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Rheumatoid Arthritis & Pregnancy

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  • 19-10-2011 11:13pm
    #1
    collegegal
    Closed Accounts Posts: 137 ✭✭


    I am just looking for some advice please. I'm female and have rheumatoid arthritis a few years now and being treated with Methotrexate. I am in the process now of thinking of starting a family and am really concerned about what will happen when I have to come off my medication. If anyone can share their story with me I would really appreciate it.


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    #2
    star-pants
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,429 ✭✭✭✭star-pants


    I have no internet access at home, but I'll ask my mother to give me some info and I'll post it up again for you.
    She's had RA since I was born (she was 25 when she had me), and she went on to have two more children, she would have been a lot worse with the RA when she had them.
    She's no longer on methotrexate but she used to be. I know she had to stop a good deal of her medication whilst pregnant so I'll ask her what she was on / what she stopped etc. if she can remember.


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    #3
    collegegal
    Closed Accounts Posts: 137 ✭✭collegegal


    that would be great thanks star-pants


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    #4
    eilo1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 874 ✭✭✭eilo1


    I had an elderly patient who had RA for over 30 years. She told me the only time she was totally pain free was while she was pregnant. She had three children and was off her medications during the pregnancies. Fingers crossed you get the same relief!


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    #5
    Daisy M
    Registered Users Posts: 1,559 ✭✭✭Daisy M


    I got RA after I had my children so I was lucky in that respect. I was on methotrexate and plaqunil for 4 years. However it never worked as well as my consultant said it would I still had to take difene frequently. While taking methotrexate and plaqunil I always felt under the weather as if I had a cold/flu coming on and more often than not I was suffering from some type of bug. I came off it two years ago, I now take i difene 75mg each day, 2 if I am very sore. I find if I miss a difene I am very sore. The one time I had very little symptons was when I was on a food replacement diet which leads me to believe that food does play some part in the role of this illness.
    When my friend decided to start a family she came off the only treatment she was on which was difene for 6 months before trying to concieve. She tried a diet that is advised for people with RA. You can get a book on it but I cant remember the name sorry. Basically it was a diet high in anti inflammatory foods like porridge and high in fish oil. She aso took evening primrose oil and fish oil supplements. she said it took a few months to work signifigantly but it did. I have tried it and the oils on occasion and it did help but was hard to stick to. During pregnancy she had very little pain and also throughout breastfeeding. Apparently there is something about pregnancy hormones which supress RA.


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    #6
    star-pants
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,429 ✭✭✭✭star-pants


    Sorry it took so long but I've asked my mother:
    She came off everything (including Methotrexate/anti inflams) with my brother.
    You have to wait until the drugs to leave your system before even trying for a baby.
    They may leave you on some things, whilst you're trying, as the medications are a lot better now than they were, you'd need to find out what's available.

    She said there's a chance of it going away, or getting worse.
    It got worse with her. She said that at 20 wks (they try and wait as long as they can) they put her on steroids for the rest of the pregnancy.
    They did help but obviously you don't particularly want to be on steroids.
    (this is going back 21 years ago btw, so they may have new things).

    After birth, if you're breast feeding you can't go back on the medication, and you'd have to wait. They'd probably put you on something (what it is I don't know).
    Depending on how bad your RA is, will depend on the situation too.

    She stayed off most of her drugs after my brother was born, as they were going to try for one more child. Her RA did get worse.
    Then with my sister - 19 years ago - again at nearly 20 wks because her RA had spread to her chest wall, they thought she was having a heart attack but she wasn't, it had just spread. So she had to go back on steroids for the rest of the pregnancy.
    She breastfed for 9 months and then had to stop, and go back on her medication because she was so bad.

    Overall my mother has really bad RA, it's pretty much everywhere now. She's had it for the last 26 years. So if your RA isn't that bad, you could be one of the few (like mentioned by others) who have their RA go into remission whilst pregnant, or you might be unlucky and flare up.
    Given they have made good advancements in some of the medications and studies, it would be great to sit down and talk to your rheumatologist / specialist and see what they can advise too.


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    #7
    StinkySocs
    Registered Users Posts: 228 ✭✭StinkySocs


    Hi,

    There is a brilliant book by an Aussie author, I'll get the name of it and come back to you on it! and Arthritis Ireland did a pregnancy nite a few months ago, so you should contact them they mite have the slides or something from it.

    I know a few RA ppl who've had babies and they had to come off all their medication 6 months before trying.:(


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    #8
    StinkySocs
    Registered Users Posts: 228 ✭✭StinkySocs


    StinkySocs wrote: »
    Hi,

    There is a brilliant book by an Aussie author, I'll get the name of it and come back to you on it! and Arthritis Ireland did a pregnancy nite a few months ago, so you should contact them they mite have the slides or something from it.

    I know a few RA ppl who've had babies and they had to come off all their medication 6 months before trying.:(
    Suzie Edward may wrote it, hope it helps!


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    #9
    cafecreme
    Closed Accounts Posts: 56 ✭✭cafecreme


    Star pants gave you a great post about her Mums experience but RA meds have moved on a bit since then. You will defo have to come off the methotrexate BEFORE conception as I'm sure you know already but not all meds need to be stopped (plaquenil & some of the AntiTNFs can now be continued throughout pregnancy) You may have a little trouble conceiving when you're off the Metho as if your RA is very active conception is less likely, I dont know exactly why that is.
    A lot of women have remission during pregnancy because the foetus encourages a boost in natural steroid production in your body so thats good but then after the birth a lot of women flare too apparently, however a high dose of steroids is usually given as a precaution after the birth.
    There are gynaes in the Dublin maternity hospitals that specialise in "high risk" pregnancies, including women with RA so maybe you could try to get an appointment with one of these to discuss your concerns?
    How active your RA is at the moment and how fit you are overall will also impact how you cope with pregnancy too so keep moving as much as you can :)
    Good luck and I'd be delighted to hear how you get on, I have RA too and am toying with ttc.


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