Got my wife pregnant and I'm on Methotrexate (kinda scared)

[durranee]

Hi
I'm sorry if this has been discussed before but I couldn't find an answer anywhere on web.
Just had a call from my wife telling me the good news and we reckon it's been at least 4 weeks. I'm on MTX (10mg/week) for 7-8 months and now terrified for the health of the baby and my wife. I heard it can cause birth defects and other serious effects.
Would love to have some advice from all you P-people, specially someone who's been through this.

Sorry if i'm not making any sense but I'm terrified.

[david_8]

hi, durranee

mtx wkly low dose should be ok, are you on any other medications     give your mtx  presciber  a ring

high dose daily mtx  IE chemo is a def/no



have a read here

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From Medscape Rheumatology > Ask the Experts > Rheumatoid Arthritis and Related Conditions
Can Methotrexate Be Given Safely to Men With RA and Planning to Have Children?


Maher Dollan, MD

Response From the Expert
 Robert I. Fox, MD , PhD 
Member, Rheumatology and Medicine Department, Scripps Memorial Hospital, La Jolla, California

From my knowledge and search of the literature, there are no reports on the adverse effects on pregnancy outcomes among men exposed to methotrexate before conception.

Comment:

Opinions in the literature differ on the effects of methotrexate on male fertility.

Several case reports and studies report no effect; others report reversible sterility.[1] Most of the literature regarding methotrexate and fertility is derived from combination chemotherapy using high-dose methotrexate and is not applicable to patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Small studies reporting methotrexate use with no other agents suggest no increased infertility.[2] Motherisk (a database in Canada: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login) is currently following men who are taking methotrexate alone for psoriatic arthritis to see whether it affects fertility; present results show no increased problems in babies of fathers who received methotrexate.



 


 

[Luvvi]

Try to enjoy the moment!  We have had members on here (female) who have been on MTX and became pregnant and went onto have very healthy pregnancies resulting in beautiful healthy babies!  Its not advised to get pregnant/impregnate however, it happens......speak with your Derm a.s.a.p. and get them to speak with your wife's Obstetrician in due course.

I hope it all goes well for you both!

[peter05]

i am a man & was told on mtx i could still try for a baby, but at nearly 60 & i had the snip 20 years ago i decided not to try   enjoy looking forward to being a dad it's the best thing in the world

[HertsRob]

enjoy looking forward to being a dad it's the best thing in the world

Until they become teenagers!

[leamarieuk]

my ex was on MTX when I feel pregnant with our youngest daughter.

The hospital were amazing and saw me within days. The consultant had even done a lot of research before I got there and was able to show me a lot of past evidence. She was very reassuring and told me that even though it is not recommended that you try for a baby when on MTX there is very, very little evidence of birth defects when the man is on a low dose (my ex was also on 10mg a week)

The did a lot of extra tests through my pregnancy, but they were purely for my peace of mind. I had 7 scans instead of the normal 2, the first of which I had done at just 7 weeks. My daughter was very healthy when born, and is still really healthy at 4 years old.

Your wife will need to make sure the doctor and midwife are aware of the fact that you take MTX, but apart from that I wouldnt worry too much. Pregnancy is stressful enough as it is lol. Just be honest about your concerns as the professionals will not be able to help you unless you tell them how you are feeling and what you are worrying about.

I really do wish you and your wife good luck and hope you can enjoy this miracle

Lisa x

p.s. if you have any extra questions feel free to pm me anytime

[durranee]

Thank you very much guys, I can't explain how stressed we both are but I know you all understand.
When I heard that last night, we were both terrified because my consultant specifically told me not to try for kids but you know 'accidents' happen.
I called my consultant today and his secretary passed the news to him and got back to me saying he congratulate me and thats all, I asked the secretary to ask him again if it's dangerous (still waiting to hear from her).
My wife also had an appointment with the GP today and she went to discuss abortion (as I explained we just didn't wanna take the chance) and doctor (with a look of disgust obviously) processed her request to relevant clinic.
But honestly after reading all your responses and a bit of research online I'm thinking about changing my mind. Will try contacting my own GP and consultant again tomorrow and see what he has to say about risks.

I'd again like to thank all of you guys once again. Lisa, your story has given me new a hope and hopefully I'll hear positive things from my consultant and GP which will make taking decision bit easier.

I will report back soon.

[leamarieuk]

How are you both getting on? Have you managed to speak to your consultant again to get any more information? x

[denisered]

congratulations on the news, please do not worry, i am a midwife and i see a lot of healthy babies born to parents with complex medical conditions and treatments. it is important to access your midwife and obstetrician as early as possible so they can monitor the pregnancy carefully, there are lots of tests that can be done to track your babies development even at an early stage. babies are amazingly resilient and adaptable even in the early stages of development, they have to be and thousands of healthy babies are born every day in complex and difficult situations..... try and relax, see your GP and get an early referral to the hospital, get some info and tests done and take it from there. good luck   

[durranee]

Hi
I've tried to contact my consultant and only got the message that he congratulated us and that's it.
They promised a call back tomorrow so hopefully i'd be able to speak to him tomorrow morning and see what he has to say.
All the doctors are saying it's not advisable but that's all they'd say so it's just putting a lot of pressure on us. Looking at the stories here and other places I'm pretty confident that it'll all be alright but my wife's pretty scared and does not wanna take the risk. She works in a hospital and said she'd talk to the doctors there as well to see what they say.
We've also been to the clinic to terminate the pregnancy today and they told us to call them tomorrow so they can get more information about the drug and how it'll affect the pregnancy but they also said it's not advisable.

Honestly speaking, I want the baby but don't want to put my wife through this. Lack of information is just causing stress and that's it.

Will report back after I've had a word with consultant and midwife again.

Thanks a lot for your kind and supporting message, I really appreciate that.