18 weeks prego and addicted to hydrocodone

[me010109]

i have read alot about alot of other stories about pretty much my same problem, ive been taking them now for a little over  a yr and get precription, bc i have a herniated disk in my back. i dont know what do, i know i cant stop taking them cold turkey, im just worried now that it has already affected my baby. im just looking for some advice and where to start bc im concerned about my unborn child and myself.

[vicki595]

Just to reiterate:  The doctor would NOT want you to stop taking the hydrocodone. Please call your OB; it's the safest way.

[mellie4]

So glad you posted on this!!!  So many women end up trying to stop these meds on their own with disastrous results.  Like most issues, being open and honest with your doctor gets the best results!!!

[Ashelen]

Please DO NOT stop your meds without speaking with your doctor.

Contrary to the above advice, most doctors do NOT have you stop pain medicine during pregnancy if you are on them for legitimate pain issues.

I'm the Co-Community Leader in the Pregnancy 18-34 forum here on MedHelp, and I myself am a long-time pain management patient who has been on and off pain medicine during all 3 of my pregnancies so please consider my advice to be advice from experience. Anti-depressants are NOT the same as pain medicine where pregnancy is concerned. Anti-Depressants can cause birth defects...pain medicine CAN NOT.

Here's some factual information for you...pain medicine carries some risk during pregnancy. Can it cause birth defects? the FDA says no. They obviously haven't done human/embryonic testing, but generations of countless women using pain medicine during pregnancy has shown NO signs of birth defects or developmental delays, so MOST pain medicine is considered SAFE to use (when used appropriately) during pregnancy.

The biggest risks for pain medicine use durin pregnancy (pain medicine used correctly, mind you - not abused) are SOMETIMES breathing difficulties after birth if the medicine is used too close to delivery, and some babies are born dependent on it and must be weaned off - again, if it's used too close to delivery.

With all that in mind...you and your doctor must discuss whther or not you should continue to take it. Pain releases cortisol into your system, which is a stress hormone KNOWN to cause growth retardation and a few ill effects on a baby, so most women in severe pain are actually put ON pain medicine during pregnancy to help manage the pain. However, if you feel like anxiety is outweighing the pain relief, it's perfectly acceptable for you and your OB to decide to wean you off (WEAN YOU, VERY IMPORTANT) off of the medication.

I had to take pain medicine while pregnant with both of my first two children, and I have to take it occasionally now (i'm 10 1/2 weeks pregnant with baby #3) and because I took the medicine as it was prescribed and under the care of my OB, my babies were born healthy, happy, and without any dependence on the medicines.

so I highly recommend you have a candid discussion with your doctor. your baby is fine - unless you've been taking enough hydrocodone to dose a horse, most likely everything will continue to be fine, but you must have this discussion with your OB and decide if you want to continue to treat the pain or wean off of the medication. there ARE a lot of alternative treatments for herniated discs and I would recommend trying them concurrently with the medicine or in place of it. things like massage and physical therapy may be very effective to you.

Please, take a deep breath. Hydrocodone is considered one of the safest among the safe pain medicines for pregnant women, and as long as you and your OB are on the same page about you taking it - you should be just fine, OK? but you MUST have a discussion with your OB about your fears and concerns. if your OB doesn't know about the script it's even more important to tell him for reasons I won't get into unless you ask, but you won't get in trouble for telling him so either way your next step would be to make an appointment ASAP so you don't have to continue to put yourself through this anxiety.

You have found a wonderful support community here, and I also welcome you to come over to the Pregnancy 18-34 forum and get some advice and support there as well - we have quite a few women who are on pain medicine during pregnancy, and more than a few who have quit taking pain medicine during pregnancy as well, and from all the women I've helped I have never heard of a bad outcome as long as the woman and the OB are in agreement with the treatment plan and course of action.

So again..breathe! You will be just fine, OK?

[mellie4]

Don't stop anything CT!!!  You can put yourself at risk of miscarriage.  You MUST call your obstetrician first thing tomorrow and let them know everything.  Have you misused your prescription?  There's a difference between dependence and addiction, though physically it's the same.  Your obstetrician will come up with a plan for you.  Don't worry about talking to them about this.  They have seen and heard everything.  You may want to check out the Pregnancy forum. There are some members that have gone through this ... some stayed on their medication (with their obstetrician's supervision.)  ONLY your doctor can really advise you on this.

There are also things that can help with a herniated disk aside from medication.  I have two herniated disks in my back since my mid-twenties.  I get flare-ups from time to time that do require medication.  (Before I was on regular meds for a different issue.)  You can ask your obstetrician about topical prescription creams that may help your pain.  I use Voltaren gel, and it does help.  Soaking in the tub can help tremendously, and also ask about ThermaCare back wraps and if they're okay to use during pregnancy.  (Some people think ice works best; I personally find heat better.)  The ThermaCare wraps work for about 8 hours.  You can wear them under clothes or to bed.  Sometimes you need to string a bunch of things together to get some relief from pain.

Also not sure if you can do it now (or have tried it in the past,) but some PT can help a lot.  There are very gentle exercises  you can do that will help your back.  Pregnancy can put a great strain on your back so this is something you really need to talk to your OB about.

Good luck an hope you'll post what you find out after talking with your obstetrician.

[spanky595]

      The Doctors advice would be to stop taking the Meds while pregnant.  My wife choose to stop taking her anti- depressants when our daughter was born. Because of the damage they can do to a unborn child.  So you might want to talk to more than one Doctor. There maybe some other med. that may help you and not hurt your child.

[Dknd4v]

how much r u taking? takin them as prescribed? does ur ob know?