pregnant and addicted to Lorcet

[Sarah1083]

Hi, I'm new here and have read many posts in the past few weeks.  I have been taking Lorcets for the past 3 years.  I've quit once on my own about a year ago only to start again 3 months later.  I also used suboxone to get off them in August and the withdrawels were so severe I started taking the lorcets again, only now I am 15 weeks pregnant. Even though that should be enough to make me quit I'm still having a hard time.  I have 3 children and rehab is really not any option for me.  I'm only taking about 4 a day so my question is if I quit cold turkey will it harm the fetus in any way.  I know my blood pressure and all might have some harmful effects but I don't think I can do it any other way.  It's hard for me to taper down much lower than this because it seems the more I have the more I take. I thought maybe if I took a quarter of a Xanax that maybe it would help with the anxiety when it arises for a couple of days.  Can somebody please give me some advice on how to handle this that may have gone through it before?

Thank you and looking forward to hearing back from someone.

[Sarah1083]

Oh, and thank you for the xanax info.  I haven't been taking them at all, I just thought it might help for the first couple of anxious days, even then just a quarter to help.  But I think I'll try to do it even without that.  Thanks again, I'm so grateful there is a website like this to keep me positive.  Now I just need to make the move!!!

[Sarah1083]

I'm glad there is some of you saying to C/T.  That's really the way I want to do it.  Thank you for your words of advice and support.  I will keep posting.  Good luck to everyone out there.  

[wayway1414]

Don't take the xanax! When i was prego's (hadn't yet had a pill problem) i had such severe panic attacks, that i would be up for sometimes 2 nights in a row, just pacing the floor! Even then, they would not give me any anxiety medication! I'm sorry you are going through this a such a time, how horrible!!! But at just 4 pills a day, you would probobly just be better of going CT. Or maybe take one a night, just to sleep. Or even just a half of one. Only do theat for a couple days! Who cares about the W/D's during the day, as long as you get some sleep. IDK, but you have got to figure somethinf out. I can't imagine having a baby go through the W/D's that i just got past!!!
i hope someone is able to help you!!!!!!!!!! Good luck girl!!!!

[momof5139]

Im not giving advise ,,just telling my story.. I know its difficult and a moral dilema.  I was taking vic 5mg when I was preg.  I did cut down to 3-4 a day (I was preg w/ twins and already had back pain..and it just got much worse as I grew so fast) anyway, my doctor knew I was taking a couple a day as needed.  
He said the only harm would be for the babies to get addicted too.  But as long as I didn't take too much or for too long they would be ok.
I had them a month early, they were healthy and good weights for 36wk babys.  They spit up quite a bit (which one nurse and dr.  said that was very common for premies)
Anyway a nurse in the nursery asked me casually if I had been on any medications while preg.  I didn't think it was a big deal to say so since It was prescibed to me.  So I told her a couple vic a day as needed.  Well that back fired on me...the next day the hospital pediatrician told me to stop nursing  and they wanted to do a 5 day evaluation on the twins to make sure they werent going through w/d.  I was in tears...I felt horrible.. sad..scared..it was the most emotional rollercoaster..I thought"they are totally fine, nobody else is worried" then I thought"what if I did cause them to be" omg I would be so so sad.
Anyway the good news is they passed the test 100% NO w/d symptoms..yeah. But i was so sad and upset about not being able to nurse them like I wanted to.. that Dr. ruined that experience for me.  Even the lactation nurse was for me still nursing and said alot of nursing moms are taking more pain meds than me and it is fine.  And not to mention I had a c-sec...and needed the meds for that really bad...but I even told her I would not take the stronger meds..if I could nurse.  It was just a mess.
By the end of the 5 days...we had a new pediatrician at the hospital and you could tell he thought it was all ridiculous that she put us through that. I could see if they had more symptoms,,,but they were just spitting up...omg

[tramaddi]

Be careful w/ the xanax I am also p[g and have a tramadol addiction I asked about xanax and was told if I used it to only do it in small amounts 1/2 pills once or twice and then stop.  Ihave 4 pills on hand I've had forever in case so I get if I REALLY needed them they would be there but they are definately NOT recommended during pg.  I can sympathize w/ not telling H I am not sure what my H thinks or if he is just avoiding the subject I think he thinks I quite but knows I've been prescribed Lortab in place of tram for my migraines.  He doesn't seem concerned. The lortab does nothing for me so I am tapering off the tram dropping 1 pill every 5 days.  So far it's not so much the w/d it is me just wanting to take more for the high that is hard.  I imagine the w/d will be worse when I get to the lower dosage.  I also worry that after baby is born pain meds will be useless cuz I've ruined myself on them and won't get any releif even tho I need it.  Good luck to you.  You are not alone, keep posting and start tapering. U can do it! u can pm if u want to talk:)

[nic374]

I was addictied to vicoprofen when I was pergnat with my 2nd child in 2005 I was taking 3 a day I quit ct at about three months pg.  however xanex is extremley harmful to a fetus stop taking that for sure.  I would say youll be ok unfortuley for me after Brooke was born I came back to painkillers and it spun out of control these last 3 yrs.  You may have mild wds but you got good motivation

[sdleo]

You're only taking 4 a day you should quit c/t. You won't harm the baby and your w/d probably won't be too bad.

[Sarah1083]

Is it easier withdrawels that way or better for the baby or both.  Fixen to go to a drug counseling session, thanks for talking to day, I'll keep coming on here and trying to get support.  I'm glad there is something like this for me to do while I sit here and think about this all day.  Ttyl

[avisg]

awwwe hun i know its hard !!!!! ok so taper is when you reduce you intake a little at a time ...

It would be like

taking 4 for 5 days
         3.5 for 5 days  and so on until you are off

[Sarah1083]

No I haven't been off 2 weeks I said my husband thinks I've been off them for 2 weeks.  I'm not being completely honest with him.  He just recently found out about the whole thing a few months ago when I went to to the psychiatrist and got on the subs.  Strange how I was honest with him at that point but I can't bring myself to tell him I'm still using.  

[avisg]

I am confused you have been off of them for two weeks? If you have been off them for two weeks thats great.I know you feel alone but your not we are all here .tapering is when you reduse you dosage a small amount at a time .However  if you are already off of them you dont have to worring about tapering

[Sarah1083]

They are the 10 mgs.  When you say taper down what exactly do you mean?  I'm just really anxious that's all.  I didn't mention my husband thinks I've been completely off of them for about 2 weeks now.  So I do feel really alone in this.  I know I should probably tell him I'm just real ashamed I guess or something.

[avisg]

Ohh boy it put alot of stress on both you and the baby .Cting has been known to cause miscarriages .That does not mean you will but you do have to be aware and careful.I am glad you have only been taking 4 a day are they the 5 or the 10 mgs?

[avisg]

good ask her if she can plz make you a taper plan if she wont let me know there is someone here that might be able to help you out with something like that if you need it .I am soooooo gald you were up front with your doctor .You put your babies health first over your own fear of getting in trouble . If there is any thing I can do to help let me know .
avis

[Sarah1083]

When you say it could hurt the fetus, do you by any chance know in what ways?  Friday is only a few days away but I'm have no more lorcets and wonder if I should just stop now or get more to last until Friday.  I hate thinking about this 24/7,  

Thanks for your replies and support.

[Sarah1083]

Friday will be my third visit.  The first visit I told her about the addiction and that is when I thought I had maybe kicked it with the subxone and told her that so she didn't have much to say except quit.  The second time was in the middle of a very bad hurricane but I still went so I could talk to her again thinking she could maybe help me but the dr. was gone so I talked to the nurse practioner and she said to go to a psychiatrist.  Well I had already done that and that's when they put me on the sub.  Don't want to do that again, I just want to be off this medicine for my baby and MYSELF.  I do plan on talking to my dr. again on Friday.  

[avisg]

Yes CT could hurt the fetus .Tell your doctor RIGHT away they will work out a taper plan that is best for both you and the baby . good luck it will be fine

[enemy48]

This post should get a lot of hits.

I can't advise you, only support you.

There have been many addicted mom's here, and still are to share expierences w/you.

There are also people w/the knowledge of when social services step in when they find out the baby is in withdrawals in the hospital nursery.

Have you told your OBGYN about your addiction?  I do know that it the first right step for help.