Coming off methotrexate to concieve?

Hi Louise,

I've no advice to give re: mtx and pregnancy but I do remember 18 odd years ago having a similar reaction from my rheummy when I told him I was trying for a family. He pretty much said 'Are you mad!' I've had JIA since the age of 7 and am lucky in that it was only my knees that had been damaged, leaving me unable to fully bend them.

Anyway, fast forward 18 years (took 3 years of trying for first baby) and we now have 3 beautiful, very healthy kids ages 15, 12 and 10. I was very lucky in that my JIA stayed in remission until youngest was 2 and even then it only came back very mildly and hasn't caused any real bother until last year.

Every experience is different, but I do get annoyed with these people who make us feel guilty for making decisions like those. There are ways round everything and if your minds are made up to having a child they should be pleased for you, not telling you off! Had I been less stubborn, he may have succeeded in putting me of and I am so, so glad he didn't.

Good luck with it all,

Lois x

louiserichard wrote:

My rheumy put me on sulphasalzine in the view of coming off the methotrexate once it kicked in. It hasnt worked (been on it 6 months). He said there is nothing else I can try thats safe to concieve on and basically thats its - like it or lump it.

I was treated with steriods for a long time as a child so he said it wouldnt be good on my bones for me to take them again so thats out.

He said either I carry on as I am and don't have a baby or I just stop the metho and un do all his work and probably cause myself a lot of pain.

I felt I had no choice as we really want to start a family (we worked hard and got our own house etc and the time is finally right for us) so I stopped the metho in the week with the view of waiting until i'm safe to try. I am in agony already. I have to work full time and don;t know how I will cope. I dont know what to do! My husband said we should go and see a private rheumy but we can't really afford this - seems unfair.

hi there,im well past baby making age !!but i do know a girl in our village who was by far worse than i am and when she became pregnant her symptoms were not near as bad as they had been ,something to do with change in hormones,maybe ask a health visitor for advice on the matter instead of rheumy,ask what you can take safely for pain ,make sure you take your pre pregnancy folic acid tablets (apparently this is a new thing),my daughter was taking pills to make sure her body had all the correct ingredients for a healthy pregnancy,not that she has any medical problems ,but maybe all these things will put your body into a healthier mode ,i will keep everything crossed for you , ask advice from people who specialise in pregnancy etc or read up on line good luck wynniex