What is your approach to transitioning an SLE patient from a pregnancy incompatible regimen to pregnancy compatible regimen?
There are no clear data on how to do this. One study (Fischer-Betz et al., PMID 23382355) transitioned patients by reducing the MMF by 500mg/d dosing every four weeks and then stopping MMFo once the patient is down to MMF 500mg/d and adding azathioprine 2mg/kg. In my clinical practice, I taper faste...
I agree with Dr. @Dr. First Last and Dr. @Dr. First Last that there are not clear data, and it is more of an art than a science.
My rationale:
If I have someone preparing for pregnancy: that person has been in remission or close to remission for at least 3-6 months minimum (for the 3 months, it is b...
This is definitely more of the art than the science of lupus management.
I tend to overlap, but work fairly quickly, with alternating lab work and dose escalations to titrate up the azathioprine (after TPMT is obtained) in this MMF->aza swap. I do try to have them wait for 3 months after stopping MM...