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Overview
Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease in which the body attacks its own connective tissues, including the bones. This leads to painful swollen joints throughout the body. Rheumatoid arthritis afflicts over a million people, including many breastfeeding mothers. While the signs of rheumatoid arthritis are similar for everyone, there are some things breastfeeding mothers need to take into consideration.
Symptoms
Painful, red, swollen and stiff joints can all be signs of rheumatoid arthritis. RA is a systemic disease, so the same joint will often be affected on both sides of the body. Signs of rheumatoid arthritis are not limited to the joints. Because rheumatoid arthritis affects all connective tissue, people with RA can feel fatigued, have muscle aches, decreased appetite and even a low-grade fever. Many of these symptoms in breastfeeding mothers can be attributed to having a baby in the house, rather than rheumatoid arthritis.
Diagnosis
Blood tests can confirm the presence of rheumatoid arthritis most of the time. Factors such as rheumatoid factor, ANA, sedimentation rate and citrulline antibodies are present or elevated in many patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
Considerations
Swelling associated with pregnancy can create symptoms that mimic arthritis. For instance, painful hands and fingers can be a result of swelling pressing on the ulnar nerve, causing carpal tunnel syndrome. Breastfeeding women who have just had their babies should consider this swelling as a possible cause of joint pain in the hands. Shifts in the pelvic girdle to accommodate the baby's birth can also be responsible for hip, back and leg pain.
Treatment
Many medications that are prescribed for people with rheumatoid arthritis may be unsafe to take during breastfeeding, as they are passed into the mother's milk. Some women choose to stop taking their RA medications when breastfeeding. NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) and prednisone are generally approved to take while breastfeeding (although aspirin is not).
Misconceptions
There is no evidence that suggests that breastfeeding can increase the risk of a rheumatoid arthritis flare up.
Benefits
Many women notice that their rheumatoid arthritis symptoms diminish or disappear while they are pregnant. After birth, the body's hormone levels change and the chance of a flare-up increases.
Breastfeeding for more than a year or two has been shown to reduce the risk of rheumatoid arthritis by about 50 percent.
