tramadol withdrawal in pregnancy please please help

[sweetcheaks]

Hi everyone I'm so embarrised about asking this but I'm also so worried I need some advise. I have been taking tramadol 50mg for about 2 years for chronic back pain. I'm am currently 9 weeks pregnant and scared to death about the damage this might cause to my baby. I was on 4 a day up to 8 weeks pregnant but got myself down to 3, I feel some withdrawals but its managible, I really want to get of them before the babies born but safely. I know when I drop another tablet the withdrawals will be much worse and I worry about the affect this will have on the baby. I have done tons of research and its all inconclusive. There is no point in going to my doc because he is old school and is convinced there are no withdrawal symptoms on tramadol which is rubbish and he will just stop my script and I will be forced to go cold turkey which I know is no good for me or my baby. Please please please help and give me some advice on how to get of these tablets without risking my baby's health any information or similar stories I would be so greatful for. Thank you. Xx

[EvolverU]

Hi,

Great post lulu! I second everything she said & would add that the benzo-like component to Trams might complicate matters. So, better safe than sorry. Please, seek out another Dr. It would be a shame if you hid this & you & the baby experienced distress down the line as a result. (Think how you'd feel!) I know that you want to do the very best for the two of you & your future family.:)

[lulu747]

Hey there-
You really must taper under the care of a doctor.  Tramadol is a synthetic opiate with an antidepressant kicker and is very hard to come off of.  This can cause distress for both you and your baby.  Your meds are prescribed.  Women get pregnant on drugs all the time.  It is up to you and your OB to come up with a SAFE plan to get you off.  Women have healthy babies while taking opiates.  You will not lose your child or be judged as long as you are honest.  You are not abusing your drugs or getting them off the street.  Please take good care and talk to your doc immediately.  There will be no judgement.  There is no shame in taking pain meds for pain.  And if you ARE an an addict, there is no shame in this either.  You want what is best for you and your baby so please take all the necessary measures to ensure a happy and healthy pregnancy for you both.
Wishing you all the best...
Lu

[sweetcheaks]

Ya I thought that but as far as I know I'm on the lowest dose tablets at 50mg. What I did do last night was the afternoon tablet I normally take I broke open and halved it so I only had 2 and a half tablets yesterday, I was OK but the only thing was I woke up at 8 this morning to take my daughter to school and I was withdrawing so bad but I took my morning tablet and was OK again, I guess that dropping down even a half it will take a week or so at that dose to get used to it. I knew it wouldn't be easy but I think if I do it as slowly and as gradually as possible I will be able to do it and hopefully safely. Thankfully I don't seem to be taking excessive amounts according to a lot of sites iv  read, apparently the highest risk of withdrawal of the baby when its born is if the mother is taking 300mg or more a day. I'm only taking 125mg at the moment so hopefully I will find it that little bit easier to reduce my intake and get of these completely before the baby is born. Its just so great to have some support on this site because like I said its so hard to talk to anyone about this and the people on here are so supportive. I have my husband who's a great support but sometimes you need someone who doesn't know you to give you advise without judging. So thanks everyone your all a great help. And for those that are going through the same thing I wish you all the best and hope everything goes OK for you. Please keep in touch and tell me how your situations are and how your doing with your journey to get of these horrible things. X

[Plumberman1]

The other thing you can try is either your doctor or another doc is have them wean you down from it by the milligram your taking.

[sweetcheaks]

Thank you so much for all your words of support EVOLVERU thank you for the sites to look at for information I am going to look at them now like I said you would drive yourself crazy looking at the internet because there's so many sites that say something different to the last one. I think your right I have a lovely nurse at the maternity hospital that is so easy to talk to I might just come clean and say it to her. I'm so embarrised though and that's what stopped me but the safety of my baby outweighs that embarrisment.

kRC3412 thank you for your reply. Its good to hear from someone going through the same thing. Not that I wish this on anyone, as far as I know there isn't any law that states they could take the baby where I live because believe me that was another thing I absolutely panicked about to. I hate feeling like some sort of addict, that is not me if never been addicted to anything like that. Like I said I suffer from back pain due to a curved spine but doctors don't seem to let you know that these tablets can take over your life. You were saying about going cold turkey, if I thought that would help I would do it and suffer but I know better than to put my baby through that, I want my baby to feel as little discomfort as possible, I'm not worried about myself. And your right were not junkies were just normal people that got injured and were prescribed this horrible drug with no warning. Please let me know how things go for you, I
really do wish you all the best. Xx.


BIGDADDY1313 thank you for your advise, I definitely think seeing someone is the best route to go so I can do this a safely as i possibly can. Every time I take a tablet the guilt kills me and then I'll try and go longer than usual until I take another but bad withdrawals kick in and I'm left thinking is the baby feeling this so I take another to stop the symptoms its so hard knowing what to do. I wish I was never prescribed this horrible drug. The thought of my baby going through any sort of discomfort when born because of me is more than enough drive for me to get of these before the baby arrives.


NONINON thank you for your words of support. Did your doctor cut you down quite gradually and how long did it take you to come completely of them if you don't mind me asking. Also did he happen to say that some withdrawals are OK while pregnant. I'd appreciate any information you might have. If you don't mind saying. Thank you again.

[noninon]

I was on tramadol for years and when I found out I was pregnant my doctor slowly and safely tappered me off. There will be some withdrawal and it won't be nice but after 5-7 days you will be OK. Tramadol is highly addictive for your baby as well and your body has been used to this med for so long. It has been blocking pain receptors and so your going to be in pain but it's temporary until your body gets back to normal. Besides your regular pain. You do not want to give birth to a tramadol Dependant baby, please tell your doctor asap!he cannot stop your script cold turkey, he will safely cut you back I promise. You are prescribed by a doctor there for you will not be in any kind of trouble! Woman everyday get pregnant and have to stop all kinds of meds. Your Dependant on your med, not an addict. Please Go see your doctor asap and good luck to you and baby. You can do it.

[Bigdaddy1313]

Please don't put off speaking with a good doctor of your choice and telling him/her about what's going on. Tramadol is addictive and WD's are WD's. Addiction can be stronger than the Maternal Instinct which is the strongest instinct in the world. I say this because you can do this for you and your baby. Its not like you are doing heroin under the overpass. Please don't put this off another day. I can promise you, you will never regret your choice of doing what's best for your baby. If you have no record of addiction and you are only taking tramadol no state or agency is going to take your baby. My best friends wife is a prenatal nurse and she said she has witnessed some really good moms come in with an addiction problem. Most of the time it is for much harder type narcotics and or Xanax. God bless you and your baby.  

[Krc3412]

I completely understand as I am also a few weeks preggo and trying to kick the habit. Before you tell your doctor or obgyn find out what your state laws are in regards to admitting an addiction while pregnant. Some states the doctors are required by law to alert CPS. In some states they criminally charge you, may take your baby after it's born, or have you routinely drug tested and the baby when it's born and if you've stayed clean you may get to keep your child. Each state handles it differently. The fear of losing your child causes a lot of addicted mothers to keep it a secret or not see a doctor altogether. It can be very frustrating for those women with a true desire to quickly get clean because not all women are irresponsible junkies who don't care about their unborn baby. Now on the other hand if you have a legit prescription you take a directed and nothing else, CPS has no reason to build a case against you. Let your doctor know you're pregnant and you want to safely taper down and come off them. Quitting cold turkey runs a high risk for miscarriage in the 1st trimester depending on the severity of withdrawals. The baby cannot tolerate the extreme fluctuations in body temperature, blood pressure, dehydration and such so I personally don't recommend cold turkey but that's my personal opinion. If you don't have a prescription then I wish you the best at how you choose to handle this. I just wanted to make you aware of what can happen if you admit to being an addict without a prescription while pregnant if you didn't already.

[EvolverU]

Hi there & Welcome,

Congratulations on your pregnancy!;)

You're right. It's absolute irresponsible nonsense that Tramadol causes no withdrawals! As you mentioned, you've already experienced them. There are many who've come through MH who can testify to their own struggle with this drug. As you also said, much of the data on pregnancy & Trams is inconclusive/thin. That said, I ran across these two links:

http://www.tramadolfacts.com/tramadol-and-pregnancy/

http://www.tramadolfacts.com/tramadol-withdrawal-in-neonates/

I think my friend ActingBrandNew is on the money when he suggests a different OBGYN. In fact, I'd find a good hospital in a major city (if possible) & seek out a Dr. who has specific experience in this area. Neonatal nurses who work on the front lines every day might also be a good source of info as they see it all.

Also, I'm not sure if this will help but here's a link to the National Opiate Hotline -- maybe they'll have some info or be able to refer you to studies or a UK hotline.:

http://www.nationalopiatehotline.com/345/the-dangers-of-using-tramadol-or-ultram-for-pain/

I understand your fear & concerns. Try not to overstress, though, as that isn't healthy (as you know!) for you or the baby. I have the feeling you're going to be a Stellar mother. Wishing you peace, answers & a healthy joyous pregnancy & birth.:))

[sweetcheaks]

Thank you I appreciate your comments I think maybe I should see someone else so I can get the right help. Its a horrible situation to be in and I just want what's best for my unborn baby.  

[ActingBrandNew]

I would go see a different doctor since your doc is old school and would stop your script. Get a second opinion ASAP. There are many that come to this forum with Tramadol withdrawals and seem to have a tougher time than others. So yeah...you definitely need to go find a doc that will be sensitive to your needs.

http://www.medhelp.org/user_journals/show/313432/Tramadol-Misuse--Abuse-and-Addiction-

[sweetcheaks]

Thank you for your reply that's amazing that you don't get withdrawals I suffer very bad from them. Your very lucky.

[momwithnosleep]

I have never had withdrawels from Tramadol. I have been taking it off and on for 5 years. Usually for 5-6  months at a time and stopping cold turkey. But every person is difference  if it were me I would talk to my OB/GYN for help.
Good luck.