Flare Up After Pregnancy

[Claretta]

I started taking AB back in September 2007, the treatment worked very quickly (I started responding and having positive results in early November 2007) and I was 99.5% symptoms free for 2 years. I stopped taking the antibiotics in August last year as I was trying to have a baby. This year, I and my partner have been blessed with a beautiful baby boy, born on September 7th. Unfortunately, almost straight after the birth of my son I started having another arthritis flare up. I stopped breast feeding the baby last week and I am now back on Minocin (3 times a week). I am now really scared that I won’t respond to the AB therapy and hence I won’t even be able to hold my own baby.
Currently I have massively swollen knees with limited movement, my neck is really stiff and I can feel this horrible disease spreading to my hands and feet too.
Has anyone had any similar experience with flare ups following a pregnancy?
Any advice would be tremendously appreciated.
Thank you in advance
Clara

[lynnie_sydney]

Claretta – congratulations on your new baby but so sorry you are having such a flare-up. Yes, this is very common – any time when there is a surge/depletion in hormonal levels in fact. If you type ‘pregnancy’ into the search box at the top of the front page to Discussion Forum, lots and lots of past discussion on this subject will come up including others’ experiences and wisdom. Also, given the knees and neck being the two major places you mentioned, I would also be considering having atest for Lyme Disease through Igenex, given that these are highly indicative in Lyme and co-infections.

Be well! Lynnie

Palindromic RA 30 yrs (Chronic Lyme?)
Mino 2003-2008 100mg MWF - can no longer tolerate any tetracyclines
rotating abx protocol now. From Sep 2018 MWF - a.m. Augmentin Duo 440mg + 150mg Biaxsig (roxithromycin). p.m. Cefaclor (375mg) + Klacid 125mg + LDN 3mg + Annual Clindy IV's
Diet: no gluten, dairy, sulphites, low salicylates
Supps: 600mg N-AC BID, 1000mg Vit C, P5P 40mg, zinc picolinate 60mg, Lithium orotate 20mg, Magnesium Oil, Bio-identical hormones (DHEA + Prog + Estrog)

[Trudi]

@lynnie_sydney wrote:

Also, given the knees and neck being the two major places you mentioned, I would also be considering having atest for Lyme Disease through Igenex, given that these are highly indicative in Lyme and co-infections.

I totally agree with Lynnie’s advice and urge you not to wait to get tested.

Congratulations on your new baby. I hope you find relief soon as it is very difficult to care for a baby while in pain.

Take care,
Trudi

Lyme/RA; AP 4/2008 off and on to 3/2010; past use of quinolones may be the cause of my current problems, (including wheelchair use); all supplements (which can aggravate the condition) were discontinued on 10/14/2012. Am now treating for the homozygous MTHFR 1298 mutation. Off of all pain meds since Spring '14 (was on them for years--doctor is amazed--me too). Back on pain med 1/2017. Reinfected? Frozen shoulder?

[Valsmum]

Congratulations on the birth of your baby boy!
I had the same experience as you. I was pregnant and then 6 weeks after my baby was born, I had swollen knees and wrists. This was my first taste of arthritis, I had a couple stiff fingers and elbows during my pregancy, but that was it. I had no idea the pain that was to come. Hopefully you will respond well like you did before. I’ll say a prayer it works again for you.
The No Starch Diet has helped my pain and swelling lately, but you can’t do it while pregnant or breastfeeding, babies need their carbs :).My first rheumatologist told me it is common to see flare ups 6 weeks postpartum. I hope the best for you and baby, take care.
Sheri

[mary77]

I was also one of many women who flare after the birth of a baby. For me, it happened 6 weeks after our 2nd daughter’s birth. The arthritis symptoms were the first to appear. As time went on, fatigue, pain and a variety of symptoms came and went. Ten years later (and VERY ill) I was diagnosed with Lyme disease.

I would encourage you to take very good care of yourself while hormonal levels return to a more normal state. That would include rest (hard with a young one), good diet and mild exercise. In my opinion, the low dose, pulsed antibiotics are critical now! It is good you have returned to them. There is a paper that addresses this issue…it is from the website “Bacteriality”. It is fairly scientific, but does explain why women have a greater incidence of “autoimmunity”. Here is the link in case you might want to read the paper: http://autoimmunityresearch.org/preprints/ProalAnnals2009Preprint.pdf

The paper explains some of the science behind the Marshall Protocol.

I wish you the best in your journey back to feeling better!

Mary

[Claretta]

All,
Thank you so much for your responses and advices, it is very much appreciated. I somehow knew that pregnancies are normally followed by flare ups but I was hoping it wouldn’t have been so soon.
I have been back on Minocin since October 12th, finger crossed I will be responding soon as my biggest fear and worrie is to be unable to look after my little boy 😥
I am currently not followed by a reumathologist here in the UK as I was discharged from the local hospital back in 2008 (due to remission) so I am really not sure how easy it would be to be tested for Lyme desease. I doubt this is the case though as this is the first time I have neck ache and stiffness. Normally my flare ups kick off with one knee an they then symmetrically degenerate to all the other minor joints.
I will keep you all posted on any changes, both negative or positive.
Again, thank you so much for all your answers, they do really help to pull through. 🙂
Good health to all
Clara

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