Arthritis and pregnancy

[sepa]

i was diagnosed with Palindromic Rhumatism about 4 years ago (this is similar to Rheumatoid arthritis but without damaging the joints) my rhumy has always said that if you fall pregnant then the pain should disappear. I am 6 weeks and the pain is so bad especially as I have come off all meds. Just wondered if anyone else was in the same boat as this?
I don't think it's helped by the fact I keep freaking out that I don't feel pregnant and the mild symptoms I was having seemed to have disappeared. I know that stress can bring on a painful flare and so can changes in the weather.

[Lonecatwithkitten]

The vast majority of autoimmune conditions do improve in pregnancy ( usually once placenta well formed) as the immune system is automatically down regulated to allow the pregnancy to continue.
The immune response is of two different types the vast majority immune disease is regulated by the same one which is down regulated in pregnancy. The odd individual ( I would be one) have a version that is regulated by the other half of the system and it actually gets worse in pregnancy. I only had vitelligo until I got pregnant then my whole immune system went crazy took until DD was 10 to calm down.

[sepa]

Do you know when the placenta is well formed? I'm glad to hear that there is hope for the pain to go.

Thank you for the above. Very interesting. I'm going to do some more research.

[Lonecatwithkitten]

Maternal blood supply to the placenta completes at about 12-13 weeks.

[RunnerHasbeen]

I did go into remission almost immediately, but had a wee flare up at 12 wks. It was okay to take steroids for it. There are some safe medications as well that you could investigate if you are not in remission. AFAIK, it is just most people, not guaranteed.