The link between infertility treatment and worsening MS symptoms was brought to light not because women with MS are more likely to suffer from infertility but because there are now more studies that show a correlation between MS and hormones. It then led researches to investigate women undergoing infertility treatments who also have MS.
Most women with MS are not more likely than others to experience infertility, but fertility can certainly be affected in women who’ve taken certain drugs for the treatment for MS. This shouldn’t discourage women from seeking treatment, but it should serve as a warning to assist women with doing their research, talking to professionals, and making informed choices.
For more information about the specific studies conducted surrounding these issues, the research can be found in the journal Annals of Neurology.
In a separate, but somewhat related study, women who were receiving infertility procedures had a higher rate of MS symptom relapses in the three months following the procedures compared to before the treatments.
Pregnancy quite often will bring on a remission of MS symptoms in many women, and symptoms often worsen after delivery, but the act of giving birth is not believed to affect the long-term progression of this autoimmune disease.
With more and more studies about the link between infertility treatments and worsening MS symptoms women can make an informed choice about whether or not these treatments are the best option for them. For some, this may be the only way they can achieve pregnancy, and so the decision really rests with them and their family members to decide if the risks outweigh the benefits.
Source: Web MD
