Dr. Kurland Norbert
If you have fibromyalgia and are contemplating pregnancy, it’s natural to wonder what impact your illness will have on your ability to get pregnant, on the pregnancy itself, delivery and recovery, on the health of your baby, and on the short- and long-term severity of your fibromyalgia.
Fibromyalgia must not upset the pregnancy project, a fertile fibromyalgia woman can become pregnant. However, there may be associated conditions that make it more difficult to get pregnant, such as hypothyroidism which must be balanced beforehand, irregular periods or an autoimmune disease such as lupus or rheumatoid arthritis.
Fibromyalgia is not directly hereditary, but is believed to have a genetic predisposition which explains that members of a same family can be affected.
Some women will see the pain, fatigue and other symptoms intensify during pregnancy, especially during the 3rd trimester, while others, in a small percentage, will have a more or less complete remission of their disease.
Fibromyalgia women may be at risk of repeated miscarriages or give birth of a baby with a lower weight than normal. Fibromyalgia is not associated with an increased risk of birth defects. Research varies on whether fibromyalgia is associated with a higher risk of cesarean deliveries. Often a painful outbreak of the disease will occur during childbirth.
Certain medications will be discussed with the doctor as to whether or not they will be continued during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, aspirin, opiates (morphine and derivatives) and Lyrica are contraindicated. Certain categories of antidepressants are more indicated than others, Cymbalta has potential fetal risks. Occasional cannabis use is not a problem, but regular heavy use has adverse effects on the baby.
Recovery after childbirth can be more difficult, especially in the event of a caesarean section, but in the long term pregnancy has no impact on the severity of the disease.
Finally, fibromyalgia is difficult to diagnose during pregnancy because the two conditions share many of the same symptoms.