Tuesday, October 27, 2009 BeadWired asks

Q: I have RA but i'm not taking immunosupressants. i'm now pregnant, should i take the vaccine?

if i have an auto-immune disease, it means my immune system is overactive. if i'm (no longer) taking imunosuppressant drug. does this mean that my immune system is strong enough to fight off the swine flu? i've been off prednisone for 2 years now. thank God! i'm only using Cannabis to ease my pain & inflamation. i'm pregnant and have RA. i'm not sure if i should take the H1N1 vaccine.

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Answers (3)

Ellen Galo

11/ 4/09 3:27pm

I just found this article too - on WebMD, 2003

http://lupus.webmd.com/news/20030415/cannabis-may-suppress-immune-system

I sure haven't heard any doctor mention it, however! (Not legal where I am, as far as I know ...)

Are you in California?

Hope

10/28/09 7:37am

No, it means you immune system is compromised. You have to have the vaccine, pregnant women are in the high risk catagory. Your immune system is supporting two people, so it is not as strong as it should be, its built for only one person. Even y our dr. should have told you you need the vaccine.

Debra

10/28/09 8:40pm

Definitely get the vaccine. I've heard lots of warnings and horror stories about pregnant woment getting very sick with this. I've got it right now and a lot of my students do, so it is very contagious.

(I'm not in a medical marijuana state (yet) but am curious about dosing. I haven't asked my doctor about narcotics prescriptions because I have to drive every day. Is cannabis any milder? Is anyone doing real medical studies?)

BeadWired

10/28/09 11:24pm

thanks for your input. i'm going to see my GP next week & wanted to make an informed desicion. it seems like i should get the vaccine... i suffered for 6 years with RA before i was introduced to medical marijuana. it changed my quality of life. i don't use alot, just enough to ease my pain. i only smoke about 4mm of a cannabis cigarette. or i also take it in brownies. i live in Canada & have had my medical marijuana license for 8 years now. i've done lots of research on my condition & the drugs i've been on int he past 16 years... the healthiest (alternative) treatment was medical marijuana. and then i found this information. a pharmaceutical company has done their own research in hope to develop a drug based on cannabis (THC)...