"I told her I wasn't aware of any
correlation =
of a relationship between the joint swelling and pain
with
breastfeeding =
but that I'd throw out the question to all of you.
The fact that the =
pain stopped after weaning is a powerful convincer for
them that there
=
is a relationship somehow here."

From the Breastfeeding Answer Book, 2003, page 560:

"Evidence exists that in a woman susceptible to
rheumatoid arthritis pregnancy and breastfeeding may
trigger its onset and aggravate its symptoms.

"Although the incidence of rheumatoid arthritis is
small in women during their childbearing years (about
one percent), research indicates that in women who are
susceptible to rheumatoid arthritis, risk factors that
can trigger the onset of the disease and cause a
worsening of its symptoms include number of
pregnancies (Jorgenson 1996), breastfeeding (Barrett
2000; Musiej-Nowakowska and Ploski 1999; Brennan and
Silman 1994), and length of breastfeeding (Jorgenson
1996).  The greatest susceptibility appears to occur
with the first baby.  About twice as many women with
severe rheumatoid arthritis exclusively breastfed for
more than six months as compared with a group of women
with milk rheumatoid arthritis (Jorgenson 1996).  one
theory is that high levels of prolactin, the
"milk-producing" hormone, have a "pro-inflammatory"
effect in the body (Brennan 1996).  High prolactin
levels have been found to speed u autoimmune disease
in animals and prolactin-inhibiting drugs have been
found to lessen the severity of autoimmune diseases
(LaVelle 1992)."

I've spoken with a woman who felt that her rheumatoid
arthritis symptoms actually diminished during
pregnancy and breastfeeding; I experienced the
opposite myself.

Freyja May, LLLL, Fort Collins, CO

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