Aleve and trying to get pregnant

michelina34 · July 2011

Hi! I have been lurking for some time and have a question. Has anyone heard if taking Aleve while trying to get pregnant will cause any problems. I take it only when I have a bad headache which is about once a month. I try going without or taking Tylenol but it usually doesn't help. I asked my gyno and he said it is okay until you find out you are pregnant. We have been trying for almost two years after having a successful pregnancy. I am trying to think of reasons why it isn't happening. I have an autoimmune disorder and was told it could take longer to get pregnant but when we got pregnant with our little girl we conceived on the first try. We thought we wouldn't have any problems with the second one.

If anyone has heard anything please let me know. Thanks

MaybeMore · July 2011

NSAIDS will delay ovulation, resulting in bigger follicles but crappy progesterone levels. It can cause infertility! Levels and timing is unknown right now...but your GYNO is an idiot.

I didn't know about it myself until this month. Then I freaked out because I always take Ibuprofen during my period!!!!

"Ibuprofen and other drugs that belong to non steroidal anti inflammatory drug class like aspirin, excedrin, motrin, advil, aleve etc. can interfere with ovulation. A study published in Journal of Clinical Pharmacology (Bata MS, Al-Ramahi M, Salhab AS, Gharaibeh MN, Schwartz J. Delay of ovulation by meloxicam in healthy cycling volunteers: A placebo-controlled, double-blind, crossover study. J Clin Pharmacol. 2006 Aug;46(8:925-32) showed that women who took NSAID medication had delayed ovulation by approximately 5 days, decreased levels of serum progesterone in the second part of the cycle and increased follicle size. Other studies have suggested that NSAID?s can interfere with normal implantation.

If you trying to conceive it is important that you refrain from taking drugs that belong to NSAID category especially around ovulation time. Tylenol can be used since it does not belong to this category but it is definitely better to avoid any over the counter medications if possible."

JMay · July 2011

I've been meaning to ask this very question, as someone posted something re NSAIDS a few weeks ago. I've been perplexed, as asprin is an NSAID, yet so many REs prescribe it. Like the OP, I also use Aleve to self-medicate migraines, which happen less than once per month. Tylenol does Nothing with a capital "N". ;(

In the study (thanks for posting that, BTW) it doesn't say how often the women were taking the NSAIDS. Daily? Weekly? I would think that would have an impact on the conclusions drawn. I can see how anything taken daily, save a vitamin, would have an overall impact on the body and it ability to function. I'd be surprised if once-monthly use had the same effect on ovulation (though it wouldn't be the first time I've been wrong!)

Wishing I had access to a research library... anyone???

choirgirl · July 2011

I agree with what the others said. It's my understanding that it's just low-dose aspirin that's recommended by REs. The children's dose.

I don't know how often they took it in the study, but I avoid them at all cost, thinking it may not be much, but if it's my luck that it's at the wrong time, then it's just not worth it to me.

MaybeMore · July 2011

JMay:
I've been meaning to ask this very question, as someone posted something re NSAIDS a few weeks ago. I've been perplexed, as asprin is an NSAID, yet so many REs prescribe it. Like the OP, I also use Aleve to self-medicate migraines, which happen less than once per month. Tylenol does Nothing with a capital "N". ;(

In the study (thanks for posting that, BTW) it doesn't say how often the women were taking the NSAIDS. Daily? Weekly? I would think that would have an impact on the conclusions drawn. I can see how anything taken daily, save a vitamin, would have an overall impact on the body and it ability to function. I'd be surprised if once-monthly use had the same effect on ovulation (though it wouldn't be the first time I've been wrong!)

Wishing I had access to a research library... anyone???

I found the abstract several days ago, but it didn't say. There hasn't been any research testing multiple dose levels yet, though, so I can't say what's safe.

The prescription painkillers would actually be safer. I have some Tylenol 3 and some hydrocodone left over from having my wisdom teeth removed, so I'd use that before NSAIDs right now for the occasional severe pain.

Twizzle · July 2011

I have access to full text journals online and I just skimmed this one.(I'm supposed to be going to bed!). The study drug was meloxicam, which is an arthritis drug that's only available by prescription. It's a COX-2 inhibitor so it has a different mechanism than ibuprofen or naproxen. The subjects were given 30mg/day for 5 days, starting with 3 days before estimated ovulation. 30mg is the highest dose allowed. They found that the drug delayed ovulation by 5 or more days but it didn't have a significant effect on serum progesterone.

The good news is that the effects were completely reversible. After a "washout" cycle, the subjects switched from drug to placebo and their ovulation was back to normal. So if you're concerned, stop now and you won't have any long term effects.

I don't have migraines, so I don't know how to best handle that pain, but I have to say that for me nothing works better than a heating pad for period pain.

MaybeMore · August 2011

Yeah, I have a heritable muscular disorder which means that a heating pad alone won't come close to cutting it with period pain. Sometimes, prescription dosages of Ibuprofen alone don't cut it, either, and I have to get out the prescription painkillers anyway. Fortunately, it's just 1-2 days a month that I hurt that badly anymore, as my condition is currently well-managed.

There are a couple of other studies specifically on Ibuprofen that show that it interferes with TTC... Can't remember where they are, though.

It's well-known enough that Ibuprofen delays O that some REs use it for IVF cycles when it looks like you're going to "pop" before enough follicles have developed.

I found the abstract, and I swore that it said that serum progesterone was lower after O..... (Couldn't find it directly this time that I searched.)

Twizzle · August 2011

MaybeMore:
Yeah, I have a heritable muscular disorder which means that a heating pad alone won't come close to cutting it with period pain. Sometimes, prescription dosages of Ibuprofen alone don't cut it, either, and I have to get out the prescription painkillers anyway. Fortunately, it's just 1-2 days a month that I hurt that badly anymore, as my condition is currently well-managed.
There are a couple of other studies specifically on Ibuprofen that show that it interferes with TTC... Can't remember where they are, though.
It's well-known enough that Ibuprofen delays O that some REs use it for IVF cycles when it looks like you're going to "pop" before enough follicles have developed.
I found the abstract, and I swore that it said that serum progesterone was lower after O..... (Couldn't find it directly this time that I searched.)

The abstract does say that serum progesterone was lower. But then the results section of the full article says that this difference was not statistically significant.

Sorry about your muscular disorder and extreme pain. That's unfortunate that you have to use such high painkillers.

MaybeMore · August 2011

>The abstract does say that serum progesterone was lower. But then the results section of the full article says that this difference was not statistically significant.

WHY DO THEY DO THIS???? Do they not understand that"not statistically significant means there's no difference?

Argh. Medical researchers drive me bonkers. They do NOT understand statistic.

Eh, as far as metabolic disorders go, I have the very best one to have. My muscles don't get digested and my body doesn't poison itself or anything like that. I just have NO flexibility/stretch in my tendons (my ab walls separated with my first pregnancy, and I only gained 30lbs!!!) and I have watch my exercise levels to make sure I get the right amount to stay healthy and not be in constant pain. Other than that, it's just pain, which sucks but isn't gonna kill me. I'm in no pain at all now nearly 75% of the time and only a 1-3 in my legs a further 15-20% of the time, so I'm actually doing awesome.

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