CAN I GET PREGNANT AFTER BRAIN SURGERY?

Hi JC3408,

I was diagnosed with a Oligo Grade 2 in Nov 2011. I'm 32 now, and due to partial seizure frequency picking up, recently went through surgery. They've said they had 95% gross resection of both tumors (I have two, a smaller astrocytoma as well). I'm looking to gather as much information as possible about women that have had babies after discovering they had a brain tumor, so as to help with my decision of whether to start a family or not. Any information about your experience would be helpful!
Tara

Hi, Hels bells,

Welcome to EmpowHer, and thank you for your question!

You've been through so much. I'm admiring you for your strength! It must have been so frightening and painful in that time of your life.

I have just a few questions for you:

Does your doctor agree that you have recovered as much as you can?

What does your doctor say about trying for a pregnancy? Has she or he given you the green light?

Have you asked if the medicines you are now taking (including the painkillers) would be safe to take while you are pregnant?

Labor and delivery scares every woman, Hels, especially first-time moms. But you would be prepared, and after labor progresses to a certain point, you can have pain medicine or an epidural to help. Is it the pain specifically that has you worried? Or are you worried that it will somehow trigger something in your brain/frontal lobe?

I am also a brain cancer survivor(GBM, 2007) and have been cancer free for almost 4 years and would like to start a family. I am curious to know if a pregnancy will increase the chances of a reoccurance? Much like Alejo I would like to know your thoughts. Heather

Alejo,

I am so glad the site is being helpful to you! But I am not a doctor! I am a journalist who does research on the web based on the questions people send to EmpowHer. You must trust your own doctors for the final opinions on whether having a child would be dangerous with your wife's tumor history.

It is such good news that she remains cancer-free. Unfortunately, if the kind of cancer she had is very sensitive to hormonal changes, you may have to consider alternatives to pregnancy. Have you thought about adoption? Is that something you would consider?

Hi, Anon. And welcome to EmpowHer! Thank you so much for your question.

I am so glad you had a successful surgery and have recovered so well. I know that was a frightening thing for anyone go to through, and you were just 17!!!

Anon, I am very very concerned that you are only taking half the dose of the medicine that your doctor has prescribed. Can I ask why? If it is due to side effects, then you must call your doctor's office and talk to them about this and ask what you can do. This medicine is very important for you to take.

Here's what drugs.com says about the role of this medicine:

Bromocriptine is used to treat certain conditions caused by a hormone imbalance in which there is too much prolactin in the blood (also called hyperprolactinemia). Signs of too much prolactin in the body include lack of sexual development in adolescents. Women may have missed menstrual periods, loss of interest in sex, hot flashes, infertility, or unexpected breast milk production and leakage from the nipples.
"Bromocriptine is also used to treat these disorders when they are caused by brain tumors that can produce prolactin.
"Bromocriptine is sometimes used together with surgery or radiation in treating acromegaly, a condition caused by a pituitary gland tumor that produces too much growth hormone."

Will you promise me that you'll either go back on your full dose and/or call your doctor's office to talk about this? You can't decide for yourself that you can change your dose. Is this an insurance issue? If it is, there are places that will help you get prescription drugs for lower cost, and we can help you find one.

Here is that page of drug information. It also gives you a lot of information on side effects:

http://www.drugs.com/mtm/parlodel.html

And here is what it says about pregnancy:

"Tell your doctor if you are planning to become pregnant while taking bromocriptine. Some women take bromocriptine in order to normalize menstrual periods and increase their chances of becoming pregnant. Tell your doctor as soon as you become pregnant. You will most likely need to stop taking the medication at that time.
"Bromocriptine is not expected to be harmful to an unborn baby. However, a brain tumor can expand during pregnancy. Hypertension (high blood pressure) can also occur during pregnancy and bromocriptine could be dangerous if taken by a pregnant woman with high blood pressure.
"If you are not taking this medication to help you get pregnant, use a non-hormone method of birth control (such as a condom, diaphragm, spermicide) to prevent pregnancy while taking bromocriptine. Your doctor may also want you to have a pregnancy test every 4 weeks during treatment. You may not be able to take bromocriptine just after having a baby if you have a history of severe heart disease or coronary artery disease. Talk with your doctor about your specific situation. Bromocriptine lowers the hormone needed to produce breast milk. Do not take this medication if you are breast-feeding a baby."

I know that's not the information you want to hear, but it's important information for you. The best thing for you to do is to go to your doctor, tell her or him about your side effects and that you have cut back on your dosage, and see what she or he has to say. And tell the doctor that you want to have a baby, so you can see if there's another kind of medicine that it's possible for you to take.

I hope there is!! But you are very young, and there is time to work this health problem out. Please do it the right way, by working with your doctor. Promise?