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ladies out there who received IV steroids while pregnant?

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Posted 10/26/2009 10:02 AM (GMT 0)
Hello

I have recently had 9 days of IV steroids to try and get a flare under control.  I am currently 22 weeks pregnant.  Anyone else out there follow a similar protocol?  Healthy, happy baby born in spite of medication??

Thanks for any input.  Feeling anxious....

amygrace

 

Posted 10/26/2009 12:49 PM (GMT 0)
I had 5 weeks of IV steroids, followed by tapering oral steroids, combined with Remicade, starting at 8 weeks pregnant.

I had a healthy, happy baby boy in spite of this mega-dosage of medication. I completely understand your anxiety and I hope you have the same result!
Posted 10/26/2009 3:48 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks Canadian  Chick!   Wow, five weeks, you poor thing!

This whole thing is doing my head in, it is really nice to read about a positive outcome.  I am just about to up my oral prednisone from 50mg to 75 mg for a few days and see if I can keep this thing in check, and my GI has indicated that remicade is my next line of treatment if this continues, so I feel a bit better about it now...Thank you!

PS:  I am living in Australia, but am a Canadian Chick too!!

Posted 10/26/2009 3:58 PM (GMT 0)
I can't comment from personal experience, but I believe the negative outcome most commonly associated with prednisone use during pregnancy is cleft palate, and you're well beyond the stage where that could happen.

I also read your other post...good luck! I hope you are able to get back into remission soon.
Posted 10/27/2009 12:28 PM (GMT 0)
I was also hospitalized for 2 weeks at 22 weeks pregnant on iv steroids and continued on oral steroids through out the remainder of my pregnancy. I did end up on insulin due to the steroids increasing my sugar....but had a healthy baby boy weighing 8 lb 3 oz. He is perfect...and i understand the stress all those meds can cause but try to stay positive and decrease the stress as much as possible...i know stress didn't help my flare at all. I also flared post delivery. Pretty sure it is all from the hormones. Good luck and keep us informed.
Posted 10/27/2009 12:35 PM (GMT 0)
You're welcome Amygrace, a Canadian Chick living in Australia. :) I'm happy to answer any questions you may have, as best that I can. As Fruitgirl mentioned, cleft palate is the biggest concern about steroid use during pregnancy, and you're beyond that timing. I know it's hard not to worry, but honestly you can't do anything about it now besides try to get as healthy as possible. And if you have to go the Remicade route, it sucks, but now you know that atleast one other person has had a healthy baby while starting Remi while pregnant. And my doctor has had numerous successes with it, otherwise he wouldn't have suggested it for me.
Posted 10/27/2009 3:47 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks for the replies Ladies.  Lynn, do you remember what dose of steroids you had to be on for the remainder of your pregnancy?  I realise that  I have to get this flare under some sort of control, but the idea of high dose steroids for an indefinite period is freaking me out!!

Canadian Chick - I am happy to hear of your experience with Remicade, and that your doctor has had other successes with it.  My GI has never tried Remicade on a pregnant patient before - I think he views me as a bit of a guinea-pig!

Thanks again for the reassurance - it really does help calm me down during those midnight internet searches!!

Amygrace

Posted 10/27/2009 7:56 PM (GMT 0)
Amygrace...I was on a high dose...i think 100mg iv solumedrol while in the hospital and then started on 6omg oral when i went home and was able to taper down to 20mg for the remainder. What dose are you on right now??? Just to let you know my doctor had also mentioned remidcade when i was pregnant and stated she used it alot with her other patients with no problems. Hang in there.
Posted 10/27/2009 11:05 PM (GMT 0)

Hi Lynne

While in hospital I was on 300mg of IV hydrocortisone, which I believe equates to about 100mg prednisone.  When I came out I started on 40 oral, and started to flare again, so cranked it up to 50 which didn't help, and the last two days on 75 which seems to be taking the edge off things.  I don't know that I absorb oral pred well, as aside from not really helping me at a regular therapeutic dose, I don't seem to have any side effects either!  I will ask my doc whether there is a blood test you can take that reflects how much steroid is actually making it into the blood stream - perhaps I need to take 75mg in order to get 30mg into my system!!?

I didn't have UC when I was pregnant with my first two.  Seems so bizarre to have been concerned about taking tylenol for a headache!!

Thanks for letting me know that your doctor has lots of experience with remicade and pregnant patients....like I said, this is kind of new territory for my doc, which is unsettling for me!!!

Cheers,

amygrace

Posted 10/28/2009 4:18 PM (GMT 0)
Amygrace, my doctor actually specializes in pregnant women and IBD. He may be willing to talk to your doctor. I know he's called a few colleagues around Canada and Germany (!) trying to decide on a treatment plan for me. If you think she/he'd be interested, I can send you his info.
Posted 10/29/2009 1:45 AM (GMT 0)

Thanks for the offer.  I will let my GI know.  You know what specialists are like - they know best, even when they don't!  But he's a young guy so he might be open to correspondence with someone who has more experience than he does!

Thanks for your support....

Amygrace

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