Hydrocodone and pregnancy

[AmyAS]

I am planning to become pregnant, but I have a dilemma. I have been taking hydrocodone 7.5 (lortab) for about 5 years due to pain from an artificial leg. I started with 1 per day, and worked up to 6-7 per day over the years because I've built up a tolerance. Since we decided to become pregnant, I have cut down to 4 per day (for 7 days). I am feeling some withdrawals at this point, (I started crying uncontrollably the other day because I spilled tea), but nothing intolerable. I am going to try to cut down as much as possible. But my question is, what if the pain from my leg gets unbearable when I am pregnant, especially when I gain weight? Should I not take the hydrocodone and just suffer through it? Is it ok to take hydrocodone after the first trimester? Any insight would be appreciated.

[Jamilee30]

   I have sciatica & was prescribed hydrocodone 7.5 a year ago. I just found out I am pregnant 2 days ago. I tried to stop taking them the first day( only had a half 1) but that night my legs were restless & couldn't sleep. The next day I was in so much pain that I had broke done & cried 4 times, I was also dealing with the withdraw. I have not spoken with my doctor yet as I am not that far along but the nurse just told my to only take them if I really had to & that scared me. My sister was worried about me because I called twice crying & she said that my pain & withdraw is worse on the baby. So I am going to slowly try to go off of them ( I wish that a dr would have talked to me more about this but I guess I'll have to wait). I just wanted to know how your baby was when she was born & if she suffered any withdraw. Thank you, Jamilee
  

[Jaybay]

You need to talk to your OB about what is safe for pain management.  Each pregnancy and other health problems in the mother require slightly unique medical management, which is why you don't want to self-medicate while you're pregnant.  Some women who require narcotics or other drugs for pain or other conditions are referred to a high-risk OB.  If your doctor believes you need to detox, he'll want to taper you off slowly.  Severe withdrawal can be dangerous to your baby.

[crazyk87]

I'm 33 weeks pregnant is the white hydrocodone 10 mg okay to take

[avisg]

Kara this is a very of post and i dont want it to get over looked .Start your own new thread .

[karajohn22]

i am 16 weeks pregnant and take vicodone at the most 5 a day for pain but im worried about my baby.does anyone know if it could hurt it and how??

[princess2000]

It a very addictive drug as we all know!!!  If you are addicted to it then it only makes sense that your innocent baby will also be born addictive.  I would say suck it up for 9 months for the safety of your baby and ensure a healthy baby.  I am sorry for your pain, but, do it for your baby and for you as well.  When the baby is born, talk to your DR about some type of pain management.  

[tarnabee]

I was pg with twins while taking vics.  I tried my best to only take as needed during the first trimester, as this is the trimester where the baby is doing most of the development and anything injested has an affect.  
Of course, there is development throughout the pg and the baby is affected throughout, I just know that I was told to be very careful the first trimester.  Unfortunently, I am an addict and did take more than the prescribed amount throughout the pg.  My doctors did know I was taking the vic, as I was prescribed it, however, not that I abused it.

One baby was born with low birth weight and was born healthy, one month early, but there was concern throughout the  pg due to the low birth weight.  I don't know if that was a result of my abuse of the vic or from other unknown reasons.  His brother is absolutely fine.  They are two now and the smaller boy is still small and will be for his life.

I know that low birth weight is a result of drug abuse.  Whether that resulted in my case, I don't know.  My son is healthy and developmentally even with his twin, and I am blessed that is the case.  I just wanted to mention my experience.

[mtgoat911]

my step daughter is 16 and living with scoliosis, i feel for you
i have no advice for you
the people i usually help are using opiates everyday, and yes, there babies do have wd symptoms, they may not recognize it at the time, but it happens
you are not taking as much as these women, so i have no idea if your child will need opiates after birth
this should be a time for you to be happy, not fearfull
you have a ligitament reason for the medication, not abusing the pain meds
for now, you are doing the best you can, tell your delivery team that you are using the pain meds, so they will be aware
sometimes babies will be diagnosed with a milk allergy, when the thruth is they are detoxing
again congradulations,
xo

[Bren32]

I too take Vicodin ES for my scoliosis. I am 34 weeks pregnant and tend to worry that it will affect my baby. My main concern is that she will be born addicted to codeine. I cut back to taking my vicodin about 2-3 times a week. If it were up to my pain, I would take it more often but I take it only when I can't bear the lower back pain. This post has been so helpful thank you very much!

[kbdancer27]

I am in my third pregnancy and have been off and on hydrocodone throughout the last 8 months for severe lower back pain. (I was a ballet dancer for years and had injured my back prior to the pregnancy)  I am now 34 weeks.  I have been assured by my obgyn and my pain management doctor that this is ok to take during pregnancy.  I would totally trust the doctors because they know what they are doing.  I really hate it when people ridicule you for being on this medicine when they have no idea what the pain is like without it.  It can be more harmful to the baby if you are in pain all the time than if you take manageable dosages and take it only as needed.  I hope this helps.

[Maggie-Rose]

I have been reading this hard question on vicodin during pregnancy, which has helped me to regain some better feeling about my medication. I also have chronic fibro myalgia and severe pain in my hips. I was in severe pain when I started to feel the ungodly pain of fibro myalgia, and I was not yet on any pain medication. I soon was prescribed vicodin then narco because the extreme amount of tylenol in the vicodin. Narco is the same drug but with less tylenol. I have now been on this drug for almost two years  and I to wanted to become pregnant. At first I thought I could take myself off of the medication but my pain was to severe to tolorate. I had gotton several different opinions about my taking the drug throughout my pregnancy, but the opinion I recieved most was to stay on the medication because my severe pain would probably cause a miscarriage or very early preterm labor. I was told my a OBGYN and a Rhuematoligist, and they seem to be very comfortable with me staying on the narco, and that my baby may or may not have withdraw, but the narco would not present any real harm to my baby. I have been ridiculed and harassed by my brother and his wife for being on this medication. I have been called horrible names and put through a lot of stress for my decision to stay on the medication, so of course I felt bad about myself all the time for taking this drug while pregnant, but they did not understand pain and they would NOT listen when I would try telling them that doctors have told me to stay on this medication. Ultimately I knew that if I wanted to keep the pregnancy viable I made the right decision in staying on this drug. I know that if my baby is born addicted that she will recieve care in the hospital and the withdraw would not be that of what one of us would go through. I do know that this will bother me watching my innocent newborn go through this but atleast she is here and I didnt loose her to my pain. Although she hasnt arrived yet but will be here very soon, ultrasounds and her healthy bouncing around inside of me prove to be she is a very healthy baby girl that already has some chub on her bones! So dont over burden yourself with the stress of the decision. It is very hard to live with pain, and while pregnant even harder on you and baby! I hope that I have helped with my short story, I atleast now know im not the only one!  
Thank you, and best of luck!

[AmyAS]

Did you take the vicodin every day of your pregnancy? Just curious?

[AmyAS]

Thanks for the feedback everyone!! I really appreciate it!

[longing4life]

Have you talked with you OBGYN about this.

I can only imagine the pain you have went through over the past 5 yrs.  I too have chronic back pain, TMJ *which hurts the most*, and fibromyalgia.  On day 11 c/t from lortab, which is hydrocodone and anticetaphamin (Sorry..big word to spell).

Think about what the hydrocodone could to to the baby.  I have seen shows and read in my health and child psychology classes on babies who are born addicted to "drugs" in general.  

My advice would be to talk openly and honestly with your dr.  The pain sucks, but there would be a "life" growing inside you.

Best wishes to you on your future BABY!!!! I love babies!!!  My great niece just turned 5 Today!!!!!

Until Then,

[longing4life]

***Re-read my post sweetie....***

Talk with your Dr is what I believe I wrote.

I gave her NO medical advice.  

And I DO live with PAIN every freaking day of my life.

God Bless You...

Until Then

[mom2rachie]

Stop scaring her.  It is prescribed quite often as ibuprofen is really unsafe during pregnancy.  If taken as prescribed and stopped in enough tiome before delivery the baby will have no issues with it.
The drug dependancy you're speaking of that you learned about in your health classes are not the same as someone who needs medication to control pain which by the way can cause stress and an elevated heart rate for themother therefore increasing her chances of miscarriage.
When the benfits for the mother far outweigh the risks for the fetus doctors will prescribe it.
Let hre talk to her dr about this.  She doesn't need a guilt trip from you.

[fishmeal]

Hi.  I have fibromyalgia that is chronic, and I have given birth to seven children.  I was up to 4 or 5 vicodin during my last pregnancy on days that I worked ( a 14 hour day at the studio, nine days a month) and three vicodins the other days.  I was under the care of a fibromyalgia specialist.    I would not presume to give medical advise but only share what my doctor felt was safe for me.  The baby had no noticeable withdrawal symptoms.  She is still nursing.  And when I gave up vicodin all together two months ago, she still showed no noticeable symptoms, though it almost killed me.  Of course she was almost a year old at that time and was eating and drinking other foods besides mama's milk.  There still seem to be no options for the pregnant or nursing mother other than vicodin.  But knowing how it almost killed me to come off of it, and that I felt like I barely kept my job because of the near blackouts I was going through just as I went off cold turkey, I will find other ways to deal with my pain.  We obviously all have our own crosses to bear, and I don't have a prosthetic leg.  I have a healthy respect for pain and what every person must choose to do or not to do in order to deal with it.  May God lead you and provide for you.  He has said that His grace is sufficient for us.

You are a door of life, a mother to be.  You will do the right thing!!

[FLaddict]

I would say moderate is taking it only when you NEED it.. in this case. I would continue to taper down even stop if you can and then go back to taking it as directed and only when your leg really bothers you I have a friend with an artificial leg so I know how hard it can be.

[AmyAS]

I've been reading up on hydrocodone & pregnancy, and I keep reading over & over that it's ok in moderation. What is considered moderate?????? Does anyone know? Thanks.

[DutchessGolden]

Any form of hydrocodone with acetaminophen(tylenol), vicodin being the most prescribed is safe when monitored in pregnancy. Doctors do not like to give hydrocodone/motrin combinations as motrin (ibubrofen, advil etc) thins the blood and tylenol does not. I can't take acetaminophen/opiate combination meds as the combination of tylenol with an opiate does not sit well with my body so I've always taken vicoprofen(motrin/hydrocodone) for pain and at times during pregnancy also. You will have to be monitored by your doctor as it is possible for the baby to become dependent on hydrocodone. In medicine we really just have to weigh the risk of withdrawal's effect on you and your baby over the pain management. There are times when the withdrawal from certain drugs is much more dangerous than taking the mother off of those drugs.

xoxo- D.

[joann1975]

my doctor put me on hydrocodone in my 2nd trimester to take just as needed for severe pain and i took them that way and had no problems. that of course doesn't mean we are all the same and i am sure if he had a problem at birth i would have felt like it was that but i know several people who took it during pregnancy just in small amts for extreme cases.