pregnant...and taking VERY LOW dose of oxycodone. sad, scared, depressed. HELP!

hey everyone! i am new to this whole website. though i have been reading peoples posts on here for quite some time now. i have finally gathered the courage to make my own profile so that like the rest of you i too could get some support...and hopefully answers. First let me start by saying i am currently 23 weeks 3 days pregnant... with a baby girl! both my boyfriend and i couldnt be happier to be bringing a little princess into this world. we already have SO unconditional love for her...its torture having to wait any longer to hold her. but like many of you...i am VERY scared. i have been taking percocet for about a year and a half now. shamefully not prescribed :( i fractured vertabraes about 5 years ago...and have been living with the constant dull ache in my lower back for years. some days more unbearable then others. i havent had insurance since i was 18....living on my own, waitressing, school....couldnt really afford it. my boyfriend got his wisdom teeth pulled and they prescribed him percocet 5 mg tablets. he said they worked great for the pain and couldnt feel a thing. and i figured since they were DR prescribed they couldnt be any more dangerous then a tylenol...right? so i tried one also...and for the first time in years my back pain was relieved! so to make a long story short i have been self medicating myself a total of 18.75 mg only...but daily for about a year and a half. i take about 3.75 mgs at a time only. and do this about 5 times a day. well when i found out i was pregnant...i knew i needed to stop...i wanted to everything natural...no tylenol or anything throughout the pregnancy. but when i stopped....i experienced withdrawal syptoms (symptoms)! pretty intense ones too...atleast to me anyways. and what worried me was that i had severe abdominal cramping... so i did some research and this is where it led me! here. to find out that i was not the only one!!!! and to find that this was totally unsafe during pregnancy! that withdrawing could make me lose the baby! i didnt know what else to do....so i slowly started using the percocet again. didnt take long before i was back on my old routine. 3.75 mgs 5 times a day. i am VERY depressed. and sad. i had no idea this could even happen from something DR prescribed. i have been reading and reading and reading. and it doesnt help with my stress and anxiety i am experienceing from this....i am worried that my poor sweet angel is going to suffer through withdrawal. so the conclusion i came to after weeks of researching this is to "taper" very slowly. so for the past week i have strictly gone down to 15 mgs daily. 3.75 mgs 4 times daily. next week im going to cut another dosage and go down to 11.25 mg. which would be 3.75mgs 3 times daily. i plan to keep doing this til i am down to 1.8 mgs only a day...then stop completely. does ANYONE have any advice? or comments....id even appreciate a little support :) its not easy...and i would just stop it all completely....i could care less about the withdrawal pain i would suffer...i just dont want to take the chance of hurting my little girl in any way shape or form. and from everything iv read....chances are if i stopped completely i risk going into pre term labor. i am VERY ashamed. and havent spoke to my obgyn about this...i am scared of being labeled as a drug addict...or worse...an unfit mother to be. cause i am more then ready to care and love this little with EVERYTHING i have. i also have the fear that if i let anyone in on my dark secret...i could possibly lose my little angel :( i wouldnt want children services to take my baby away! i would never be able to go on with my life. i cant believe this has happened to me...and i know its my fault. all my fault. i hate myself. i cant sleep at night. im miserbale all day long...because this is constantly haunting me. idk what to do....so i guess what i need is just some answers! 1. if i were to have continued taking the 15 mgs a day would that have caused my baby to be born with withdrawals? 2. does my tapering plan sound like it is safe....and could be successful? PLEASE answer. thank you everyone! i truly appreciate it. i read all your stories and they help knowing im not the only one out there in this predicamate!

[lovelyglover]

Yu need to discuss it with yer doctor because only he can tell yu what is best for yu and baby...sorry I wasn't more help

Good.luck

[BeautiiBetty]

I cnt really say to much because I smoke cigs from the 16th of Aug I smoked like 6-7 a day now I'm down to 2 its hard kicking a habit. Please talk to your ob about it those purple pills r strong took those after my c section. Good luck

[lynn5x3]

If you were to continue taking the meds until the birth of the baby then she will def be born addicted to the medication. You best option is to taper as you have described.. It minimizes your chances for early labor and withdrawral symptoms. You need to do this for you baby!!! If shes born addicted to the pills then she will go through the withdrawrals (think of how you felt it will be 100x worst for her) and need to be weaned off of it. Then theres a huge chance of children services being involved.

Be strong for you and your baby. She needs you and you need to do this for her! Good luck! I wish you the best of luck.

[kaje78]

I had been on percocet for about 4 yrs when I got pregnant. It was very hard to ween myself off, and it still is difficult to stay away from it. I'm 28 wks now, and have been off it since I was 18 wks, but I didn't want my baby to go through with drawl. If u need someone to talk to, feel free to email me. I've dealt with a lot, and am a good listener. Good luck & let me know if ud like to talk.

[PriceFamily91611]

JUST AN FYI NOT TO SCARE YOU BUT TO LET YOU KNOW YOU NEED TO SERIUSLY GET OFF OF THEM, WHEN YOU HAVE THE BABY THEY DRUG TEST THE BABY TO SEE IF THERE ARE DRUG IN THE BABY'S SYSTEM IF SHE COMES BACK POSITIVE YOU WONT BE LEAVING THE HOSPITAL WITH YOUR LITTLE GIRL, THIS HAPPENED TO MY BEST FRIEND, SHE DIDNT KNOW THAT THEY DRUG TEST YOUR BABY AND SHE WAS DOING PILLS AND OTHER THINGS AND HER BABY WAS POSITIVE SO SHE WENT STRAIGHT TO FOSTER CARE AND IT TOOK ALMOST A YEAR TO GET HER BACK, THANK GOD NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH HER LITTLE GIRL BUT IM JUST LETTING YOU KNOW BC YOU MENTIONED ABOUT HER BEING TAKEN AWAY

[KTowne]

I agree with pricefamily, they do random drug tests, more likely if they suspect drug use, and almost 100% of the time if you are on state insurance. I was on state insurance when I had my son and they tested him, they don't need your consent, and they won't tell you until after, and my nurse just came in and told me about his hearing test, and he came back negative for drugs, and I was like ohh I didn't know that was routine now, and she explained it to me. You need to discuss this with your doctor, and be honest, it will be hard, but better you come clean than have him/her find out later and think you were hiding it for obvious reasons, good luck hun!

[ilovemylittleprincess]

THANK YOU everyone, for taking the time to respond to my post. it means a lot. i will take all the advice i can get! after doing plenty of research on this. i have come up with a tapering plan, which i after tonight, i will be 3 days down...successfully! believe me...there is NO turning back from here. i WILL be off the oxycodone by 30 weeks. and with the detailed tapering plan i have come up with, i believe it will be pretty much painless! and that the baby most certainly will not be affected! i am almost positive that when i am off them completey, that the 30 week marker will give me plenty of time to have both our systems clean of this demon, and that my little girl will not be born with any withdrawaling. would yous agree?

again, THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH for taking the time to respond. reading everyone post has just motivated me that much more!! yous have no idea!

god bless you all.

xoxo

[ilovemylittleprincess]

THANK YOU everyone, for taking the time to respond to my post. it means a lot. i will take all the advice i can get! after doing plenty of research on this. i have come up with a tapering plan, which i after tonight, i will be 3 days down...successfully! believe me...there is NO turning back from here. i WILL be off the oxycodone by 30 weeks. and with the detailed tapering plan i have come up with, i believe it will be pretty much painless! and that the baby most certainly will not be affected! i am almost positive that when i am off them completey, that the 30 week marker will give me plenty of time to have both our systems clean of this demon, and that my little girl will not be born with any withdrawaling. would yous agree?

again, THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH for taking the time to respond. reading everyone post has just motivated me that much more!! yous have no idea!

god bless you all.

xoxo

[hopeingforaboy]

I am currently on 20mg oxycontin 2xs daily that my ob/gyn is giving me, i also have back problems but ive had mine since i was 16 im now 24... had a fusion done last year and i swear it made my back issues worse! Im sp sorry to hear that your going threw this! Believe me i know how your feeling! Please please start tapering yourself off of them! I finally went from 3 30mgs a day to 2 20mgs! Its a big acomplishment after being on such a high dose for over a year! If you can speak to your doc! They have to help you! I understand your fear as i have the same fears even tho my meds are prescribed to me

[hopeingforaboy]

Inbox me if you need more help!!!! Please dont be ashamed to ask for help anymore!!!

[ilovemylittleprincess]

Thank you all for the advice and the support! as of today i am proudly down to 11.25 mgs of oxycodone. i have sucessfully tapered from 18.75 to 11.25 in one week! i am right on schedule with my taper plan and i am feeling confident and motivated. i know the first couple days of the 11.25 taper will be a little hard, but i can do it!!! thank you!

[Ari_L_P89]

they do do random drug tests on newborns. your best option is to taper but speak to ypur dr about the problem. if they know about it now and can help you quit safely for yourself and the child then even if she comes back with small traces depending on ur "treatment" the likelyhood of loosing your little one is less because tthere is physical proof that your getting help for the both of you...

[jdbeast]

Good for you ! And pleeeease don't hate yourself, it will only make things harder for you. Instead feel proud that you CARE, and that you are weaning off. Yes, they drug test your baby and you will probably have her taken away if she comes up positive. Your plan sounds good, and 10 wk.s should be plenty of time to get the drugs out of her system (as long as you don't have her prematurely.) You know your Dr., does she/he seem like someone you can be honest with ? If not, you could be shooting yourself in the foot if your Dr. will over-react and report you to child services anyway. Med. professionals are mandated reporters, meaning we are required by law to report any suspected child abuse or neglect to C.S....it just depends on whether your Dr. would judge this to be abuse or neglect. If you can stick to your plan and get off, you might choose to keep it to yourself.