By registering on our forum, you can view and contribute to more topics on ectopic pregnancy. Your details are confidential and we do not send unsolicited emails. For your confidentiality, you can choose your own forum name to protect your anonymity if you so wish. If you register, there is no obligation to post; you can simply take comfort from the words of others. It is entirely up to you whether you post a message or read others' experiences or do both.

Methotrexate and vaccines

This is a welcoming place for you to ask your questions and share your knowledge and experiences of ectopic pregnancy.
To keep this as a safe space, before being able to post freely, an administrator will need to activate your account and authorise your first post.
Post Reply
Sophie123
Posts: 6
Joined: Fri Jun 28, 2019 5:34 pm

Methotrexate and vaccines

Post by Sophie123 »

Hi guys

Just wondering if anyone can help. I had methotrexate 5 months ago for an ectopic but have just had some travel vaccines (rabies etc). I then got worried about methotrexate as was sure I’d read somewhere that it can affect vaccine efficacy? Also that you need to be careful having vaccines after methotrexate (live ones being risky and inactivated ones potentially not having so effective a response). Nurse didn’t know...and I should have checked beforehand.

Does that apply with the dose used for an ectopic? And would it still be the case over 3 months after? Presumably your immune system has recovered by then?

Many thanks

S

EPT Host 22
Posts: 659
Joined: Fri Nov 20, 2015 10:26 am

Re: Methotrexate and vaccines

Post by EPT Host 22 »

Hi Sophie123,

I'm so sorry to hear that you suffered an ectopic pregnancy and loss. It can leave us with many questions and I will do my best to help.

Methotrexate is an immunosuppressant when used for a long time to treat auto-immune diseases and skin conditions. The methotrexate regimen used for ectopic pregnancy is different; it is given in a maximum of two one-off doses to women with healthy immune systems and normal white cell counts. White blood cells fight infections. Very rarely, methotrexate causes the white cell count to fall and, if this happens, it could potentially impact the immune systems.

In our medical advisers’ experience, this side effect is very rare. Mtx can affect the quality of your blood for up to three months after the dose is administered and as more than this timeframe has passed and the fact that the impact to the immune system is rare, it would appear that the efficacy of the vaccine should not be impacted.

However, as we are not medically qualified, you should contact and ask the team that treated you for peace of mind.

With good wishes,

Michele

**************************************************************************
If we have been able to help you, are you able to help us with a small donation, by volunteering, or fundraising?
Further information is available at ectopic.org.uk
Email us: ept@ectopic.org.uk
We provide a call-back helpline service: 020 7733 2653
Detailed medical information can be found on our website. Please remember online medical information is NO SUBSTITUTE for expert medical advice from your own health care team
***************************************************************************

Post Reply