Medication and pregnancy

[Guest guest]

I was on 20 mg. of Methotrexate weekly but my hubby (who is

currently deployed) and I decided that we want to try to have a

baby. He is coming home on leave in late December for 2 weeks. This

is our time frame... We just got word that he will be going to Iraq

in 2005 which is a 2 year deployemnt. So, we have one shot at

getting pregnant, this Dec. He will be home in August of next year

and will be home for 6 months before he deploys again. Sigh...

I came off Methotrexate in August. I am managing my disease without

a DMARD. I am on Ibuprofen (3200 mg/day) and Prednisone (10 mg/day).

I am doing ok but now am getting some bad pain. My doctor said I can

go on Enbrel, which I am afraid to do. I am afraid of anti-TNF drugs

because we don't know long term effect and I am only 28 years old. I

am scared to try something that could cause harm to me and a

developing fetus.

I would like information from anyone who went through a pregnancy

with RA or someone whose gf/wife went through a pregnacy with RA.

What advise can you share with me? I am open to all opinions, even

harsh ones. :-)

Thanks,

[Guest guest]

I am also interested in this information. I was dx with RA when my

son was 2 months old. He is going on 2 now and I have considering what

would happen if we try to get pregnant again. I didn't think the

second time could be as scary as the first.

Lee

--- In Rheumatoid Arthritis , " " <dhuntress@h...>

wrote:

> I was on 20 mg. of Methotrexate weekly but my hubby (who is

> currently deployed) and I decided that we want to try to have a

> baby. He is coming home on leave in late December for 2 weeks. This

> is our time frame... We just got word that he will be going to Iraq

> in 2005 which is a 2 year deployemnt. So, we have one shot at

> getting pregnant, this Dec. He will be home in August of next year

> and will be home for 6 months before he deploys again. Sigh...

>

> I came off Methotrexate in August. I am managing my disease without

> a DMARD. I am on Ibuprofen (3200 mg/day) and Prednisone (10 mg/day).

> I am doing ok but now am getting some bad pain. My doctor said I can

> go on Enbrel, which I am afraid to do. I am afraid of anti-TNF drugs

> because we don't know long term effect and I am only 28 years old. I

> am scared to try something that could cause harm to me and a

> developing fetus.

>

> I would like information from anyone who went through a pregnancy

> with RA or someone whose gf/wife went through a pregnacy with RA.

> What advise can you share with me? I am open to all opinions, even

> harsh ones. :-)

> Thanks,

>

[Guest guest]

Hi,

I was on Methotrexate before getting pregnant and between pregnancies. At the time, Enbrel was very new so I wasn't on it. I was told at the time that prednisone was the only safe drug. I was on about 12.5mg per day before the pregnancies and was able to drop to about 7.5 during the first pregnancy and 10mg during the second (a twin pregnancy). The good thing is that you usually improve during the pregnancy so the heavy duty drugs aren't as necessary. The problem is that about 6 weeks after the pregnacy, your immune system wakes up with a vengence and you usually get a really bad flair. I was breast feeding so I could still only take prednisone. I am now on 26mg of prednisone in addition to Humira, arava and methotrexate and I have had a really hard time getting off the prednisone because I have been on it so long. My highest sustained dose of prednisone was 30mg.

I guess I probably should have forgone the breast feeding and gone back on Methotrexate right away. I don't know if that would have made a big difference. I did stop at about 4 months with my first child but I kept nursing up to almost a year with the twins because one was very reluctant to take a bottle.

Jocelyn <dhuntress@...> wrote:

I was on 20 mg. of Methotrexate weekly but my hubby (who is currently deployed) and I decided that we want to try to have a baby. He is coming home on leave in late December for 2 weeks. This is our time frame... We just got word that he will be going to Iraq in 2005 which is a 2 year deployemnt. So, we have one shot at getting pregnant, this Dec. He will be home in August of next year and will be home for 6 months before he deploys again. Sigh...I came off Methotrexate in August. I am managing my disease without a DMARD. I am on Ibuprofen (3200 mg/day) and Prednisone (10 mg/day). I am doing ok but now am getting some bad pain. My doctor said I can go on Enbrel, which I am afraid to do. I am afraid of anti-TNF drugs because we don't know long term effect and I am only 28 years old. I am scared to try something that could cause

harm to me and a developing fetus.I would like information from anyone who went through a pregnancy with RA or someone whose gf/wife went through a pregnacy with RA. What advise can you share with me? I am open to all opinions, even harsh ones. :-)Thanks,

[Guest guest]

Thank You Jocelyn,

That is wonderful that you carried twins with RA!! That gives me new

hope.

You are right and was told Prednisone is safe during pregnancy too.

But I'm thinking, how can it be?? I hate to be on anything but I

can't live with pain too much longer. I may have to boost my

prednisone. I'm just so afraid to take Enbrel. I was on Arava and

ended up in the hospital with liver damage after 4 weeks (thank God

for blood work). I was tolerating Methotrexate well and figured I

would just take that after I had the baby (I too would want to

breast feed as long as possible so I probably would stay on

Prednisone too - don't blame you in the least.)

Well, I have some info to look up and chat with Rheumy about.

Thanks,

> Hi,

>

> I was on Methotrexate before getting pregnant and between

pregnancies. At the time, Enbrel was very new so I wasn't on it. I

was told at the time that prednisone was the only safe drug. I was

on about 12.5mg per day before the pregnancies and was able to drop

to about 7.5 during the first pregnancy and 10mg during the second

(a twin pregnancy). The good thing is that you usually improve

during the pregnancy so the heavy duty drugs aren't as necessary.

The problem is that about 6 weeks after the pregnacy, your immune

system wakes up with a vengence and you usually get a really bad

flair. I was breast feeding so I could still only take prednisone. I

am now on 26mg of prednisone in addition to Humira, arava and

methotrexate and I have had a really hard time getting off the

prednisone because I have been on it so long. My highest sustained

dose of prednisone was 30mg.

>

> I guess I probably should have forgone the breast feeding and gone

back on Methotrexate right away. I don't know if that would have

made a big difference. I did stop at about 4 months with my first

child but I kept nursing up to almost a year with the twins because

one was very reluctant to take a bottle.

>

> Jocelyn

>

[Guest guest]

I would love to combat this naturally but I've tried in the past and

my disease got worse and I became broke. I'm just not willing to

risk it again. But, I will try some natural therapies in conjunciton

to good old fashined NSAIDs and DMARDs. Thank you for the link.

-

--- In Rheumatoid Arthritis , bill zeke <z45rt@y...>

wrote:

> ,

>

> Have you ever tired going off medication complelty. It would be a

great benefit to your body and especially to your baby to be. I had

RA for many years and finally couldn't take the medications anymore.

What gave me the motivation to go off of meds is the book " Stop

Arthritis " . I found this book a few months ago and read it and was

amazed. This 25 year old had severe RA and his joints deformed after

only 9 months. He defeated it all natural and has not had pain for

10 years. The website is www.stoparthritisnow.com.

>

> The big question is how bad do you want to be healthy and how much

work are you willing to put into your body.

>

> Good luck

> Zeke

[Guest guest]

For what it is worth, I was told that prednisone was ok during pregnancy because very little if any passes the placenta. I would guess the same goes for entering breast milk because they didn't seem to care how much prednisone I took as far as the babies were concerned.

Jocelyn <dhuntress@...> wrote:

Thank You Jocelyn,That is wonderful that you carried twins with RA!! That gives me new hope. You are right and was told Prednisone is safe during pregnancy too. But I'm thinking, how can it be?? I hate to be on anything but I can't live with pain too much longer. I may have to boost my prednisone. I'm just so afraid to take Enbrel. I was on Arava and ended up in the hospital with liver damage after 4 weeks (thank God for blood work). I was tolerating Methotrexate well and figured I would just take that after I had the baby (I too would want to breast feed as long as possible so I probably would stay on Prednisone too - don't blame you in the least.)Well, I have some info to look up and chat with Rheumy about. Thanks,> Hi,> > I was on Methotrexate before getting pregnant and between pregnancies. At the time, Enbrel was very new so I wasn't on it. I was told at the time that prednisone was the only safe drug. I was on about 12.5mg per day before the pregnancies and was able to drop to about 7.5 during the first pregnancy and 10mg during the second (a twin pregnancy). The good thing is that you usually improve during the pregnancy so the heavy duty drugs aren't as necessary. The problem is that about 6 weeks after the pregnacy, your immune system wakes up with a vengence and you usually get a really bad flair. I was breast feeding so I could still only take prednisone. I am now on 26mg of prednisone in addition to Humira, arava and methotrexate and I have had a really hard time getting off the prednisone because I have been on it so long. My highest sustained dose of prednisone was

30mg.> > I guess I probably should have forgone the breast feeding and gone back on Methotrexate right away. I don't know if that would have made a big difference. I did stop at about 4 months with my first child but I kept nursing up to almost a year with the twins because one was very reluctant to take a bottle.> > Jocelyn>

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

Sorry to but in on the conversation. When I went off my meds many

years ago, I went through a pretty intense period for about 3 months

while my body was readjusting to itself. Just in case you decide to

persue this, I just wanted to let you know that it DOES get

better. It just takes a while for your body to hel itself. Its a

slower process than we are generally used to.

I can't speak for your situation, I can only share my own

experiences. I just found that the meds did more overall damage in

the long run. I watched my mother waste away while on meds and die

at 48 with the body and mind of an 80 year old.

obviously, anything you can do to help your body heal itself will be

benefit.

Good luck!!!

Daisy

> > ,

> >

> > Have you ever tired going off medication complelty. It would be

a

> great benefit to your body and especially to your baby to be. I

had

> RA for many years and finally couldn't take the medications

anymore.

> What gave me the motivation to go off of meds is the book " Stop

> Arthritis " . I found this book a few months ago and read it and was

> amazed. This 25 year old had severe RA and his joints deformed

after

> only 9 months. He defeated it all natural and has not had pain for

> 10 years. The website is www.stoparthritisnow.com.

> >

> > The big question is how bad do you want to be healthy and how

much

> work are you willing to put into your body.

> >

> > Good luck

> > Zeke