castlemum
22-05-2006, 16:08
My Dh has sarcoidosis, which is basically an overactive immune system that starts to cause issues with certain organs, usually lungs but in his case it is his eyes. Basically he gets blurred vision because there are build ups of deposits on his eye and the pressure inside also gets too high. To get rid of it, it involves steroid drops and antibiotics, and usually an injection into the lower eyelid to get it started.
Anyway we've been suspecting it might be chronic (it can be one off, occasional or often-recurring), because it seems like every time he stops the meds, within a few weeks it is back again :(
This basically means now we have to look at long term treatment options. What does that have to do with TTC? Well the long term treatment option is methotrexate - commonly used in cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, transplants etc. Its an inhibitor for the immune system and stops rapidly reproducing cells. Guess what - sperm is a rapidly reproducing cell.
Basically not only can it affect his fertility level but those sperm who do get made have a high chance of DNA deformity. So while on the medication (who knows how long), AND for 3 months after, we cannot conceive, so I will also have to go on the pill for that time. If it is long term long term (like years and years) he would consider a vasectomy. Anyway this is NOT what we want to hear when we're TTC!
We do have an option to continue the steroids for now, as it comes back he goes back on them for a course as he is now, which means repeated steroids every couple of months as it has been lately (which in themselves aren't so wonderful for him) but the recurrence is really constant and this would stop it happening at all.
If you look at my other thread we've been trying since August 04 (before steroids came into the picture!) already. So basically we can try for a while longer and see how our luck goes, or not.
But, add to that I've been on anti-d's for about a month now (so TTC has been sitting on the backburner) - not for a sad depression but more the other things, and we figured we'd take it slow - if I got pregnant we'd deal with that then, if not then I would keep on the anti-d's as is. AND I need to get dental work which out of the blue has FINALLY started to move forward, and if I do it then it means probably a few months of treatment before it is all done. All these things mean being pregnant immediately - even if it did happen - isn 't the most ideal situation. But with his medication it kind of needs me to get pregnant now and then he can go on it and it'll be ok.
I just feel so grrrrr and confused and unsure what to do next.
Anyway we've been suspecting it might be chronic (it can be one off, occasional or often-recurring), because it seems like every time he stops the meds, within a few weeks it is back again :(
This basically means now we have to look at long term treatment options. What does that have to do with TTC? Well the long term treatment option is methotrexate - commonly used in cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, transplants etc. Its an inhibitor for the immune system and stops rapidly reproducing cells. Guess what - sperm is a rapidly reproducing cell.
Basically not only can it affect his fertility level but those sperm who do get made have a high chance of DNA deformity. So while on the medication (who knows how long), AND for 3 months after, we cannot conceive, so I will also have to go on the pill for that time. If it is long term long term (like years and years) he would consider a vasectomy. Anyway this is NOT what we want to hear when we're TTC!
We do have an option to continue the steroids for now, as it comes back he goes back on them for a course as he is now, which means repeated steroids every couple of months as it has been lately (which in themselves aren't so wonderful for him) but the recurrence is really constant and this would stop it happening at all.
If you look at my other thread we've been trying since August 04 (before steroids came into the picture!) already. So basically we can try for a while longer and see how our luck goes, or not.
But, add to that I've been on anti-d's for about a month now (so TTC has been sitting on the backburner) - not for a sad depression but more the other things, and we figured we'd take it slow - if I got pregnant we'd deal with that then, if not then I would keep on the anti-d's as is. AND I need to get dental work which out of the blue has FINALLY started to move forward, and if I do it then it means probably a few months of treatment before it is all done. All these things mean being pregnant immediately - even if it did happen - isn 't the most ideal situation. But with his medication it kind of needs me to get pregnant now and then he can go on it and it'll be ok.
I just feel so grrrrr and confused and unsure what to do next.