Question:
In article <10j72j9fqk69…@corp.supernews.com>, Benjamin Pratt <n…@spam.com> wrote [ >Does anyone here have experience with using Plaquenil during pregnancy, or >can point us to a study that has been done? >Thanks, >Ben & Jamie
http://www.northeastlupus.org.uk/faqshets/faqs13.htm says Drugs and pregnancy Drugs which are contraindicated in pregnancy include warfarin, which can affect the foetus in the early development stage, cyclophosphamide and methotrexate. Low dose antimalarials (plaquenil 200mg daily for example) appear to be safe in pregnancy and can continue to be used by those patients already on this drug. It may come as a surprise to some that the safest medicine of all in pregnancy is steroid (a 'hormone') and flares during pregnancy are routinely treated by changing the steroid dosage. This will have been written by Dr Graham Hughes, so will be based on proper studies etc. I haven't a reference - try Googling for Hughes AND plaquenil AND preg* -- Andy Taylor [Chair, N E Lupus Group] See http://www.northeastlupus.org.uk for more!
Response:
<snip>"It is always unwise to take unnecessary medications during pregnancy. However, necessary medications should not be discontinued. Most medications commonly taken by SLE patients are safe to use during pregnancy. Prednisone, Prednisolone, and probably methylprednisolone (Medrol) do not get through the placenta and are safe for the baby. Specifically, dexamethasone (Decadrol, Hexadrol) and betamethasone (Celestone) do reach the baby and are used ONLY when it is necessary to treat the baby as well. For example, these medications might be used to help the baby’s lungs mature more rapidly if the baby will be premature. Aspirin is safe; it is often used to protect against a complication known as toxemia of pregnancy. Preliminary reports suggest that azathioprine (Imuran) and hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil) do not harm babies, but the final word is not yet in on these. Cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan) is definitely harmful if taken during the first three months of pregnancy. "</snip> Info above found at this site: http://www.hamline.edu/~lupus/articles/Pregnancy_in_Lupus.html good luck to you both! hugs, from Shelagh "Benjamin Pratt" <n…@spam.com> wrote in message
news:10j72j9fqk69qbf@corp.supernews.com… – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Hello all, > My wife has Lupus and takes Plaquenil and other meds. We have > just > discovered she is pregnant (our second child). During the first > pregnancy > her Rhumetologist suggested she go off Plaquenil becuase he was > unable to > find any studies showing whether it was safe or unsafe during > pregnancy. So > to be safe, she stopped using Plaquenil. The pregnancy ended up > being very > difficult, and she had to take a high dose of Prednisone to > compensate, > which had complications of its own. > This time, the Rhumetologist is again recommending stopping > Plaquenil, again > only because he has no data in support or against using it > during pregnancy. > My wife would really like to stay on it, becuase it is very > effective in > controlling her lupus. > Does anyone here have experience with using Plaquenil during > pregnancy, or > can point us to a study that has been done? > Thanks, > Ben & Jamie
Response:
Hi Ben and Jamie, I didnt use Plaquenil when I was pregnant with my son, but that was 18 years ago! Anyhoo…Im sure you have done internet searches yourself, but I have access to some medical sites for professionals….here is what I found. #4 is a study done on pregnancy and plaquenil. (I cut a pasted from the web…hope it shows up) 1) Pregnancy-Unless you are taking it for malaria or liver disease caused by protozoa , use of this medicine is not recommended during pregnancy. In animal studies, hydroxychloroquine has been shown to cause damage to the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) of the fetus, including damage to hearing and sense of balance, bleeding inside the eyes, and other eye problems. However, when given in low doses (once a week) to prevent malaria, this medicine has not been shown to cause birth defects or other problems in pregnant women. 2) Safety of hydroxychloroquine in pregnant patients November 2003. In this French study of 133 pregnant women with Lupus who were taking hydroxychloroquine (HCQ). The study found no statistically significant differences between the women taking HCQ and a control group. The authors conclude, 3) Plaquenil (hydroxychloroquine) in PregnancyResearchers from Paris, France studied 101 female patients with lupus who were taking hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil) during pregnancy and for at least 6 months prior to pregnancy. They found no increase in birth defects compared with the general population and had no visual or hearing side effects of the drug in these patients.Dr. Shiel’s Perspective: When I first began rheumatology practice, now two decades ago, the standard of care was to discontinue hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil) at least 3 months prior to pregnancy in women with lupus. Now more and more research studies are showing that hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil) is not only effective in keeping lupus quiet, but it is also relatively safe throughout pregnancy. 4) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&… Hope some of this helps…..take it to your doc and see what he thinks…. Janet R "Benjamin Pratt" <n…@spam.com> wrote in message
news:10j72j9fqk69qbf@corp.supernews.com… – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Does anyone here have experience with using Plaquenil during pregnancy, or > can point us to a study that has been done? > Thanks, > Ben & Jamie
Response:
Hello all, My wife has Lupus and takes Plaquenil and other meds. We have just discovered she is pregnant (our second child). During the first pregnancy her Rhumetologist suggested she go off Plaquenil becuase he was unable to find any studies showing whether it was safe or unsafe during pregnancy. So to be safe, she stopped using Plaquenil. The pregnancy ended up being very difficult, and she had to take a high dose of Prednisone to compensate, which had complications of its own. This time, the Rhumetologist is again recommending stopping Plaquenil, again only because he has no data in support or against using it during pregnancy. My wife would really like to stay on it, becuase it is very effective in controlling her lupus. Does anyone here have experience with using Plaquenil during pregnancy, or can point us to a study that has been done? Thanks, Ben & Jamie
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