Chemical Class

Glutamic Acid Derivative

Habit Forming

Therapeutic Class

abcde

Action Class

Antimetabolite- Methotrexate

Patient concerns

I have joint pain in my rt wrist since 6 yrs. What are the possible reasons?

Dr. Trilok Kumar Jha

Orthopaedics

It may be Tenosynovitis, or Rheumatoid arthritis or any other type of arthritis

Is there any permanent cure for rheumatoid arthritis doctor?

Dr. Vipul Aggarwal

Orthopaedics

The disease can be controlled with medicines and regular exercises it is an autoimmune disease and there will always be waxing and waning phenomena sometimes the disease process will be very much controlled but it can get aggravated no one can actually predict the cause of the disease It's always better to consult a remark largest as they deal with that betterLet me know if I can help you in any other way

FAQs

Can Meditrex 20mg Tablet cause mouth ulcers?

Yes, Meditrex 20mg Tablet can cause a sore mouth and mouth ulcers as side effects in some cases. Taking folic acid along with this medicine may help in reducing the ulcers. Ask your doctor if the dose can be reduced as dose reduction may further help in reducing the ulcers.

Why do I have to take folic acid with Meditrex 20mg Tablet?

Folic acid is required to make new cells in the body and Meditrex 20mg Tablet decreases the folic acid levels in the body. Folic acid can help reduce some of the common side effects of Meditrex 20mg Tablet such as mouth ulcers, hair loss, nausea, heartburn, abdominal pain, fatigue, anemia and liver problems.

Why do I need to take regular blood tests while taking Meditrex 20mg Tablet?

Regular blood tests will help your doctor to check your response to Meditrex 20mg Tablet and monitor you for side effects. You will need to regularly check your liver function and your blood counts (white blood cells, red blood cells and platelets). Your doctor may also order additional tests depending on the results.

Can Meditrex 20mg Tablet use make me more prone to infections?

Meditrex 20mg Tablet may decrease the activity of your immune system. As a result, you may develop serious infections. There have been rare reports which suggest occurrence of serious lung infections with Meditrex 20mg Tablet use. If you have an active infection, Meditrex 20mg Tablet should be used with extreme caution.

Can Meditrex 20mg Tablet affect fertility?

Yes, Meditrex 20mg Tablet may affect fertility in both males and females. It may cause a decrease in sperm count in males and menstrual disturbances in females. No need to worry, these effects are reversible and disappear once the therapy is discontinued.

What to do if I am planning to become pregnant and my husband is taking Meditrex 20mg Tablet?

You should avoid pregnancy if your husband is taking Meditrex 20mg Tablet. Also, it is advised that pregnancy should be further avoided for a minimum of 3 months after the therapy as it can lead to serious fetal abnormalities.

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Related lab tests

Anti Saccharomyces Cerevisiae (ASCA), IgA

Anti Saccharomyces Cerevisiae (ASCA), IgG

Rheumatoid Factor - Agglutination

Rheumatoid Factor - Turbidometry

Rheumatoid Factor IgG Antibody

Related ayurvedic ingredients

Fish Oil

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Disclaimer:

Tata 1mg's sole intention is to ensure that its consumers get information that is expert-reviewed, accurate and trustworthy. However, the information contained herein should NOT be used as a substitute for the advice of a qualified physician. The information provided here is for informational purposes only. This may not cover everything about particular health conditions, lab tests, medicines, all possible side effects, drug interactions, warnings, alerts, etc. Please consult your doctor and discuss all your queries related to any disease or medicine. We intend to support, not replace, the doctor-patient relationship.

References

Chu E, Sartorelli AC. Cancer Chemotherapy. In: Katzung BG, Masters SB, Trevor AJ, editors. Basic and Clinical Pharmacology. 11th ed. New Delhi, India: Tata McGraw Hill Education Private Limited; 2009. pp. 944-46.
Briggs GG, Freeman RK, editors. A Reference Guide to Fetal and Neonatal Risk: Drugs in Pregnancy and Lactation. 10th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Wolters Kluwer Health; 2015. pp. 887-90.
Methotrexate [Prescribing Information]. Eatontown, NJ: West-Ward Pharmaceuticals Corp.; 2020. [Accessed 19 Apr. 2023] (online) Available from:
Methotrexate [Product Label]. New York, NY: Pfizer Inc.; 2022. [Accessed 19 Apr. 2023] (online) Available from:
Methotrexate [Drug Label]. Sandton, South Africa: Pfizer Laboratories (Pty) Ltd.; 2022 [Accessed 19 Apr. 2023] (online) Available from:
Walfish AE, Companioni RA. Drugs for Inflammatory Bowel Disease. [Updated Sep. 2022]. [Accessed 19 Apr. 2023] (online) Available from:
Crohn's & Colitis, UK. Methotrexate [Information Sheet]. [Accessed 19 Apr. 2023] (online) Available from:
CiplaMed. Methotrexate [Prescribing Information]. [Last Reviewed: Feb 2019]. [Accessed 11 Jul. 2023]. (online) Available from:

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Country of origin: India

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