Methotrexate and pregnancy | Arthritis Information

 

Hello!

Hi Lily..welcome! If an unintended pregnancy is a possibility, then methotrexate is probably not the best option. You should be using two reliable methods of birth control if you take methotrexate. Plaquenil is used worldwide by women of childbearing age for the treatment and prevention of malaria and it has a good safety record.  Some antibiotics ("AP, or antibiotic protocol for RA treatment) can cause problems with an unborn child, the most notable being tooth deformity from tetracyclines.  Luckily the teeth don't start forming for a couple months into the pregnancy, which is more than enough time to stop taking the antibiotics and thus avoid the problem.

When I was pregnant a few years back, my rheumatologist said that steroids, acetaminophen and even opiates were OK to use during pregnancy.  Opiates can cause addiction in the newborn, but she said that an occasional vicodin here and there would not cause problems.  And there's always that pregnancy-induced remission to look forward to!
I know of several people who have gotten pregnanat after being on MTX with no problems to the baby.  The medication washes out of the system in about 6 weeks so the usual 3 months of a normal cycle is plenty of time to wait before trying. [QUOTE=buckeye] Lily,
Welcome to the board. You didn't say when you were thinking about getting pg? If it's in the near future why not forgo starting the MTX until after you have the baby or babies you want. I got RA after the birth of our 1st DD and started on sulfasalazine. When we talked to the dr about having another child he told me to get off it. That was 19 years ago so maybe the info about being pg and on it is better. I was really miserable during the time it took me to get pg, 7 months. But the pg remission was wonderful. When I had the second DD, I went into a terrible flare and dr put me on MTX. A year later I had an unplanned pregnancy, when I went to the dr, he was upset, told me to stop the MTX immediately, I was already in pg remission which was how I knew, but I lost the baby at 3 months. No one ever said it was because of the MTX, but that's what I suspect. Good luck with your decision, there is nothing in the world like having a child. Our youngest is graduating from high school on Wed., it has been an amazing journey and neither one of them minded that mom had RA.Hi Lily! Welome to AI. Hi Kelly! hi lilly i just wanted to say welcome to you..

i can not get pregnant.. but if i did i would become a very rich man   Jasmine

Hello to all!

I am not married and therefore, not planning to have a baby any soon but I am already coping with RA and wouldn't bear the dr telling me not having the possibility at all of having a child one day.  I was just worried about this initial warning. I know that my doc is being over cautious with me because I am of child bearing age she says. 

That is true Buckeye: inflammation is the enemy for the joints.  And pain for our bodies!  I have had a lot of pain on the onset of the disease for about 4 years and little painful episodes over the last 5 yrs or so, but I have some noticeable joint damage to my hands.  At some point, my doctor had even considered joint fusion for my wrist, but again I am scared and not prepared for this.  The pain is occasional and manageable, and will wait until it really becomes unbearable.  I wear a splint at night.

[QUOTE=buckeye]Jasmine splints do not prevent damage.  they are used to rest a joint and to provide functional support.  In fact if used too much or incorrectly splints can cause damage and promote stiffness of the jointLily~ If it was me I'd go back on the plaquinel. If you only stopped it because of the fear of eye problems I wouldn't let that stop me. The risk are small and if you see an eye doctor every 6 months he'll catch any problems in time to reverse them. I would go ahead and start the mtx. When you do decide to become pregnant-you need to have this disease in control as much as possible. I started taking mtx at 19. Stopped when I was 27 to become pregnant, and now I have a healthy 4 yr. old. I was told to be off it for 3 months but I think we waited 4 since we were paranoid. Anyway, you need to throw everything you can at the RA. Most people go into remission when pregnant but then it rears its ugly head a few months after giving birth.The pain v. inflammation conversation is interesting to me, becuase (on this board) I feel almost guilty for how little pain I am in--the NSAIDs are amazing for me for reducing pain (pray to god this continues).  However, I still have tons of inflammation, so I am on MTX, even though I am going to work every day, seem normal, etc....LilyL: I am going through the same thing you are right now. I'm 33, wanting to have one more child. I am on Plaquenil and Celebrex. My RD wants me to start Methotrexate along with all of this. I have gone back and forth weighing the good and bad...Where i stand now I think is the thought of me not being able to care for my baby like I should because I could possible not go into remission, or it hitting me hard after I deliver really makes me think it's better to take care of myself and try adopting instead. There are many children out there that need homes and my husband was adopted so we may go that route.  

Thank you for writing to me Klynn141.

I indeed used to do an eye exam every 6 months, and have been advised lately to dicsontinue Plaquenil because it's starting to affect my eyes.  I think I will simply trust my doc and do what he says.  After all, adoption is indeed a possibility as you say.

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