Narcotics During Pregnancy???

[Mariah]

     Hey guys!  I wonder if I write this here will a doctor answer me???  I hope so, I need help.  Here goes...  I'm a 23 years old.  I have been taking lorocet 10/650 everyday for a little over a year & I'm up to about 7-8 a day.  The problem is I found out I'm pregnant, I'm about 14 weeks.  So, when I found out I was pregnant I was taking at least 8 a day (3-4 at a time).  So after I realized I was pregnant, I tried to quit.  I had no luck.  I needed the pills (at least 3) to even get out of bed.  Plus, I was scared of what withdrawal might do to my baby.  I know what it does to me & I figured it was probably not good for the baby either.  I'm scared to go to the doctor for fear of what he might do or say.  I've heard stories about women being put in jail when they use drugs while they're pregnant.  The last thing I want is to be seperated from my baby or to hurt my baby.  I'm trying to quit, believe me.  I just wanted to know what the dangers are to my baby & if I slowly stop using will my baby still need detox?  A good friend suggested taking them on a schedule, that way I'm not high, but I'm not in withdrawal either.  It worked great, I had only a little discomfort.  I took 1 every 3 hours, sometimes sooner, sometimes later.  This sounded smart to me because that's how you're "supposed" to take them.  I never thought of that for some reason?  My thinking was all or nothing.  I only took 4 yesterday.  I was also wondering what effect the drugs or getting off the drugs would have on my blood pressure?  I have a little girl & when I was pregnant with her I had GBS (Group B Streptococcus).  My OB did what was necessary to treat it, but I almost had a stroke.  My blood pressure was sky high.  I have been checking my blood pressure because I'm a little scared of what might happen & it's a little too high right now.  Please help, I'm terrified!  Thanks so much to anyone who takes the time to read this.  I appreciate it...

[[email protected]]

I have a question.  I am 32 weeks pregnant and I take Darvocet for my back pain. I  really want to stop taking the Darvocet because I am scarred for the baby to have withdrawl when born and I don't want her to go through that.  But then I question what she will go through if I quit cold turkey while pregnant.  I take 3-4 a day.  Does anybody know if it can hurt the baby to stop taking while pregnant.

[FLaddict]

You cannot stop cold turkey while pregnant... Please talk to your doc to set up a taper schedule... or go into a detox in a hospital..


PS>>The thread you posted on was from years ago.. I would post a new question on the page if you want people to be able to answer and give your advice..

[Brian to Sick and Scared]

Please take Tom's excellent advice.  Find an addiction medicine specialist to help you through this and also a pain specialist to offer you options for the future.  Hang in there, it will get better.

[tom to Dee]

Dee, take heart! It's going to be OK. You're not doomed. You CAN find pain relief without being actively addicted to the source of your relief. It may even be the kind of drugs you're using now.
--- It's just that you know you can't be put in charge of ADMINISTERING OR DISPENSING the drugs to yourself. That's all it is!
You're going to be alright. Once you're properly detoxified from all the oxycodone, you can arrange to receive normal, controlled amounts of whatever you need for pain -- YOU JUST CAN'T CONTROL IT YOURSELF. I know when the docs show up today, they will, among other things, tell you to contact an addiction specialist AND a pain control clinic (might be the same place) that specializes in untangling these kinds of situations and restoring patients to relatively normal "relationships" with their pain relievers. It's done every day, everywhere. Do you think you're the first person to find herself in this position? Happens all the time. People base their medical careers on solving these problems. But you're going to have to put yourself in their hands.
Just working the steps while enduring unrelieved, agonizing pain is simply not going to work. Make some calls. Contact, like I said, a doctor who specializes in Addiction Medicine. I know there are lots of pain control clinics in the yellow pages. Just make sure it's a genuine clinic with real MD's and not just a chiropractor.
Dee, you're heart is in the right place. You've been honest with your mate and you've made contact with an AA (NA) group. That's a good start, actually. But follow through with those calls today. Do it now. The sooner you start, the sooner you'll get help. Take care. Look for Brian's or DrSteve's replies today. You're going to be fine.

[Dee]

I have been crying all day, I'm so depresed..I've went to a NA chat meeting today...I've read the 12 steps with tears streaming down my face..I approached hubby.....he just says I'm saying this because I'm withdrawing, and I should really think about my pain before I do this...that everything I have wrong with me needs pain meds and to tell him what in our life would change for the good what positive thing can happen all I could say is just maybe we'll find what we are supposed to find as we do the steps I know it's not going to bring us money..and we're in this together and we'll control together, we're a team, blah, blah, blah, I feel defeated already, like my destiny is already written...my heart tells me different..but how can I walk away from my home and family....How???I don't think I'm making any sense...forgive me...

[tom to Dee]

you're withdrawing from a pretty high daily dosage of oxy. You're going to feel a lot of strong emotions. Dee, you're really going to need some help. Do you have any insurance or at least have a doctor to call? If there's any way you can get some medical help through your withdrawal, you should seek it out now. I gave Charlie some practical advice on ways to cope with opiate withdrawal on another thread, still on this site. It's one of the threads with Oxycontin in the title. Look for "tom to Charlie" August 20th. What I told him applies to you to. But these tips will only partially relieve your symptoms. If you can get help and are serious about quitting, pick up the phone now while you're still lucid enought to make the arrangements. That's the best I can do. You will live to see a better day, but I know it doesn't seem like that now. Get some help or at least read the thread I directed you to. Take care and keep in touch with us here. Perhaps Dr Steve or Brian will have something to add.