Can Oxycodone be taken during pregnancy?

[DanielleLeigh]

Hi. I was recently prescribed oxycodone for a severe back injury and I also just found out I am pregnant. I am 11 weeks along. Is Oxycodone one of the "safe" medications to take during pregnancy? I looked it up on the internet and saw that it is one of the Category B drugs to take during pregnancy, but I wanted to get your opinion on it also. I don't take them everyday. I usually am taking them between 1-3 a week at the most. I just don't want to take anything that would be bad. Please let me know.

Thanks.

[oxysbliss]

If you need them and take them that few and far in between as well as the consult with your OB or your family doctor...I dont think they do any harm...I cant be totally sure though, but I also know we have had a few girls on here pregant and tapering off Oxys...

Hope this helps...

[DanielleLeigh]

Yeah, I don't take them everyday I only take them when absolutely necessary. I just wanted to be sure that they were OK to take once in awhile. You guys are always great about answering my questions so I thought I would start here first. Thanks for replying. :-)

[JeffinNC]

Talk to your doctor. You don't want your baby to be born addicted. If you are only taking 1-3 a week I feel you should be OK.

[NewYorkChick]

Actually, it's a category C, not B.  It is unknown if it is safe or not.

I copied this from wikipedia:

Pregnancy Category B : Animal reproduction studies have failed to demonstrate a risk to the fetus and there are no adequate and well-controlled studies in pregnant women OR Animal studies which have shown an adverse effect, but adequate and well-controlled studies in pregnant women have failed to demonstrate a risk to the fetus in any trimester.

Pregnancy Category C : Animal reproduction studies have shown an adverse effect on the fetus and there are no adequate and well-controlled studies in humans, but potential benefits may warrant use of the drug in pregnant women despite potential risks.

Because you cannot test a controlled substance on a pregnant women, pain medications fall into the C category.

From personal experience, I can tell you to be VERY CAREFUL.  First off, you shouldn't take it in your first trimestor at all.  This is where are the vital organs are developing, so you really don't want to be messing around with that stuff at this time.  Second, my best friend was prescribed Tylenol 3  while she was pregnant, for migrains.  Her son was born addicted, and spent 2 weeks in the NICU.  She was taking 1 or 2 three times a day.
You should really talk to your doctor about this.  There are very few medicaions a pregnant woman can safely take.  If your taking something your not sure about, you could be jeperdizing the pregnancy.  I really think they will advice you not to, though.
Oxycodone is some really powerful stuff.  It crosses the placenta, so your baby will feel the effects, and can possible become addicted.  When it comes to pain medication, it's a risk/benefit factor.  I'm not sure why you are on oxycodone, but you may want to try something different, and less dangerous to your baby.   Again, talk to your doctor about this.  He/She can give you safer options for the baby, while keeping you comfertable as well.  
When I was pregnant with my son, I was gven 5mg lortabs in my 2nd trimestor only, and was instructed to take them only when the pain was to the point that I couldn't handle it anymore, and to not take them consistantly (to avoid addiction)  She was even sketchy about giving me those.  Oxycodone is a lot stronger than a lortab.
You can also google oxycodone and pregnancy to find more information.  Please do not take any of those untill you speak with your doctor.
Congratulations on becoming a mommy!!!  Good luck : )  I hope this helps you.

[kimmieb]

First of all, congratulations to you!  What an exciting time....

I've had personal experience with taking hydrocodone (lortabs) during my second pregnancy.  I know that's a slightly different medication than oxy, but still wanted to share my experience.  

Anyway, I took one pill a day during pretty much my whole pregnancy with my daughter (although I may have started a couple of months in to the pregnancy, I think).  I had terrible migraines and could not take actual migraine medication, but my doctor (neurologist, not ob/gyn) told me I could safely take lortab.  I didn't abuse the medication at the time, but I did take 1 just about every single day to control the headaches and migraines.  My daughter was born perfectly fine (in fact, she got a 10/10 on her APGARS! :-))  I listened to my doctor, and he said it was fine to take, so I did my research and then trusted my doctor.

I hope this helps with your choice.  Unfortunately, you will always find doctors with differing opinions on the matter.  Some are ultra conservative, some are much more liberal.  However, I don't think you'd ever find ANY respectable doctor who would tell you it's ok to take hydro or oxy if it really was NOT ok.

Good luck with your pregnancy and enjoy this time!!!

Blessings~
K.

[laurie07]

waht are the effects of oxycodiene on a fetus?

[IBKleen]

Laurie, this post is from May. It will get lost. You need to make your own post. Go to the top of this page, hit the post a question button and follow the instructions. Hope to see you out there.

[lashamummyof2]

ladies,
congrats on your pregnancies. I have two little boys. My first, never took a pill, the second, was hard. Long story...anyway, was on tylenol 3 and percocet on and off throughout and at the end I weaned down to 1 tylenol 2 a day. baby was born a week early as I was very stressed (my brother died shortly after the baby was born, it was horrible), but scored high agpars and zero withdrawals. Very healthy baby and I have yet to hear a story from someone taking a few pills a day to come back saying their baby was addicted. The post above, with the six or so pills a day - well...everyone is different, but my two close friends are doctors and they told me that codeine/oxy etc has a higher molecular weight (as opposed to alcohol which zips right through the placenta and really is a big no-no to drink through pregnancy) and not a lot makes its way through. Again, everyone is different. I had no issues with my baby, and I met a LOT of women like me who were prescribed and had no problems with the baby. the worst thing is to feel guilty or stressed out. Best thing you can do is get reassurance from your doc that it's ok. It is - 1-3 pills a week? that's nothing.
Probably better than eating McDonald's food three times a week!
As long as you talk to your doctor and use only when needed, there is little risk. The first trimester is the stage of development, however, narcotics do not cause defects. You can go to www.motherisk.org and find out. I called Hospital for Sick Kids in Toronto where they do massive studies on drugs and fetal development and spoke with a counselor. She told me 100% they do not cause defects, only addiciton if taken in high doses close to term.
Please don't feel guilty. Do the best for yourself and the baby and take care of yourself.
good luck!

[Nikki09]

Thank you so much for your post. I have had migraines since I was in high school and they have gotten sooo much worse while being pregnant. Just reading your post made me feel much better about having to take Lortab. I do worry about it sooo much but I would not be able to function and take care of my 5 year old without it. Thanks again!


Nikki09

[GoingToMakeIt]

This is an old post and you may not get responses. Try starting over on a new post. (Post a Question) We would love to help. There are 1 or 2 nurses here that may be able to offer insight. 1234betterlife is one that comes to mind. Send her a PM (private message) (upper rt corner, inbox)

[Tinkerbell5]

I recently read your concerns, I have dealt with Chronic Pelvic Pain during my thirties diagnosed with stg 4 Endomedtriosis. Lots of pain meds then detoxes after surgeries.  My last surgery put me in so much pain post operatively that I regret the surgery.  I suprisingly got pregnant now almost 11 weeks.  I was on a med called Suboxone for my Chronic Pain and  at 8 weeks when I found out I was pregnant, I was instructed immediately to wean off the med.  So I did.  That was hard.  Now that I am off of what was helping my pain, I am in severe pelvic pain mostly Right sided, right groin that radiates down to my foot.  I was in so much pain 2 days ago,  I thought I was going to have to go to the er.  My obgyn attempted to call my pain dr. who would not talk to him until I gave consent. However, that day as I waited patiently in severe pain, I never got a call from my pain dr.  so my obgyn put me on Oxycodone 5mg every 4-6 hours.  My pain management dr is not experienced in pelvic pain nor pregnancy but I was angry that he had no concern.  I have been a good, faithful patient to him and I liked the fact that he could prescribe suboxone b/c I got addicted to hydrocodone.  Oxycodone was not a drug that I tolerated well. Hydrocodone was my drug of choice after being on it for so long and then I found myself addicted.  I am recovering and attend AA meeting regularly, sponsor and step work.  Thank God for my obgyn dr.  He knew that due to all the organ rearrangement a specialist did on me with removal of more endometriosis and scar tissue it would not be easy.  I want to be cautious about this pain med use.  However, every 4 hours the pain starts to surface and I get nervous. So I take about 4 baths a day with epsom salt. My nursing skills thinking it would help.  It helps temporarily but once that pain pill wears off, I am in pain.  I feel fear, guilt to the baby b/c I want to do what is the best for the baby but the dr explained if I am in pain, my blood pressure goes up, heart rate which stresses the baby.  But this is not all, I deal with severe anxiety prebaby for years and I have been on klonopin.  Now as a nurse I know this is a class d drug.  When I was weaning from the med suboxone, my anxiety escalated by 10.  My psychiatrist increased my klonopin from 2-4 a day.  So I feel double stressed with this first trimester.  I pray every morning, during the day, night to protect my baby.  I hope this pain will subside but according to a specialist dr. he said I have permanent nerve damage due to the last laparoscopy surgery that was done.  My uterus was moved and sutured in place with my ovaries also permanetly sutured back as the endometriosis had covered them so the dr said they wanted to flop forward and he did not want adhesions.  I feel like a mess.  Before my lasst surgery, I only had pain 10 days of  a 21 day cycle.  Now,, I am in pain every day.  But when I had the surgery, this dr. said I can help your pain so you don't have to take pain medication and I can help you get pregnant which could put this disease into remission.  I am scared, I fear that as other's comment 1-3 pain tabs a week is good, I fear having to take it more often.  Scared and praying every second.  On top of it all with the withdrawal from Suboxone, I lost 15 pounds have lost my appetite due to nausea I'm sure with the pregnancy. So I drink Cola syrup, flat coke cola and now have been trying some crackers before I lift my head off the pillow.  That has seemed to work this am.  Thank you for sharing your story as I am a first time mom and don't want to hurt my baby.

[TrayCee]

just an FYI-
This thread is 3 years old, Danielle Leigh is not here anymore.

[destiny29440]

I know this post is ancient but I found all information very helpful to my current situation. I thank everyone for taking the time to post this valuable information. I know everyone should "start their own posts" but this way I was able to get the information I was searching for all in one place.
Thank you to everyone who contributed!

[Kmathteach]

Actually there are two different drugs that start with oxy. One is oxycontin and the other is oxycodone. Oxycontin is a category B drug. Studies have been done. It's a time release drug which is safer than oxycodone. Oxycodone is released all at once and that makes it more dangerous. I've had four back surgeries b/c I was injured while in nursing school. Then 6yrs later I got pregnant and my dr gave me oxycontin. My son turned out just fine, no health problems at all. At the end of the pregnancy I titrated down as far as possible to make sure he was ok. I just found out I'm pregnant again. I'm going back to the same dr b/c he treats high risk patients. I want to be treated by the most knowledgeable. Maybe you can find a similar type of dr in your area. Good luck.

[Kmathteach]

Actually there are two different drugs that start with oxy. One is oxycontin and the other is oxycodone. Oxycontin is a category B drug. Studies have been done. It's a time release drug which is safer than oxycodone. Oxycodone is released all at once and that makes it more dangerous. I've had four back surgeries b/c I was injured while in nursing school. Then 6yrs later I got pregnant and my dr gave me oxycontin. My son turned out just fine, no health problems at all. At the end of the pregnancy I titrated down as far as possible to make sure he was ok. I just found out I'm pregnant again. I'm going back to the same dr b/c he treats high risk patients. I want to be treated by the most knowledgeable. Maybe you can find a similar type of dr in your area. Good luck.

[sunshinerygiel]

Oxycodone and Pregnancy

In animal studies on pregnancy and oxycodone, the medication did not seem to increase the risk of birth defects or other problems. Limited human studies have also shown that oxycodone does not appear to cause birth defects. However, as a narcotic, oxycodone can cause withdrawal symptoms in the infant after delivery. If you are taking this medication and pregnancy occurs, talk to your healthcare provider.


Is Oxycodone Safe During Pregnancy?

Oxycodone hydrochloride is an active ingredient used in many prescription pain medications. It is a narcotic, opioid (morphine-like) medication. Animal studies indicate that oxycodone is unlikely to cause birth defects.

 

It is important to note that oxycodone is available by itself or in combination with one or more other active ingredients. The other active ingredients (which vary, depending on the particular product) may have other pregnancy Category ratings and may cause other problems when used during pregnancy.

 

Pregnancy Category B

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) uses a pregnancy category system to classify the possible risks to a fetus when a specific medicine is taken during pregnancy. Pregnancy Category B is given to medicines that have not been adequately studied in pregnant humans, but do not appear to cause harm to the fetus in animal studies. Medications that have been shown to be safe for use in pregnancy in humans (but have caused problems in laboratory animals) are also given a Category B rating.

 

When given to pregnant animals, oxycodone did not seem to increase the risk of birth defects or other problems. Very limited human studies also suggest that oxycodone does not seem to cause birth defects in humans. However, oxycodone is a narcotic, and using this drug during the end of a pregnancy may cause narcotic withdrawal in the infant after delivery. Such withdrawal symptoms may include:

[sunshinerygiel]

Oxycodone and Pregnancy

In animal studies on pregnancy and oxycodone, the medication did not seem to increase the risk of birth defects or other problems. Limited human studies have also shown that oxycodone does not appear to cause birth defects. However, as a narcotic, oxycodone can cause withdrawal symptoms in the infant after delivery. If you are taking this medication and pregnancy occurs, talk to your healthcare provider.

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Is Oxycodone Safe During Pregnancy?

Oxycodone hydrochloride is an active ingredient used in many prescription pain medications. It is a narcotic, opioid (morphine-like) medication. Animal studies indicate that oxycodone is unlikely to cause birth defects.

 

It is important to note that oxycodone is available by itself or in combination with one or more other active ingredients. The other active ingredients (which vary, depending on the particular product) may have other pregnancy Category ratings and may cause other problems when used during pregnancy.

 

Pregnancy Category B

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) uses a pregnancy category system to classify the possible risks to a fetus when a specific medicine is taken during pregnancy. Pregnancy Category B is given to medicines that have not been adequately studied in pregnant humans, but do not appear to cause harm to the fetus in animal studies. Medications that have been shown to be safe for use in pregnancy in humans (but have caused problems in laboratory animals) are also given a Category B rating.

 

When given to pregnant animals, oxycodone did not seem to increase the risk of birth defects or other problems. Very limited human studies also suggest that oxycodone does not seem to cause birth defects in humans. However, oxycodone is a narcotic, and using this drug during the end of a pregnancy may cause narcotic withdrawal in the infant after delivery. Such withdrawal symptoms may include:

[jen_jen3486]

I am 12 weeks tomorrow, I was taking 5 percocets and 3 oxycodones a day because my tolerance was so high. Had been taking them for over a year.... when I got pregnant I talked to both my OBGYN and my pain management Dr's. And they both agreed to taper me off. But not right away, they said that it will not hurt the baby, but that I need to be off completely by last trimester.... I took myself off the percocets completely... b/c I just don't feel comfortable taking anything while pregnant, and do now I'm down to my three oxy's a day...

Every physician I've talked to have told me the stress/anxiety and plus the problems that I take them for in the first place, can and more than likely will be way more of a risk to my baby than the medication could ever be. So just keep that in mind.  The pharmacist told me to decrease my dose by one tablet every 10 to 20 days  atleast to avoid any anxiety symptoms...   good luck to you!!

[jaymiemiller]

I am only 6 weeks pregnant and i have been on suboxone for 3 years. I am on a very low dose now I only take 1 miligram a day but I am terrified. I have been trying to get off the 1 miligram a day for a year and can not seem to do it. I feel like a horrible person. I also have been having pain in the mornings. I did go to the hospital and they said everything seems fine however I am still early in the pregnancy. Does anyone have any information that could be benificial? I would greatly appreciate it!

[finsfan4ever]

I want you to get the answers you are looking for. This thread is almost four years old. If you click on "post a question" and repeat your questions you will get tons of good advice. I am not the guy to be answering pregnancy questions, but there are a lot of posters with the answers you are looking for....GOOD LUCK!

[Kendraerika]

It took me 7 weeks to get off vicodin. I will be 10 wks tomorrow, and have been clean for 7 days! It could be dangerous to quit in the first trimester, but tapering is good. Thee less the baby get is better. I tried quiting 5 times in 7 weeks, but feared for my child. The 6 th time I felt as if the baby was ok. Not sure if this helps, but you can do it. My thought the day I quit? I'm not going to put my comfort over the life of my child. The first 48 are the worst, and if you can get through them, it gets better everyday. I feel horrible that it took me 7 weeks to get of f them when I was pregnant, and I dream about losing the baby and get alot of anxiety. Go to the dr right away, and do this with your dr. because we are pregnant, we cannot use the home remedies that most people on here use. Be careful and good luck.

[aliazaye]

Well oxcodone is a lot stronger than Larotab which is Class C but Oxycodone is a class B some people misinterpet terms although Percocet that contains oxycondone  is a Class C but cuz it has other forms in it that cause it to be a Class C There is Oxcodone in other Types that is a Class B I am currently suffering with same problem have severe complications bed ridden and I'm only 8 weeks in severe pain and I take 1 Loratab a day but am switching to Oxycodone cuz it is known to be safer just cause something is stronger doesn't mean it's worse or visa versa for instance Tylenol 3 is lot weaker than Loratab same as morphine and Demerol but they all Class C depends on what is exactly in it the substance not the actual strength but of course same effect of addition that is for the mother will affect the unborn child so if you do take them everyday religiously and multiple your baby is definitely at a higher risk for problems when delivery occurs viruses someone who takes 1 every 3 days etc the more you use the more the risk but it always best to talk to your Ob not another Doctor in another feild solely an obstetricianist and he would never put you on anything that would essentially harm you or your unborn child well hoped this helps best of luck congratulations

[OreoTwinkle]

Actually oxycodone plain is a category B drug. If it is buffered with tylenol it increases the effects of the drug itself and Percocet(oxycodone w acetaminophen) and Vicodin(buffered) with acetaminophen is a Category C drug. There has been animal studies on Rats, New Zealand Rabbits and Lambs who were pregnant and given double the normal dosage and no fetal abnormalities to date have been detected. There is neonatal withdrawl if you take it up until the delivery date. If you take few and far between to manage chronic pain you should be okay. I would avoid taking it every day at multiple dosing if possible, no adequate studies have been done on humans. For women taking 30mg a day..I must say that is high dosing. Do some research (safefetus.com) and a few other sites state the FDA states Oxycodone plain is a Category B drug..Safer then vicodin although stronger. Also Ibuprofen is a huge no-no and it is a lot less potent.

[carolr76]

I'm 10 weeks pregnant today!  I've been on Loratab 7.5 for about 2 years now for chronic pain.  My pain clinic dr prescribed a refill for the Loratab and a trial of Roxicodone 5mg 3x a day.  I've had adverse reactions to Percocet, so I am a little worried about taking it.  She wants me to talk to my ob on Monday to see what advice they offer.  My PCP said it was ok to take the Lortab until the 3rd trimester.  Any advice?