i am getting married this summer and my fiance and i agree totally disagree
about whether i can be on mtx or not. i am on birth control. he is unwilling
to risk us getting pregnant and our child having severe birth defects from
the mtx, so he says i have to get off it. i am scared to death that i won't
have a life and won't be able to function. i think i can be on it just fine while
using birth control.
WHAT DO YOU DO? does anyone take mtx while still being sexually active
(and who does not believe in abortion)?
is it normal to get off mtx when you get married? do people really do that?
is there any equivalent drug to replace mtx?? help!! this is so stressful!Jillian, I got diagnosed with RA after my childbearing years so I'm no expert but I really think this should be a question for your rheumatologist. My understanding of MTX (which I'm also on) is that you don't want to get pregnant while taking it. I'm sure this comes up often with RA patients of childbearing years. Check it out with your rheumatologist and also with your gynecologist. There are some methods of birth control, or more than one together that are more effective than others.My daughter is on it and she is on birth control. I guess the fear would be there that the birth control would not work but both her rheumatologist and gynecologist know what medicines she is on and they still prescribe them. Many women take mtx while on birth control. You could bring it up with both doctors and see what they say. Sandy
I had the same question. So I asked my obgyn and rheumatologist and both said it would be difficult to get pregnant on MTX and if you did, it would more than likely abort itself. My ob also said to continue the birth control. I am on MTX and birth control pills and a few other ra drugs. You could continue on your bc pills and use another form of protection during your "fertile days". That works for my husband and I (but you really need to pay attention to your cycle). Anyway, I would suggest talking to your doctors about it, too. Maybe your rheumatologist has another option for you(another drug).
Good luck!
I don't know anything about the medical issues involved, but I do think you and your fiance need to resolve this issue BEFORE you marry. Visit the doctor together and make an informed decision - together. Fully discuss your feelings about all the surrounding issues, living your lifetime together with RA, feelings about having children or not, what you would choose to do if you were to become pregnant while on MTX, adoption. None of these questions have a right or wrong answer and you need to respect each other's feelings, and the right to have those feelings - however, they are fundamental issues in your marriage and you need to be in agreement.
Hi Jillian-I take MTX and birth control pills. If you dont work and you can and are willing to risk being homebound for possibly months then you could maybe try switching to another medication or stopping the RA meds all together. If that is not the case then you just need to take birth control pills and either monitor your cycle or use the "withdrawal" method. Your chances of becomming pregnant would be very very slim. Of course the best thing would be for your husband and you to go to the RD and talk over the options. It is important for your husband to go with you to the appt. if he is going to be part of the desicion making process when it comes to managing your RA. Good luck!kids are highly over-rated
just kidding............ personally - i wouldn't get too upset with your fiance... he has a valid concern. IF you CAN get pregnant, and the baby doesn't self-abort, then you're left with wondering about birth defects. Personally, if you were to go OFF of MTX, i would try to be off it as long as possible before you get pregnant... but that's just me. when i was pregnant both times, i went into remission. I hadn't ever felt better in my life. in a perfect world, you could go off the MTX, and get pregnant..and feel wonderful. i wish you luck on both counts. woobie
I had my children at a very early age (Too early really) and I'm now glad I did. No one every mentioned that this was even possible. I've since learned that it is. I don't want to scare you Jillian but I always feel the need to mention my situation when we discuss this issue. It's a little known problem that you'll rarely hear about from your doctors. MTX has been the saving grace for me. Even now with weekly Humira injections I know that it's leading the fight in my treatment. That being said; knowing all I know now about birth defects and conception problems if I was still interested in having children I'd seriously research other options. Welcome Jillian. I hope you'll continue to join us and become a regular part of our group here. Congratulations on your up coming wedding!! My gynie told me that MTX was previously used to treat tubal pregnancies....to abort them. I think it would be difficult to get pregnant while on MTX. I have also heard that RA patients enjoy their pregnancies because all of the RA symptoms are gone. I had my kids 12 and 15 years ago...someone else may be able to weigh in on this. Good Luck to you and Mavel Tov on your wedding! I agree that you need to get your husband more involved in your ra management. Help him to understand your fears - they are very valid. Obviously from the above answers - you should not have a baby on mtx but I have heard that people can take prednisone during pregnancy. I don't know that personally. Definitely talk to your doctor. Welcome and congratulations on your wedding. I got on here right before I got married. It is a lousy time to have to think about ra. I hope your wedding is all you dreamed of and one day at a time for the rest. It will work itself out
I wold take mtx if you aren't planning on a child right now and worry about it when you are. My doc reminded me that condoms break, so my husband is thinking of fixing his manhood :) But, using birth control pills and condoms will help keep pregnancy from happening until you are ready, then you can switch meds and wait for mtx to drop from your system when you are ready to try. I don't believe in abortions and feel very strong about it, but I don't concider something an abortion if it is to save a life. Getting pregnant on pills like this not only can deform a child, but can also hurt you if something goes wrong with them, this would be the only reason i would be for abortion. To me, abortion means geting pregnant and killing a healthy child. Surgery to remove a troubled fetus is not an abortion in my books, but if someone doesn't do everything to try to stop a child from being conceived, then it is an abortion to me.
woobie
Copyright ArthritisInsight.com