An autoimmune response to pregnancy

Penny Dreadful

Hi all, I've recently been diagnosed with Rheumatoid arthritis and the only cause the consultant can find is that it was an autoimmune respond to my pregnancy (which was perfect ) and childbirth.
My baby is now almost 8 months old and this kicked in when she was around 3 months old which seems to be typical. The consultant thinks it will last unfortunately as it usually burns itself out by now if it is only due to the pregnancy.
I'm reluctant to take the usual drugs for it as we would like to have another little one sooner rather than later and I am managing it with baths in Epsom salts, acupuncture and paracetamol. I will start a low dose of setroids for the next few weeks too.

Has this happened to anyone else and if so did it last or burn itself out for you?

bp

I have an autoimmun disease and find that the opposite - goes away during pregnancy and comes back (with a bang post pregnancy). I took my medicine through pregnancy - no choice.

Sorry this isn't great advice I know but wanted to let you I went through pregnancy ok with an autoimmune disease

contrary_mary

Sorry to hear this. Not me personally but I know someone who developed RA after her first pregnancy. She had relief from her symptoms during her second pregnancy but it came back as soon as the second baby was born. Hope you're coping okay x

Penny Dreadful

bp wrote: »

I have an autoimmun disease and find that the opposite - goes away during pregnancy and comes back (with a bang post pregnancy). I took my medicine through pregnancy - no choice.

Sorry this isn't great advice I know but wanted to let you I went through pregnancy ok with an autoimmune disease

I asked the consultant when I was with him how it reacts to pregnancy and he said really well and it often goes completely for the duration of the pregnancy.

contrary_mary wrote: »

Sorry to hear this. Not me personally but I know someone who developed RA after her first pregnancy. She had relief from her symptoms during her second pregnancy but it came back as soon as the second baby was born. Hope you're coping okay x

Hi, I am a bit peed off with it. The whole post pregnancy thing has been a bit up in the air for me physically. I had a text book perfect pregnancy (save for SPD) and labour and the delivery wee quick and easy (as it goes).
However immediately after things went downhill- issues with the placenta not coming away, prolonged post partum bleeding for months that required surgery to fix and then just as I thought things would pick up along came the pain in my hands and feet and absolute exhaustion- worse than when the baby was teeny tiny.
At least now I know what it is and that it can be managed. The steroids will help with the exhaustion. I'm just really hoping it burns itself out.

Thankfully my little baby girl is an angel baby- a great sleeper and eater and has a happy placid personality and is as healthy as anything so that's a massive help. I'm very lucky with her.

bp

My disease comes with R.A. - only flares when I am ill. Physio and an ice pack always helped me. Sorry you aren't well :-(

bp

Ps I don't want to offer medical advice

Penny Dreadful

Got fresh bloods done this morning so that's one thing out of the way at least.
Got my Presidnone today too and according to the pharmacist (who was very good) they should kick in quickly enough so fingers crossed.
I hate a bit of a melt down last night about it all. There is other stuff going on too which was piling up. The melt down was draining but I feel a bit better about it now.

bp

Q

Penny Dreadful wrote: »

Got fresh bloods done this morning so that's one thing out of the way at least.
Got my Presidnone today too and according to the pharmacist (who was very good) they should kick in quickly enough so fingers crossed.
I hate a bit of a melt down last night about it all. There is other stuff going on too which was piling up. The melt down was draining but I feel a bit better about it now.

Glad you feel better. Presidone is the same as my steroids

January

bp, I understand you do not want to give medical advice but in essence that is exactly what you have done. The OP should only take the advice of her doctor on what can or cannot affect a pregnancy, not some random stranger on the internet telling her it's fine.

Suucee

How were you diagnosed. my gp thinks i may have this. my story is very similar.
i had very bad spd during pregnancy.
after the birth my stiches burst and there was a possibilty i would need to get things surgically repaired (i didnt have a section) . spd continued until baba was 3 months.
i had a few months rest then things went down hill from when he was 6 months. (sept 2014)
i started getting inflammtion in my toes. very sore. affecting my walking.
my gp tried a few different antibiotics (though it may be gout) and anti inflammotories and done bloods. bloods were clear and medication didnt work. she tried a few different ones and then reffered me to a different gp for a second opinion. second gp recommended i see a rhuematologist. i also came off the pill as i was using a different one than i had used before.
i paid privately as i was in a lot of pain and also dealing with pnd.
i dont have health insurance so 150 and new meds .(arcoxia 90mg) went back on pill i had used for years with no issues.
the arcoxia done nothing. after trying them for 2 months my gp upped the dosage to 120mg and reffered me for public rhuematology. this is when my hands started .
the stronger dose helped my feet and stopped my hands getting worse. when they were finished my hands got very bad. my thumb on my right hand and my index finger on my left.
we tried a 2 week course of steroids but no improvement.
so for the past month ive been on the 120mg. it has helped a but not great. . i finally have my appointment monday for rhuematolgist.

ive had 4 sets of bloods done, all clear except showing that i have inflammtion. i have had hand and feet and chest xray (to rule our Sarcoidosis) again all clear.

at the moment my thumb on my right hand is stuck partially bent. i cant bend it further or straighten it (im right handed so this is awkward but ive learned to adapt) it also looks very bruised kind of purple/red around the joint . this has been like this for about 6-8 weeks
my index finger on my left hand has gotten very bad in the past few days. very very sore and again stuck in a partially bent position .
my toes have been ok for past few months but are a bit achy today too.

pain gets alot worse during my period and its that time of the month at the moment so i had been expecting it.

so anyway just curios as to how you were diagnosed. and are you private or public.
my mum was going to fork out to pay private again as with a 13mnt old and a 3 yr old im finding it very very tough.

bp

January wrote: »

bp, I understand you do not want to give medical advice but in essence that is exactly what you have done. The OP should only take the advice of her doctor on what can or cannot affect a pregnancy, not some random stranger on the internet telling her it's fine.

Sorry didn't mean to over step the mark

Penny Dreadful

Suucee wrote: »

How were you diagnosed. my gp thinks i may have this. my story is very similar.
i had very bad spd during pregnancy.
after the birth my stiches burst and there was a possibilty i would need to get things surgically repaired (i didnt have a section) . spd continued until baba was 3 months.
i had a few months rest then things went down hill from when he was 6 months. (sept 2014)
i started getting inflammtion in my toes. very sore. affecting my walking.
my gp tried a few different antibiotics (though it may be gout) and anti inflammotories and done bloods. bloods were clear and medication didnt work. she tried a few different ones and then reffered me to a different gp for a second opinion. second gp recommended i see a rhuematologist. i also came off the pill as i was using a different one than i had used before.
i paid privately as i was in a lot of pain and also dealing with pnd.
i dont have health insurance so 150 and new meds .(arcoxia 90mg) went back on pill i had used for years with no issues.
the arcoxia done nothing. after trying them for 2 months my gp upped the dosage to 120mg and reffered me for public rhuematology. this is when my hands started .
the stronger dose helped my feet and stopped my hands getting worse. when they were finished my hands got very bad. my thumb on my right hand and my index finger on my left.
we tried a 2 week course of steroids but no improvement.
so for the past month ive been on the 120mg. it has helped a but not great. . i finally have my appointment monday for rhuematolgist.

ive had 4 sets of bloods done, all clear except showing that i have inflammtion. i have had hand and feet and chest xray (to rule our Sarcoidosis) again all clear.

at the moment my thumb on my right hand is stuck partially bent. i cant bend it further or straighten it (im right handed so this is awkward but ive learned to adapt) it also looks very bruised kind of purple/red around the joint . this has been like this for about 6-8 weeks
my index finger on my left hand has gotten very bad in the past few days. very very sore and again stuck in a partially bent position .
my toes have been ok for past few months but are a bit achy today too.

pain gets alot worse during my period and its that time of the month at the moment so i had been expecting it.

so anyway just curios as to how you were diagnosed. and are you private or public.
my mum was going to fork out to pay private again as with a 13mnt old and a 3 yr old im finding it very very tough.

Bloody hell you're having a rough time aren't you! I'm really sorry to hear all that you're going through.
I was told initially by my GP that it was repetitive strain from all of the nappies and bottles and all that's jazz- it could explain the hand pain but not the feet.
I left had bloods done and nothing showed up so left it for a little while but once the pain got worse and the exhaustion reached crazy levels I knew there was more going on so I went back to the GP and requested a referral.
I do have private health insurance so can claim it back but still have to hand over the cash on the day. You could do the same if you wanted granted you'd be claiming back on your Med 1 and so get less but it would be money well spent IMO.
The wait time for a public appointment is dreadful. I only had to wait a couple of weeks (because this doctor was on holidays) to see my consultant. He cost €200 for the initial appointment and is €120 for all follow up appointments.

My bloods are still showing up a negative response to RA but my sister has it too and her bloods are also testing negatively. She got very bad before she was finally diagnosed and so had to opt for treatment with methotrexate but after a year on it is now coming off it and feels ok.
I also have a little psoriasis and so it shows a tendency toward an auto immune response to physical trauma.

I'm happy with what the steroids are doing for me for now and I'm only 4 days in. PM me or post here if you'd like any more detail about the RA journey so far.

Marz66

Sorry to hear your bad luck/ill health Penny.

Penny Dreadful

Marz66 wrote: »

Sorry to hear your bad luck/ill health Penny.

Thank you. Now for the real shocker......I did a pregnancy test (x2) this morning as my period was a few days late and.......yes that's right I'm 2 weeks pregnant.
I've decided to laugh at this a LOT cause what else can you do. I'm delighted about the pregnancy but didn't expect it right now. It took almost a year of ttc to get pregnant the last time and now on our first "not trying but not preventing" time I fall pregnant.

Marz66

Penny Dreadful wrote: »

Thank you. Now for the real shocker......I did a pregnancy test (x2) this morning as my period was a few days late and.......yes that's right I'm 2 weeks pregnant.
I've decided to laugh at this a LOT cause what else can you do. I'm delighted about the pregnancy but didn't expect it right now. It took almost a year of ttc to get pregnant the last time and now on our first "not trying but not preventing" time I fall pregnant.

Congratulations!!! I'm sure it is a head spinning time just as you get to grips with your condition and you may now have pregnancy symptoms as well. But lovely to have a new baby to look forward to 😊

seventeen sheep

I've an auto-immune disease (psoriasis) which disappeared entirely during pregnancy, came back with a vengeance after the birth, and is even worse now after a subsequent ectopic loss.

Congrats on the pregnancy! Hopefully it'll at least ease your symptoms for the next few months, and you can research the best treatment for you.

bp

Congrats on the pregnancy :-)

Suucee

Sitting waiting to go in to consultant now.
At this stage i just want a diagnosis as living past 8 mnths not knowing. My gp is fab to be fair just confused as bloods and xrays all clear. Hopefully will have some answers today

Suucee

Ah just got to read your other post now. Congrats on the pregnancy. :-)

Penny Dreadful

Suucee wrote: »

Ah just got to read your other post now. Congrats on the pregnancy. :-)

Thank you. Told my husband this evening so he is also shocked but delighted.
How did you get on with your consultant appointment?

Suucee

Penny Dreadful wrote:

Thank you. Told my husband this evening so he is also shocked but delighted. How did you get on with your consultant appointment?

I have spondyloathritis.
Starting on methotrexate, steroids and back on arcoxia 120mg also. .
. Waiting to have bloods done now. Will need monthly bloods and need to get screened for TB too.
Ill be interested to hear how it goes for you during your pregnancy. We were told to use two form of protection so as not to become pregnant.
Im a lil bummed tbh. Im only 28 with a 3yr old and 1 yr old. Had kind of planned having another in a few yrs now that im just getting back to myself after pnd.
Just need to get this sorted now. Ive 2 lovely healthy kids so im already very lucky.

Penny Dreadful

Suucee wrote: »

I have spondyloathritis.
Starting on methotrexate, steroids and back on arcoxia 120mg also. .
. Waiting to have bloods done now. Will need monthly bloods and need to get screened for TB too.
Ill be interested to hear how it goes for you during your pregnancy. We were told to use two form of protection so as not to become pregnant.
Im a lil bummed tbh. Im only 28 with a 3yr old and 1 yr old. Had kind of planned having another in a few yrs now that im just getting back to myself after pnd.
Just need to get this sorted now. Ive 2 lovely healthy kids so im already very lucky.

As a good starting point at least you have diagnosis now.
My sister also has RA and has been treated with methotrexate and a mild anti depressant at times and has responded really well to the treatmemt.
Times of stress (her marriage broke pup, house move, etc) did exacerbate it but she has met someone else who is a really great person know, work has sorted itself out and all that stuff and she is in a good place with her RA. This can happen for you too.
Best of luck with everything.