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Taking Mercaptopurine 6mg while pregnant, is that safe?

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Crohn's Disease
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Posted 2/10/2015 12:00 AM (GMT -7)
Hello,
A close friend of mine's 35 yr old daughter is 2.5 months pregnant. She asked the Dr she sees for her colitis if she should stop taking her 6mg Mercaptopurine while pregnant/nursing. He said to stay on it, cause if she went off and started bleeding again, the loss of blood could cause anemia.

She then saw her OB/GYN and was told "Get OFF it NOW, it's been known to cause miscarriages and deformities in newborns!".

I looked up what the drug was and immediately thought it probably was NOT good for a pregnancy, as it helps stall cell growth in cancer patients. Also, any concerns regarding anemia can be dealt with by taking iron supplements which almost all pregnant woman are advised to do anyway. So I agree w/ her OB/GYN.

She says she took it for 5 days and has now been off it for a week. I want to believe any danger of miscarriage is passed, but as far as birth defects, only time will tell.

Meanwhile, she is freaking out, and so is her father, my friend. I am not on it and know nothing about it beyond what I find on the web. All I can do is try to find some one who was on it while they were pregnant and ask how that went for them.

Any feedback will be very much appreciated!

I was on chemo for the year 2000 for HepC and it caused so many other problems, I finally understood the quote "The cure is often worse than the disease." I know how hard chronic long term bad health is on a person and their loved ones. So I really wish everyone here GOOD HEALTH and a good doctor they feel they can trust!

Thank you,
Lee
Posted 2/10/2015 3:02 PM (GMT -7)
Actually, she is fine to stay on 6mp while pregnant. Back in2006 when I was pregnant my GI was part of a large research team in Miami. He insisted that I stay on 6mp because the latest research was showing that it was safe. Women who take 6mp while pregnant have the same percentage of birth defects/complications as women who don't take 6mp during pregnancy. Meaning.... There is no greater risk because of the 6mp. The info your friend's OB has is old! It's been well established for almost 10 years that 6mp is considered safe in pregnancy. The greater risk would be if she flares while pregnant. If her OB doesn't know this, then she needs to see a maternal/fetal medicine specialist who is more educated on women who take medications during pregnancy for chronic illness.

Tell her not to freak out. Her baby is not at risk because of the 6mp. And she should get to a more educated doctor ASAP.

Stef
Posted 2/10/2015 3:27 PM (GMT -7)
Agreed with everything Stef17 said.
Posted 2/10/2015 5:28 PM (GMT -7)
I was in the same situation as your friend, pregnant and on 6mp.
The studies your OB looked at are outdated. He/she needs to get educated. Those studies were based on patients who received a much higher dosage than the one given to people with Crohns.
6mp takes THREE months to kick in and THREE months to get out of your system.
My OB wanted me to stop taking it, but I wasn't going to, but my GI said it was ok for me to stop taking it and just be on remicade since 6mp was not my primary drug, just a booster to help the remicade.
I got off of 6mp in my first trimester, but since it takes THREE months to get out of your system, my son was exposed to 6mp for his entire first trimester.
I had a fairly routine pregnancy, as easy as can be csection, and am now the proud mother of a perfectly healthy and handsome 3 month old.
Tell your friend she should do her own research and find an OB more aware of Crohns disease and its medications, especially if she plans to have more children.
I would be very worried for your friend. Going off medication during pregnancy is so bad for a woman; pregancy is hard enough to deal with. I can't imagine having my symptoms resurge and suffer from all the usual pregnancy problems.
According to studies, 1/3 of pregnant CD women get sicker, 1/3 get better, and 1/3 stay the same. Only time will tell what your friend will be, but without meds, her chances for maintaining a remissive state just got all that harder.
:(
Posted 2/11/2015 11:27 AM (GMT -7)
She should stay on 6mp. It's safe while pregnant as well as breastfeeding. I got off of it before I conceived, because I'm stubborn and I wanted to see how I would do without meds for a while. Well, I had my baby girl 10 months ago and I've been flaring since October. I'm still not nearly back on my feet as of today. I made a mistake. I will never stop my meds again... Now I'm back on crapnisone until 6mp kicks in again...
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