Arthritis Forum
Home.

News.

Personal Stories. Links. Message Board.  
Arthritis Forum  
Add your comments to this topic Start a new topic
Date: 11.02.2013
From: clare

Subject: pregnancy and methotrexate

I am 31 and have had RA since I was 17 and have been on mtx since then too. My OH and I have decided we would like to try for a baby so after seeing my consultant I came off it at the end of dec 2012.

The advice I was given my my consultant was to be off the mtx for 6 months before we try to conceive but 6 weeks or so in and I am really not doing great. I am on steroids and seeing if these can be increased but while searching the web I saw that lots of people were told that they can try after 3 months. The thought of being in this pain for 6 months fills me with dread but if I could try after 3 then maybe I could manage.

I am so confused as don't want to due anything that could harm a baby but at the same time I feel that if I wait 6 months, I will feel so unwell and my RA will be so active that maybe my body will think that its not healthy enough to carry a baby and so I will find it hard to conceive.

Sorry for the long post, just looking for people's expreiences when they came off the mtx and how long they waited as thinking of going back to speak to my consultant about the time frames.
reply | back to forum

Date: 11.02.2013
From: Suz

Subject: Re: pregnancy and methotrexate

Hi Clare

Welcome to the forum. Im sorry I cannot really help with your question about coming off MTX to become pregnant. But reading your post of having R.A at age 17 and being on MTX since then has interested me to your post.

I had R.A since 17 and am 34 now and I didnt take no DRUGS at the start due being scared of side effects and the drug not curing the disease. but as I wasn't on any drugs my conditon has got worse and my wrists and elbows are out of shape and deformed. My knees and ankles are not to good either and recently had a Hip replacement.

I never really took any drugs to stop the disease and only recently took Mtx and a Biologic.

Since you been on MTX from the start has it helped you from getting deformed joints and are you flexible enough with living normal.

Sorry I dont mean to be imposing questions on you but I am just wondering have I made a mistake not taking drugs in the first place.

Hope to hear from you.

Hope everything goes well for you.

Take care
reply | back to forum

Date: 11.02.2013
From: davina

Subject: Re: pregnancy and methotrexate

hi clare i com of my meds this time last year and suffer badly, i'm still trying to conceive too.
i waited 6 months before trying and even now the pain is so bad that i am on morphine for night and morphine solution during the day too. its very hard sorry i don't want to lie but you know why your doing it and you just need to try and keep going. believe me i know its a struggle i have a 3 1/2 too.

i believe that if you start trying after 3 months and this is still in your body you will regret it if anything happened. the doctors and hospital are trying to be careful.. i have been seen by fatality clinic and they would not see me until i had been of it for 6 months to ensure methatrexate was out.

you may find it difficult to conceive more to the fact that just "doing it" will be the worst. i have trouble due to other problems but a baby would be fine if you can handle it the baby will too.

hope this helps and its not to trueful x
reply | back to forum

Date: 12.02.2013
From: Clare

Subject: Re: pregnancy and methotrexate

Hello thank you both for your comments

davina - thank you very much for your truthful answer and yes it is very helpful so thank you for taking the time to reply to me.

Suz - I am lucky that since being on the medication I have only had a few big flare ups and things on the whole until I came off them recently have been fairly under control. My joints are mostly not deformed at all and I am able to live a pretty normal life, I can walk ok most of the time, drive and walk the dog. The only joint where there is quite a bit of damage so far is my wrist which fused itself together and was v painful so I had an operation to remove a nerve to stop the pain. They have said that this will not work forever and then I will have to look at having it fused or replaced.

You sound like you are in a worse situation to me and I hope that the medication is now working for you. I took the decision when I was first diagnosed to go on all the drugs and I know that there are lots of side effects but I don't regret that I have been on them for so long. I just hope that I can get though the drug free period so that I can start trying for a baby
reply | back to forum

Date: 12.02.2013
From: suz

Subject: Re: pregnancy and methotrexate

Thanks for your reply Clare,

Yes I am in worse situation at the moment and still can't get around taking all these drugs. Wanted to get married and have a baby was one of the reasons of not taking them but neither am I married or had baby ever since this disease.

Hats off to you though for taking the drugs and planning to get pregnant as well. Hope it goes well for you.
reply | back to forum

Date: 14.02.2013
From: Nicola

Subject: Re: pregnancy and methotrexate

Hi there, I am considering having another baby and was at a seminar recently about arthritis and RA. I asked the rheumatologist that specific question because there is so much conflicting advice about how long to be off it. She said 3 months. I am also on Cimzia- one of the injectable biologics, and it apparently safe thru conception, pregnancy and breastfeeding so I'm very relieved! I am on 10mg of mtx and my son is 3. My RA started very aggressively about 6 weeks after he was born so I'm just anxious that another pregnancy could have an even more severe effect on me. I'm currently really well and my RA really well controlled so I'm wishing I had a crystal ball to see if I should risk my RA getting much worse and having 2 kids, or be grateful for the amazing boy I now have and enjoy being able to do all the things that I couldn't do before.....
Decisions, decisions
Have a good chat with your team, there are drugs that can help to manage your RA. The main message I got from the seminar was that you have more chance of having a healthy pregnancy and post-natal period if you are well, healthy and your RA well controlled at conception.
The other main message I got was that regardless of how good your RA is, you will flare up in the 6-12weeks post baby, tho this can be planned for. Have as much support in place as you can for those first 12 weeks, it's exhausting, emotional and relentless, without adding in RA. Its also totally amazing having this gorgeous bundle of baby but it is hard hard work. Be prepared, plan ahead and start filling your freezer now!!
Good luck, get as much rest and sleep as you can, take omega 3's and have fun getting pregnant!
reply | back to forum

Date: 19.02.2013
From: Clare

Subject: Re: pregnancy and methotrexate

Hello Nicola

Thank you very much for your reply. That sounded like it would have been an interesting seminar to go to. How did you find out about it being on?

I will be speaking with my rheumatologist soon so have lots of info to go armed with!

Thanks again
reply | back to forum

Date: 19.02.2013
From: Nicola

Subject: Re: pregnancy and methotrexate

Hi Clare,
I live in Ireland and it was run by Arthritis Ireland, check to see if arthritis uk do anything similar. It was so helpful and had a rheumatologist, a rheum nurse specialist who runs RA/pregnancy clinics and a RA patient talking about her experiences.
I am a physio and until 18months ago worked in the NHS and I never tire of telling people to go to your rheum armed with questions (written down), you need to be assertive, if you're not happy that your condition is 100% controlled then tell them, if your pain is not adaquetly managed then tell them. The nhs is restricted in what it prescribes by cost, unless you tell them otherwise you will be prescribed the cheaper option (ie, anti-tnf and biologicals are not first line treatment) if you are struggling and not coping, then tell them in no uncertain terms that this is the case. Too often people are emotionally fragile going to see their consultant (god knows I was a blubbering wreck most times) and they assume that the dr knows best....that's not the case, only you-or anyone else WITH arthritis knows how it feels. I do not meant to be sexist or ageist or feminist but I do not feel that a 30yr old male rheumatology registrar has a great grasp of the ins and out of being a new mummy and having RA, and how bloody awkward the poppers on a babygro are!!
You are the patient and the nhs is adopts a patient centred approach. I moved to Ireland 18months and when I told my rheum here I was not fully controlled on methotrexate, plaquenil and sulphasalazine, I was immediately prescribed cimzia....the healthcare system is entirely different here and not without fault but remember that there are many many treatment options out there. I left the seminar feeling very positive about the option of being able to have another baby, though whether I will or not, I'm not sure yet....after a long day with a sick 3yr old, I'm not sure how I'd manage a baby too!
Anyhoo, ask if I can help with anything else.
Good luck
Nic
reply | back to forum

Date: 21.02.2013
From: davina

Subject: Re: pregnancy and methotrexate

hi nicola i'm glad cimiza has worked for you and the system is beter for you but i do not agree with your rheumy saying cimiza is completely save before, during and after due to the lack of research for it.
if you want to take the risk that is your business and hope alls well for you but i just wouldn't take the risk even with sulphasalazine which seams ok, my rheumy has been doing this job for 35 years and he is fantastic he also doesn't agree with taking meds through pregnancy due to the lack of research. i understand the rheumys do research many of the medications but i would not be willing to take the risk for my unborn child. i do understand why people do tho.

nicola my ra started the same and my son is 4 this june.
like i said my fatality doctor said 6 months of methotrexate before being considered for any treatment.

from my exprience i find its down to the doctor that is taking care of you, remember he is looking after your interest and that of the baby x
reply | back to forum

 

Add your comments to this topic
Subject:
Please type your comment here:

Your name:
email:

5+1=
(This sum is to help prevent automatic spamming through this page - thank-you)


top

Site design: T - Creative Home | News | Personal Stories | Links | Message Board