I've been trying to get pregnant for over a year and a half. We've had tests run and have tried clomid. Know my OB is sending me to an infertility specialist. I was just wondering if there was anyone dealing with this just to see what you've done as far as trying to get pregnant as soon as possible so you can go back on your meds. Currently I'm on prednisone and is definitly not something I enjoy being on. Anyways if your dealing with this issue, I'd love to hear from you!
Q: Is any one dealing with infertility while battling RA?
Answers (4)
10/29/08 11:31am
My husband and I have been trying to get pregnant for about a year. I am overweight, however, so they told me it may be harder to conceive. There are no reports (that I have found) that show infertility linked with RA. I recommend a book about trying to conceive called Conception Chronicles. I read it about 2 months ago and it really lays out what the motions are when your regular doc sends you to another one. It's a fast read too.
I feel your pain though about trying to get pregnant so that the RA will go away. I haven't been taking any meds, so it's been really hard physically to lose weight so that I have a better chance of conceiving.
I wish you the best of luck! Remember to post when you find out your pregnant!
1/13/09 1:57pm
I have had RA since I was 19 (now 31) and have been trying to conceive for 1 year with no success. I am not ovulating regularly which seems to be our problem and when I went to see my GYN she immediately referred me to a fertility specialist due to the fact that we had tried a year without success and the fact that I didn't need to be off my RA meds for so long. If I didn't have RA I think that we would have waited a little longer, but I don't know. At this point I have been through one cycle of Letrozole to make me ovulate - but with no success We are getting ready to start our second cycle with an increased dose of Letrozole (like Clomid) in addition to injections. I think given the fact that you are off your meds for RA and not having success seeing a fertility specialist is the way to go. I have been told my issue is PCOS but other than having multiple follicles in my ovaries and not consistently ovulating, I don't have any other glaring symptoms and my labwork is normal. Sometimes I wonder if all this is related to my RA and potentially Methotrexate, but there doesn't seem to be a lot of information out there about that. At this point we will just keep trying. Good luck!
4/ 3/09 12:13pm
LINSWC and anyone else: I have also had RA since I was 18 (now am 34) and have been trying to get pregnant for about 2 yrs. My OBGYN referred me a year ago to a specialist. For years I have been on prednisone (10mg/day), enbrel, azathioprine methotrexate and diclofenac sodium. My rheumatologist took me off everything except prednisone and azathioprine when she found out I was trying to get pregnant.
Regarding Methotrexate -- I am pretty sure it's something they give women when you have a slowly developing follicle (which wont result in prenancy) and they essentially need to induce miscarriage. Given that, I would think it's something to get off of while you are trying to get pregnant.
I have gone through Clomid, multiple IUIs, one round of IVF and am now going to try IUIs and TCM (traditional chinese medicine). I have several uncles who are Mayo Clinic trained Drs and, as a result, I always used to think accupuncture, etc was a hoax. But recently am more convinced than ever that TCM - either alone or with Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) - helps. It has helped me get off all of my drugs (except prednisone and azathioprine) and now I am hoping it will help with my fertility.
For anyone interested, there is a good book out there called The Infertility Cure by Randine Lewis, PhD.
Good luck everyone!
4/21/10 11:16pm
Hi,
I just found this website, and am new to the whole foum idea. My husband and I have had a hard time conceiving as well, and in desperation has been going to different websites, and forums as well, and he has enlightened me to the process.
I am in my early 30's. We have one child, with out any complications, or really even trying. We got pregnaunt 3 months after half heartily trying.
* Two years later we started trying again, nothing for 3 years.
* Diagnosed with RA.
* Continued trying for an aditional 1.5 years - no such luck
*Tried 4 IUI's. - no such luck
* Decided to do IVF (long story short) - doctors say that my RA has ruined my
eggs.
My rhuematologist said the chances of my RA effecting our infertility is rare. But the specialists I saw said it was indefinate. I seem to believe my Infertility Specialists.
I don't want to alarm anyone, but if I could give advise to anyone who may have my same journey.... if you can afford to do so,... do the IUI's, or IVF.
1) Don't wait, do it asap. We now wonder if we had proceeded with IVF sooner, if we would now have had a different outcome. All of our friends, and some doctors said, "It's typical for some couples to struggle with conception, don't fret, be patient, sometimes it takes time, this can be normal" There's nothing normal about RA.
2) Change your diet. My husband and I have read so much about how eating WELL can truely give us hope for a better outcome.
3) Ask your doctor about different Med's you can take. I'm on Sulphasalazine, and "supposidly" it's pretty safe, and I can even "possibly" ween off of it when I get pregnaunt.
4) Look into natural / "SAFE" suppliments. My husband and I are currently taking "Royal Jelly & Pollen", we know it's in the "grey" but are willing to do anything that is "safe". And I have turned to all organic produce, and milk. I also cut out meats, for other personal reasons. And like the other person stated, I have an appointment for acupunture in the morning. (Sorry I can't spell).
5) No matter what Remember you have to come first. Because if you sacrafice your health for a little one, what good comes from that for that little one.
I hope this info helps, and I hope it doesn't alarm you, take it with a grain of salt and apply it as you think you should.
Remember Faith, Hope, Endurance
Sallly
9/12/10 9:15pm
Hi All,
I am in the same situation now. I have had RA from past 6 years. I got married 5 years back I wonder if we had started trying early on may be I would not have had infertility. With in few years of having RA I got huge fibroids in my uterous but was unaware of them till we started trying to conceive a child. I had to have myomectomy surgery. Started trying 3 months after the surgery with only sulfasalazine. I was also diagnosed with enlarged thyroid gland and hypothyroidism. With in few months my knees and other joins have lost their flexibility. I cant do so many activities like sitting on knees and stuff now. May be I should have started prednisone 5 mg sooner. Anyway since I had surgery my doctor had insisted I get checked with in 6 months of trying we went back to after 5 months of trying. Btw prednisone had messed up my cycles by then. I dint had my menstruation the first month I took it had to take Provera and later had irregular lengths.
Anyway all my infertility tests came back normal. Did 3 rounds of clomid and 1 IVF with accupuncture which resulted in chemical pregnancy.
I am so devasted after that. I wonder the fibroids with in few years of RA thing. If RA and reproductive system is linked somehow.
My mother has RA in her early 30s and she had premature ovarian failure with in an year of getting RA. She also had a small fibroid then but that disappeared since she had early menopause of POF. I wonder if RA has this attack on reproductive organs.
I am so confused what to do right now. Our insurance does not cover infertility. Already spent 10k on IVF. Dont know how to go ahead. I am also in constant pain even with 5mg prednisone especially since winter is approaching my joints are stiffening little more.
I am a hopeful person but this pain makes me so irritated and negative behavior at times. I really want a healthy and beautiful baby of our own. Hope god answers our prayers.
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I am so glad I came across this board since my situation is very similar to the above post. I have a 3.5 year old daughter without even trying to get pregnant right after I got married. Once our daughter turned 1, I got off birth control to conceive another one, I got pregnant the first month we "tried." Unfortunately, the pregnancy was so weird (cramps, weird back pain, etc.) that at about 10 weeks I went into the Dr.'s office insisting on an ultrasound because I just knew something was not right...she said I conceived but nothing ever formed and that I had a bunch of "junk" in my uterus...so she diagnosed me as having a missed miscarriage and scheduled a D&C a week later.
I was devasted but strong and decided that it just wasn't our time. A couple months after my D&C, I started to get horrible pain in both feet esp. first thing in the morning, then it was in my hands, I couldn't even get my wedding ring on! Then I just got excruiating pains in my shoulders, wrists, elbows, knees, my TMJ..and it would even wake me up at night. Went to the Dr. and he told me I had RA. Devasted again.
In the midst of all this, my husband (who worked for the airline industry) got laid off. We didn't have insurance, and life was just literally turned upside down for us. We ended up forclosing on our home and moved in with my parents. Two years after my miscarriage, I am still not pregnant. I don't think I am even ovulating and since my husband is doing contract work and nothing permanent, we still can't afford to see an RE. I wonder if I can ever give my daughter a sibling. We have contemplated adopting but we are not financially stable for that right now.
Thankfully, I feel like my RA is under control now since taking Methotrexate for a while and now I'm only on Plaquenil and Sulfasalazine. But I fear not being able to conceive another child...I am only 30. Life is just so unfair. I can accept that I have RA but I cannot accept that I'm infertile because of it. Especially since my Rheumy insists that it doesn't affect my fertility! My obgyn even gave me clomid but it didn't even make me ovulate at the highest dose. :-( She said she has no idea what is going on and that I needed to see an RE.
Has anyone got an official diagnosis for why they can't conceive with RA?
Sorry my post was so long, I had to vent :-)
Esha