Rheumatoid Arthritis Support Group
Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic, inflammatory, multisystem, autoimmune disorder. It is a disabling and painful condition which can lead to substantial loss of mobility due to pain and joint destruction. The disease is also systemic in that it often also affects many extra-articular tissues throughout the body including the skin, blood vessels, heart, lungs, and...
As some of you may be aware I have been off MTX for 6 months now as me and my other half are trying to conceive.
I have just returned to work this week after 2 weeks absence due to RA flare up and have been trying to contact my Rheumy all week (we work at the same hospital). Well today he surprise visited me on my ward and took me to the Outpatients Department and asked a nurse to inject steroids to ease the flare.
Do you think repeating these steroid injections every few months is too much for my body to take or shall I ask him to consider putting me on a drug that is safe to conceive on???
Sorry for the essay
Hugs
xx
I have just returned to work this week after 2 weeks absence due to RA flare up and have been trying to contact my Rheumy all week (we work at the same hospital). Well today he surprise visited me on my ward and took me to the Outpatients Department and asked a nurse to inject steroids to ease the flare.
Do you think repeating these steroid injections every few months is too much for my body to take or shall I ask him to consider putting me on a drug that is safe to conceive on???
Sorry for the essay
Hugs
xx
Enbrel is a drug that supposedly doesn't cross the Placenta.
Sulfasalazine has been shown in animal studies not to cause any birth defects.
Other than that, I guess you could look into supplements. I'm currently just beginning to take a supplement called Polypodium Leucotomos, aka, Kalawalla.
I hope you find the answers you feel comfortable with!
best of luck,
Sarah
I have read many medical journals that say Hyaluronic Acid when injected into the joint helps repair and eliminate symptoms for 3 to 9 months. It isn't suppose to work immediately after injection but shortly after.
Best of luck to you,
Sarah
I think we talked one time before; you and I are in the same boat. I have been off MTX for 11 weeks now and Humira shots for 3 weeks. After being off of MTX for almost two weeks, The pain hit me like a ton of bricks and I had to start taking prednisone to compensate. I am currently on 10 mg of prednisone, 2 plaquenils per day and I plan to add sulfasalizine in a few more weeks. All these meds my OB-GYN and Rheumy said were ok while trying to conceive/pregnant. I am doing pretty good so far, actually better than I thought I would going off my much needed(and trusted and loved) medicines.(KNOCK ON WOOD--HAHA SO FAR--KNOCK ON MORE WOOD!!) It has been a big risk to consider and take, but we want to have at least one more child and I don't want to deny myself that opportunity in my life and let RA designate that(It already designates so many other things).
My OBGYN told me something important though, to make sure I took extra folic acid along with my vitamins because MTX disrupts your folic acid levels and that is a big reason for birth defects with the med(no matter how long you have been off of it)so just to be careful, Take extra.
She also told me to try to get pregnant ASAP(after the 3-6 month off meds deal) so that HOPEFULLY the pregnancy would help me out in the symptom area and HOPEFULLY give me some pain relief.
My best wishes to you and your other half and best of luck with a pregnancy to come.
Misty