is vicodin safe to take everday when pregnant

[lenore261]

i am 6 months pregnant and have been taking vicodin 10/325 everyday for almost two months.
at first i only take a half of one a day but now i am taking 1 a day, sometimes 2.
i am planning to cut down and then quit because im worried, even though dr's say they are ok.
has anyone taking these while pregnant for an extended amount of time?
was there any negative effects on your baby after he/she was born?

[ash8119]

I have a really hard time with anyone who jumps to the conclusion that if a person is taking a certain prescription drug while pregnant they are wanting to harm their baby....That being said, I am also an RN. I developed severe migraines my first pregnancy that caused me to be in the hospital monthly. This time around, my OB is working with a neurologist who is prescribing hydrocodone 5 and stadol nose spray (this is only for really bad ones). I talked in depth with both Dr.'s and they both told me they wouldn't prescribe me something they thought would cause any major problems...but this is only if taken as directed (which I do). Alot of people get caught up on the Category C...but if you look the majority of drugs are Category C which only means they haven't studied it. It would be unethical to line up the first 100 pregnant women, give them a drug and see what happens. With my last baby, I was also on lortab up until the end. I developed preclampsia which was not related to the medicines. They put me on magnesium sulfate during delivery which also causes a babies breathing to slow....my baby was born without crying. However, they were able to give her some oxygen and she went home with me three days later...she was born at 35 wks. I would say that only you and your Dr. can weigh the benefits of taking a narcotic, but if you are truly in that much stress and pain that in itself can harm the baby even worse. Hang in there!

[MOM23ANGELS25F]

I would listen to Kelly.. She is a RN and I have gotten great advice from her.. Any type of narcotic taken during pregnancy can not only harm your baby, but can also make the baby addicted.... And if you stop taking it cold turkey you can and the baby will go through withdrawls........

[carissarae]

well my dr ok's anything tylenol too, vicodin is a little bit stronger , a little bit different, its a narcotic, all i know is that i wouldnt take anything that would harm my baby..id definately get my self off of it ASAP

just so you know lenore 261 im not bashing you about it..i dont know your history or why you are on it...

i did find this though..it might be helpful

Despite there having been no major studies on the use of Vicodin in pregnant women, medical advice states that this drug should be used during pregnancy only if the potential benefit justifies the potential risk to the fetus. It has been found that babies who are born to mothers who have been taking opioids regularly prior to delivery will be physically dependent, and will suffer withdrawal symptoms after birth. In mothers who are taking narcotics shortly before delivery, there may be a degree of respiratory depression in the newborn baby, especially if higher doses are taken.

make sure you dont cut yourself off completely, wean yourself off of it..otherwise you can go through withdrawl..good luck!!

[KellyA74]

it's not safe to take while pregnant.

[martikadragoon]

Carissarae~ Actually my doc just perscribed me tylenol3 for a migraine that won't go away. It is SAFE during pregnancy at the amounts she's taking it. Esp because she's not even at the prescribed dose of 1 every 6 hrs.

It's correct that she needs to wean herself off it during the last 2-3 months of being pregnant because the baby can develop an addiction to it. BUT if she stays at 1-2 a day, she'll be fine, probably up until birth even. I'd suggest not taking it the last month to 1 1/2mo. of pregancy.. but if her OB says it's safe, then it is. Esp if she's taking it for a good reason.

[worrysomemore]

i have been on lortab 7.5/500 for two months with my ob perscribing it. what i was told is that in the last trimester it needs to be avoided to prevent fetal addiction. I am not a doctor but i have done a lot of research and only found that it can hurt hte baby if it is abused.

[carissarae]

i was thinking exactly the same thing--what kind of dr would tell you its ok?! you need a new dr. no narcotic is ok to take when you are pregnant, anything you take the baby gets. i have no clue why your dr would say its ok..

[MOM23ANGELS25F]

If you don't mind me asking, why are you taking them ? First of all, any dr. that tell's you it's ok to take a narcotic during pregnancy sounds a little weird to me! I had a back injury when I was pregnant with my last baby, and the dr gave me hydrocodone and my OB told me to stop taking it.... Any narcotic is addictive and it can not only harm the growth of the baby, but as the baby get's bigger and more developed the baby can become addicted also. I would stop taking them ASAP.....