Safe Management of Rheumatoid Arthritis and Pregnancy
More women than men suffer from rheumatoid arthritis and often women are diagnosed with this condition during the childbearing years. Is it safe to have arthritis and be pregnant? How does pregnancy affect this illness? What about the use of medications?
There is actually a lot of good news concerning rheumatoid arthritis and pregnancy. You don’t have to feel as if one situation is going to make the other more of a struggle. In fact, many women actually see a reduction of symptoms during pregnancy. Find out how one impacts the other and what to do about the big question — drug use while carrying a child?
Conception and RA
It is possible to conceive even if you suffer from arthritis although expect it to take longer than normal. Problems such as inconsistent ovulation and a decreased sex drive may reduce fertility, but rheumatoid arthritis does not make women infertile.
When you choose to have a child, it is important to talk to your rheumatologist. Medications such as leflunomide and methotrexate should definitely be discontinued prior to trying to conceive. Some drugs for the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis can cause birth defects or harm the baby. Check with your doctor about stopping your medications and find out how long your body needs to detox.
Pregnancy and RA
What about during pregnancy — how can a women deal with this illness while her body is focusing on creating a new child? While you may fear increased pain and stiffness during pregnancy, in reality it is likely that symptoms will diminish. Most women notice that being pregnant has a positive effect on rheumatoid arthritis — this is true for 70 to 80 percent of cases. This makes stopping drug use or reducing the use of medication very easy to do. Talk to your doctor about safe medications during pregnancy such as prednisone or hydroxychloroquine or the use of safe forms of alternative medicine instead of using any drugs.
Alternative Treatments During Pregnancy
Another consideration is the use of natural remedies to help with the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis. Of course, talking to a your doctor is important when deciding what therapies to use. The following may be helpful:
- Yoga — Taking a prenatal yoga class is a great way to improve flexibility, reduce stress, and to keep both body and mind healthy during pregnancy. Let your instructor know that you have rheumatoid arthritis.
- Hot and cold therapy — Use cold compresses for no more than fifteen minutes at a time to reduce swelling and inflammation. Use heat compresses in the same way to ease pain and increase blood circulation.
- Deep breathing — Spend ten to twenty minutes a day doing deep breathing. Take a deep, slow breath, filling the abdomen. Hold for 5 to 10 seconds. This will help to reduce stress and will improve pain management.
- Supplement with EFA’s — Pregnant women are generally recommended to supplement with essential fatty acids anyway. Try flax seed, borage seed, or evening primrose oil supplements. The EFA’s will also help reduce the symptoms of arthritis.
- Massage — Therapeutic massage can help to reduce pain, increase circulation, and reduce stress.
By talking to your doctor about stopping medication use long before conceiving and finding ways to manage symptoms without any negative side effects for you or the baby, dealing with rheumatoid arthritis and pregnancy at the same time is really not that bad.
References
“Natural Treatments for Rheumatoid Arthritis.” (WebMD) https://www.webmd.com/rheumatoid-arthritis/guide/rheumatoid-arthritis-natural-treatments
Arthritis Today https://www.arthritistoday.org/conditions/rheumatoid-arthritis/all-about-ra/pregnancy-ra.php
“Family Planning and Rheumatoid Arthritis.” (WebMD) https://www.webmd.com/rheumatoid-arthritis/guide/family-planning-and-rheumatoid-arthritis
photo by: Meagan (CC/flickr) https://www.flickr.com/photos/meaganjean/3985720277/sizes/m/in/photostream/
