[Liz V.]

Hi, my name is Elizabeth. I am 26 years old. I was diagnosed with Lupus nephritis in 1998. 10 years later, I am now about to undergo the cyclophosphamide treatment and my concerns are whether or not I should freeze my eggs in the event that the cyclophosphamide treatments cause infertility.

Has anyone undergone this treatment without freezing their eggs and successfully had children afterwards? I am so unsure of what to do and any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you!

Liz

 

[michelledub]

hi liz
i had a 6mth course of this treatment. i was 23.
i didn't have my eggs frozen but i was given an injection
every 3 months to put me into a medical menopause. i
haven't had a child yet but thats my choice and my cycle
returned as normal within a few months of finishing the treatment.
i'm sorry but i can't remember the name of the drug but it might be
an option to discuss with your doctor. the treatment used to produse
the large amount of eggs is hormone based and may make you really sick.
my doc wont let me take the pill for that reason. sit down with your partner
and doc and have a good chat about your options. good luck its a long hard
road but it does get better. you can pm me if you like. michelle

 

[Maia]

The drug is Lupron (usually). It puts the ovaries into a resting state which means the chemo won't go after those rapidly dividing cells. It's not foolproof but is thought to help. It does have it's own set of side effects so that is something else to consider.

At your age, chances are good that you will get through chemo without going into menopause. Women in their mid 30's or older and most likely to get put into permanent menopause from chemo treatment for their lupus.

We have had numerous members who have had successful pregnancies following chemo treatment, and a few who were put into menopause. There are no guarantees for you... and definitely discuss this with your doctor. Freezing eggs or embryos for future use is probably the safest bet for you but also an expensive option.

Good luck to you. Also feel free to search through the Pregnancy forum or the entire site and see what posts you can find in the past on this topic. You may get more specific answers by posting in pregnancy too...
And Welcome to the Site!

 

[lazylegs]

Hi Liz,

Welcome to the site. I hope you are able to get the support you need here. The members are super friendly and more than willing to help when they can. Don't forget to visit the chat room also. It is a great way to make friends and get instant feedback for some of your questions.

Good luck with your upcoming treatment.

Take care,
Lazylegs

 

[onetay]

Liz V,
I have not had this done and had my children before knowing I had sle. I did want to welcome you to the site and say hi. I do hope you find your answers. Have you talked with your doctors about this and gotten any feedback from them as to what you should do? I hope your treatment goes well and you feel well.