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Rank: Member
Groups: Registered
Joined: 11/2/2010
Posts: 15
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hello, i'm new to the site. I'm 29 and have had ra for about four years i think. My ra is very well controlled with meds and has been for about two years. I take hydroxy and sulpha. In the past i have taken pred, tramadol, diclo and codine. the reason for my post is that after xmas my fiance and i are going to start trying for a baby. I think that while i'm well we should go for it as you never know what's round the corner, i feel i've been ready for a while and ra has just gotten in the way. After talking with my consultant i have decided to just stay on my meds and when i get preg try to come off both or maybe just the hydroxy so i can breast feed. I was hoping for some general advice and also to ask whether there are any extra vitamins i should consider. Thank you for reading x
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Rank: Advanced Member
Groups: Registered
Joined: 5/19/2010
Posts: 384
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Hi
My name is Anne and I'm 50 years old and have only been diagnosed with RA this year. I'm sorry that I can't give you any advice but I'm sure plenty of people on here will be able to.
I so wish you every success and hope you keep posting.
Anne x
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Rank: Advanced Member  Groups: Registered
Joined: 12/3/2009 Posts: 3,006 Location: Timperley
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Hi and welcome to the forum.
I can't help, but I will alert Jenni to your post - and also Amanda. Both have had babies with RA and will be able to give you loads of helpful advice. You can also always ring the NRAS helpline, where you will get excellent support.
It's very exciting and I wish you both every success.
Love Jeanxxxx
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Rank: Advanced Member  Groups: Registered
Joined: 12/3/2009 Posts: 3,157 Location: Huddersfield
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Hi, welcome to the forum!
I can't help with the trying to conceive, I didn't have RA when I had mine, but as Jean says, both Jenni and Amanda have managed to conceive with RA. and will be able to advise you.
I wish you every success with it!
Love, Doreen xx
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Rank: Advanced Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 12/3/2009 Posts: 3,006 Location: Timperley
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Rank: Member
Groups: Registered
Joined: 11/2/2010
Posts: 15
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Rank: Advanced Member
Groups: Registered
Joined: 12/3/2009
Posts: 89
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Hello and welcome Yoshimi,
what an exciting time you have ahead of you, both hcq and slph are considered to be safe during ttc/pregnancy by most consultants. Extra vitamins i guess are the folic acid and maybe calcium and vitamin d. Personally i would steer clear of the diclofenic but i think most consultants see steroids safe to take. Obviously a healthy diet is a good idea too. Goodluck and keep us posted won't you.
emilyXXX.
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Rank: Advanced Member  Groups: Registered
Joined: 12/3/2009 Posts: 2,237 Location: nr Southampton
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Welcome Yoshimi
I am Jenni, I adopted my older 2 and then I had Bernice who is now 3. I have severe disease but basically, the advice from rheumatology is to go for TTC when your RA is in a "Controlled" phase.
the meds you are on are ok when ttc, there are some others too like azothyaprin. I agree with emily re doclofenac, but I took celebrex when TTC on the understanding that I would come off once prg. Hydroxycloroquine is pretty safe during prg alomg with the SLZ.
another thing to consider is buying an internet fertility test kit (him and hers) and then to check any "abnormal" results with the GP, normally you have to have been TTC for at least a yr for the gp to refer for investigations but when you have RA and having to avoid stronger meds like MTX and anti tnfs you might think its wise to have any investigations sooner rather than later.
I was 31 when Bernie was born.
here are some tips gleamed from the old forum.
A really good book i have is called 'Is Your Body Baby-Friendly' by Dr Alan Beer (sadly Dr Beer passed away back in 2006) but he was the top person who really knew all about immune issues and infertility and has helped soooo many people achieve their dreams. The book discusses the following;
Unexplained infertility, miscarriages and IVF Failure. I think it is well worth the read and only wished i had come across it sooner.
The Alan Beer Centre for Reproductive Immunology can be found at
http://repro-med.net/index.php
Zita Wests 'Guide to getting pregnant'
zita wests book takes quite an holistic approach - diet, exercise, relaxation, alternative therapies, when/how to have sex (essentially as much as poss!!!!) and she also has quite a detailed section about ivf and how to look after yourself through that.
some more ideas
1. Amanda Grant: Healthy Eating For Pregnancy, A Complete Guide To A Healthy Diet BEFORE, During And After Pregnancy.
2. Anne Charlish: Getting Pregnant
3. Dr. Laura Goetzl: Conception And Pregnancy Over 35
these are things we did take when TTC
we BOTH took-
folic acid
in addition, Richard took
Zinc and
vit C
Selenium ACE
I also took "pregna care" pills from Boots.
Diet wise we were strict at healthy eating. Tried very hard to eat fish a lot (i hate fish!) and tried to go swimming. NO booze (either of us) no caffiene.
My cousin took a while TTC and her husband took a nutritional drink every day- it did work.
love and best wishes
Jenni xhow to be a velvet bulldoser
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Rank: Member
Groups: Registered
Joined: 11/2/2010
Posts: 15
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hello,
thank you for all your replys. I'll let you know how i get on. I'm only taking the sulpha and hydroxy and have been for over a year now. I guess i see how i get on. I don't know whether i'll be able to come off them but i'll see how it goes. i think i have to weigh up the pros and cons. I'm a bit scared to come off them and then get ill which won't be good for anyone.
thank you
sarah
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Rank: Advanced Member
Groups: Registered
Joined: 12/4/2009
Posts: 2,127
Location: Thornton Cleveleys
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Hi Sarah Lots of good thoughts here from Jenni, as always! Just wanted to add my two penneth! I wasn't diagnosed with RA until after the birth of my daughter 22 years ago but I have since gone on and had two more pregnancies resulting in three boys! I had to undergo investigations for sub fertility twice and despite poorly controlled RA (drugs were less effective back in the early nineties!) still managed to increase my family against the odds. Be positive Sarah, try to keep the RA controlled and go for it! I was 37 when my youngest was born so plenty of years for you to keep trying. Do keep us posted  Lyn x
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Rank: Advanced Member
Groups: Registered
Joined: 12/3/2009
Posts: 62
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My daughter and son-in-law tried to conceive from the time they were married in September 09 with no success. My daughter is 34 so felt she didn't have time to wait a year before having tests. The easiest test is for the man so they paid for this to be done privately and the result was that they would never fall for a baby naturally. They are now undergoing ivf with icsi although the first round was unsuccessful. Her friends thought they were being neurotic when they had the test so early but it was just as well they did.
I hope all your dreams come true. Best wishes Brendab
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Rank: Advanced Member  Groups: Registered
Joined: 4/20/2010 Posts: 1,749 Location: Somerset
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Hello and Welcome Sarah.
I am 56 diagnosed 2 years ago from Somerset. Been of 3 failed dmards and
now waiting to start TNF treatment.
Due to my age I cannot offer any advice to you. Good luck though
and as always Jenni has good info for you
Happy Christmas to you
xRose
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Rank: Advanced Member  Groups: Registered
Joined: 12/13/2010 Posts: 118 Location: Shrivenham, Oxfordshire
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Hello
I thought I would tell you my experience. I was diagnosed wwith RA a year after the birth of my daughter (in 2007) and wanted to have another baby soon after that. I now have a son who is 15 months old. I continued to take sulphasalazine all the way through pregnancy and breastfeeding (I only weaned him completely last month). I also had several steroid injections during my pregnancy and took steroid tables for a while whilst breastfeeding) I also took Diclofenac while feeding. (I didn't take Hydroxychloroquine as it doesn't agree with my stomache but I belive it is safe to take this through pregnancy and while feeding).
I found it much more difficult to conceive with RA than I did the first time (and I had 2 miscarriages) my rheumatologist organised for me to have some blood tests as she said that some people with RA have 'sticky blood' I had a borderline positive result so I took low dose aspirin, I conceived very quickly on this and carried to term. So if you don't have much luck to start with it might be worth asking for this blood test.
Good luck!!
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Rank: Advanced Member
Groups: Registered
Joined: 12/3/2009
Posts: 62
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As a matter of interest to RA sufferers TTC, part of the ivf treatment my daughter is having includes taking prednisilone and low dose asprin. This is a widely used practice so these drugs must be considered safe.
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Rank: Member
Groups: Registered
Joined: 11/2/2010
Posts: 15
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Hi, thank you for your replys. I was very please to hear that you could breatfeed with hydroxy. When it comes to it I will see if I can come off it anyway but it is reassuring to hear other peoples experiences - thank you.
We have started to try now so fingers crossed!
Do you think you could take low dose aspirin anyway just in case or would that be risky in some other way? what would be a low dose of aspirin?
Sarah xx
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Rank: Advanced Member  Groups: Registered
Joined: 12/3/2009 Posts: 1,110 Location: London
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Hi Yoshimi, just catching up on posts. My husband takes a low dose of aspirin its 75mg. I would strongly advise seeing your GP first though, to check its safe for you to take this. I wish you much luck with ttc. I can offer no advice as like many others, I had my children well before RA. Keep us informed, maybe start a blog as Amanda did, we were all part of her pregnancy through this!!!! take care, BARBARA
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Rank: Member
Groups: Registered
Joined: 11/2/2010
Posts: 15
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hello everyone,
I've just found out that I am pregnant! still a bit shovked to be honest but good to know that i haven't been imagining all the symptoms! xx
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Rank: Advanced Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 12/3/2009 Posts: 3,157 Location: Huddersfield
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 Wow! Congratulations Sarah! Do keep in touch so we can follow your pregnancy with you. Love, Doreen xx
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Rank: Advanced Member  Groups: Registered
Joined: 8/25/2010 Posts: 1,289 Location: Buckinghamshire
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ohhh many Congratulations,
you must be over the moon.
let us know how you are getting on x
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Rank: Advanced Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 4/20/2010 Posts: 1,749 Location: Somerset
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whow
YIPEE .
Well done Rose
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