Arthritis and TTC/pregnancy

[SunshineAndRainbows6]

Hey all,

I haven't posted on MumsNet in what seems forever (Since having our baby boy in 2019) 🥰

Since then I have been diagnosed with 'Sero Negative Rheumatoid Arthritis' 😩 (I'm only 26) I am currently taking steroids for the next 4 months and also have to take another drug which I will be on for life called 'Salfasalizine'... this can effect my Liver, kidneys and bone marrow so I have to have monthly blood tests to check my levels 😢

My question for you lovely lot, is if anyone on here has 'arthritis' and how it was falling pregnant and during pregnancy... My doctor has said that it complicates things, but didn't elaborate much 🤦🏻‍♀️ We won't be looking to conceive until I've come off the steroids and feel comfortable and more healthy....

I'm hoping someone else is in the same boat/or has been who can give me some advice... 🙏🏻

Thanks in advance 💕

Hi there I have rheumatoid arthritis and have had it for about the past 7 or 8 years. I had just started taking a biologic drug called cimzia when I fell pregnant with my son. I decided to stop taking the medication during my pregnancy with the support of my consultant as I didn’t want to take any unnecessary risks. My drug is technically thought to be safe to take in pregnancy however there is very little research into the effects of the drug as there are few studies involving pregnant women - this was my personal choice and may not be right for everyone. My RA was for the most part, very mild and controlled during my pregnancy, not sure if it was just a coincidence but doctor did tell me that quite often pregnancy causes symptoms and flare ups to retreat - something to do with the immune system but don’t ask me what! 🤷‍♀️ We had a healthy happy son. I did have a few complications towards the end of my pregnancy but these were unrelated to my RA. Feel free to message me if you have anything in particular you want to know and if I can help, I will. Xx

Sorry for your diagnosis! It is overwhelming at first.

I was diagnosed with seronegative RA at 17 (29 now). I’ve been on sulfasalazine for the past few years, it’s the best drug they offered me for it. It has kept it mostly under control (with the occasional flare up, but that’s to be expected) and haven’t had any awful side effects (unlike methotrexate 🤮) It’s safe during TTC and pregnancy too ☺️ You shouldn’t need to keep up the monthly blood tests, it might just be to assess how your body copes with it initially. I only have my bloods done once a year now.

I was told that RA goes into remission during pregnancy and I didn’t believe a word of it 😂 I’m currently 19 weeks pregnant with my first and managed to halve my medication as it’s mostly under control. The fatigue is a killer but I don’t know if it’s a normal level of fatigue for pregnancy or if the arthritis has made it worse 🤷🏻‍♀️

I had a catch up with my consultant a few weeks ago and she didn’t seem concerned about me being pregnant and they won’t be giving me any further monitoring. She did say that she will book me in for a review a few weeks after birth though as apparently the symptoms can return with a vengeance 😖

Sorry for the essay haha, I just know how isolating it is to be diagnosed at such a young age

Hi ladies, I’m in a similar position except I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis so I take sulfasalazine for that. I am 6 weeks pregnant and although all 3 of my doctors (family doc, gastroenterologist, OB) told me sulfasalazine is safe in pregnancy, none of them told me that you’re supposed to increase folic acid supplements while taking it. I have been taking a prenatal vitamin for the last few months and I do think I eat a decent amount of folate rich foods, but my prenatal only has 1mg folic acid and everything I have read says to take 5mg when on sulfasalazine and pregnant. I’m so worried because I’m already 6 weeks now and the window for preventing neural tube defects has closed. I was just wondering if any of you who are taking sulfasalazine while pregnant did so without extra folic acid, and is everything looking okay? Any reassurance would be so appreciated :(
Thanks!

@MrsB2019x

Sorry for your diagnosis! It is overwhelming at first.

I was diagnosed with seronegative RA at 17 (29 now). I’ve been on sulfasalazine for the past few years, it’s the best drug they offered me for it. It has kept it mostly under control (with the occasional flare up, but that’s to be expected) and haven’t had any awful side effects (unlike methotrexate 🤮) It’s safe during TTC and pregnancy too ☺️ You shouldn’t need to keep up the monthly blood tests, it might just be to assess how your body copes with it initially. I only have my bloods done once a year now.

I was told that RA goes into remission during pregnancy and I didn’t believe a word of it 😂 I’m currently 19 weeks pregnant with my first and managed to halve my medication as it’s mostly under control. The fatigue is a killer but I don’t know if it’s a normal level of fatigue for pregnancy or if the arthritis has made it worse 🤷🏻‍♀️

I had a catch up with my consultant a few weeks ago and she didn’t seem concerned about me being pregnant and they won’t be giving me any further monitoring. She did say that she will book me in for a review a few weeks after birth though as apparently the symptoms can return with a vengeance 😖

Sorry for the essay haha, I just know how isolating it is to be diagnosed at such a young age

Hey @Rockape1992 @MrsB2019x @Elise1983

Thank you all so much for the replies, it means a lot to know I'm not alone and to hear such positive outcomes 🥰

I'll definitely have a chat with my consultant before we start TTC! I know my weight is an issue as well 🤦🏻‍♀️ I have a high BMI and one of the first things he threw into the mix was about weight gain on these tablets and also diabetes risks 😩

It's great to hear the blood tests could be cut down, I don't mind needles but it'll be nice to not be prodded with them regularly 😂 As far as I know my inflammation levels are at 30 at the mo 🧐 I'm not sure what they are meant to be at!!!

Congratulations to you all on your bubba's and pregnancies 🙏🏻🎉

Did you have any side effects with the sulfasalizine ladies? I have a constant headache at the moment, but I am on about 10 tablets a day at the moment 🤦🏻‍♀️ I work in the hospitals pharmacy so know all about the dreaded 'methotrexate' wanted to steer clear of that if I could 🙏🏻

I'm so sorry your having a hard time at the moment @Elise1983 😢 It is usually revcomendef to take folic acid or something with it in at the start, I didn't realise we would need extra once on Sulfasalizine, but then again with my first I had to take '5mg' from the get go because of my higher BMI 🧐 Could you try calling the doctor to see what they say? But try not to stress yourself too much, as back in the olden days they never took anything and babies were fine 🙏🏻

Hope you've all had a good day/evening depending on where you are in the world 🌍 I'm UK 🇬🇧