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pregnancy

I have copied this new post from another thread as it might have been missed by some.

Sandy

Submitted by cassidy62 on Thu, 2008-10-09 00:19.

Hi i am new to all this but looking for some answers, was diagnosed with cml a year today so abit emotional and mentally tired. My husband and i had only just got married when i fell ill and as i explained to him the other night i almost feel like i have been in prison since, with someone telling me when i can get out. We are at MRI in manchester and although i know that Glivec is doing a wonderful job i am desperate for a part of me to be here. We have been through all the fertility checks and we are all good but i sometimes feel that i ignore that this drug has given me a channce, i dont i just want to get on with things. Has anyone got pregnent whilst in remission and if so how does it work? Is there hope? i need to ove on and feel that i need to take a chance.

Hi,
It is not recommended that you become pregnant whilst taking Glivec. However some women have managed to have babies by stopping Glivec for some months and then managing their disease with either interferon or Leukopherisis (this is a way of syphoning off your white cells when they get to high levels).
The risk with taking Glivec is within the first weeks/months of conception.... it is recommended that you should stop Glivec for 3 months before conception and then throughout the pregnancy..certainly for the first trimester.
So you can see that it is not impossible... and quite a few have done this - see Sharon Morris' posts (she is treated in Germany and has had 2 babies after reaching CCR on Glivec and then maintaining this with low dose inteferon during her pregnancies.)

I do hope you can talk to your doctor about the possibilities.
I suggest you come to the UK CML patient seminar in November which is where you will be able to meet expert CML clinicians and ask their advice. See the box on right for details. It is a good opportunity to get further advice and the latest thinking on this and other subjects concerning CML. You need to book up soon as places are limited.

Best wishes,
Sandy

Thanks Sandy for your quick response, i am hoping that i will get a break when i go next week as i am ready and have been in CCR since April. I am hopeful and it is good to know that others have done it. May just go to that seminar will discus with my hubby as we didnt go last year as it was all just too much at the time

Thanks again Fiona