Pregnancy, Medication & MS: When a Diagnosis Could Change ...

~By Beth Prystowsky,?Ups and Downs of a Yoga Mom

In September, my right hand went numb and I developed drop foot. Soon after, I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. After five days of IV steroids, I felt nearly like my old self again yet was left with many unanswered questions, including whether I would be able to have any more children.

As a result of my diagnosis, my doctor and family are strongly encouraging me to move forward with daily shots of Copaxone. This drug has shown hopeful signs of reducing of relapses in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), including those who have experienced a first clinical episode and have MRI features consistent with multiple sclerosis.

Honestly, I?m not worried about the daily shot or the side effects. What I can?t get past is the fact that I cannot become pregnant while taking Copaxone.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) uses a category system to classify the possible risks to a fetus when the mother takes a specific medicine. Pregnancy category B is assigned to medicines like Copaxone that appear to be safe for pregnancy in animal studies but have not been adequately studied in women. This means there is still potential for the medicine to adversely affect a developing fetus. And I could never risk harm to my unborn child.

Believe me, I realize that I?m beyond blessed with the two physically perfect children I already have. But as much as I have tried to push the feeling as far away as I could, I have never believed that our family is complete. I still feel we?re one short.

I know that my health should be more important than my desire for another child. As much as I wish I could say I could handle another little person, I know it would be a major challenge and that my current children would suffer as a result.

As time whizzes by and my kids grow older, other factors have also made my husband and me question the wisdom of adding to our family. And with my husband?s help, I have been trying to get to that place of acceptance.

But I was hoping to get to that place on my own, not have medication make that decision for me.

I always say that everything happens for a reason, so I guess I?ll assume there is a reason behind the path I?m on. Right now, I?m concentrating on enjoying the two children with whom I am already blessed.

You can find Beth on Twitter and Facebook.

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Source: http://familiesintheloop.com/new-and-noteworthy/11809/multiple-sclerosis-and-pregnancy/

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