Rhumitoid arthritis and pregnant - symptoms, treatment, medicine

Pregnancy often seems to have a positive effect on rheumatoid arthritis (rheumatory, rhumitoid arthritus). This beneficial effect often lasts only a short while, something which is not fully investigated yet in rumatory arthiritis research.

	Rhumitoid arthritis - pregnant

An important note is that if you become pregnant, you should inform your physician if you are using DMARD drugs (disease modifying anti rhumatory drugs) such as Embril (Enbrel) and any other drugs you may have had prescribed for the treatment of  rheumatoid (rheumotoid, rhuematoid) arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis gets better when pregnant

Since decades it has been known that rheumotoid arthritis quite often is improved during a pregnancy, although this is not always the case. Science has yet to explain fully why this is the case but there are some ideas on why this might be the case: 

• Pregnancy induced hormone changes, especially cortisol and estrogen levels increase
• Humoral immunities affected
• The neutrophile functions are affected, possibly with a decrease in neutrophil respiratory burst
• The natural cytokines (anti-inflammatory) levels increase
  

Only scarce rhuemaoid arthritus research covers the development of rumatory arthrities during pregnancy. Other than the well observed beneficial effect on the reumatory symptoms which has been know for a longer time, there is little research into the further effects such as morbidity rate, the fetal outcome and other pregnancy specific questions.

It appears that rhumatoid arthrities (RA) is not correlated to the general level of fertility except that it has been noticed a somewhat longer conception time in studies of married RA (rhematoid arthritis) women and also a slightly smaller family size. There may be secondary explanations such as diminished sex drive and changes in ovulation but this is not thoroughly researched at the present time.

Rheumatiod arthiritis seems to have a higher occurance in female patients than in males, typically 100-200% higher in women.

The scientific research on rumatoid arthritus and pregnancy has so far mostly tried to establish a correlation between the pregnancy and any possible complications of the RA and side effects from the RA drugs used.

Pregnancy and rheumatory (rhumitoid) arthritis medicine

Using arthritis drugs while pregnant can be done although there is no drug that is considered completely safe under these circumstances. If you are planning a pregnancy, you should stop using NSAID medicines in the beginning of the menstruatory cycle as these drugs seem to affect the blastocyst implantation, according to animal studies. The possible side effects in a pregnancy situation could be longer than normal gestational stage and labor as well as a higher level of anemia. 

Using leflunomide or methotrexate should be minimized, or ideally not used at all, due to the teratogenic effects involved. Corticosteroids are fairly safe to use while pregnant. Steroids in this class have very good anti inflammatory  properties and with very low increases in the risk level for hypertension, edema and gestational diabetes et al, these drugs are considered safe to use a combination of rhumitoid arthritis and pregnancy. Using Azathioprine means a small increase in risk level and this needs to be discussed with your doctor if you want to use this rheumatory arthritus medicine. For cyclophosphamide and similar drugs, the recommendation is to stop using them 3-4 months before the estimated conception.

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