OTC and Pain Medication During Pregnancy

[HedHurtz]

Hello Doctor,
I am 28 weeks pregnant and I suffer from terrible migraines. I have been taking way too many Fioricet (about 6-8 a day) throughout my term. My OB is aware that I take the Fioricet, but just not how many. I have recently "tried" to cut down on them and started taking Tylenol PM, which contains Diphenhydramine, on a nightly basis. It helps the pain a little and allows me to sleep a full night through sometimes. I pray every day that I'm not causing damage to my daughter, but the pain is OVERWHELMING. My question is, which is the lesser of the two evils, so to speak? I do admit I am addicted to the Fioricet. I have been taking it for 8 years or so. I didn't even find out that I was pregnant until after my first trimester. Is the damage done? I get ultrasounds every 4 wks, so my OB can check growth because of the Fioricet. She did say I could take Tylenol PM. What's the difference between taking one dose or double? If it's going to affect my unborn, why would they allow me to take them at all?
I'm sorry I'm babbling, I'm just concerned and noone has answered any of my questions yet. This web-site has been the most informative yet. Thanks for being here

[ConstantHeadaches]

Hi there.  I'm writing to you 13 years after your original post, but I am having the same issues with my head killing me, and probably taking more Fioricet than I should.  Was there ever any issues with your baby?  How did everything turn out?  I am so worried!  12 1/2 weeks along, can't stand the contact headaches, and the only thing that works worries me too much.  Please let me know what happens!

[MyssCryss]

I'm 24 years old & 24 weeks pregnant with my 1st child & addicted to lortabs/opiates...I was taking up to 10 a day plus my OB prescribed lortabs to me for my migraines after I took all of my Fioricet (which doesn't help me for some reason.) But he didn't know I was an addict at that time. I finally admitted to him when I was 15 weeks. I just got out of rehab June 15, 2011 after 30 days of treatment. I'm taking 1-3 lortabs almost daily, again. Its so hard to quit & I don't want my baby to me mentally or physically incapable. That's my worst fear. We're having a girl. I've also had 3 glasses of wine in 1 night about 2 weeks ago. That's the only alcohol abuse I've done. I feel I'm the worst mother. I hate suffering from addiction. What's sad is I've been to rehab & I still abuse. My OB knows I went to rehab. He knows about my addiction, but he doesn't know about me currently taking hydrocodone again. I'm scared my baby will be harmed. :-( I pray all the time that she's physically & mentally healthy. I'm sorry. Thank y'all for reading.
CRYSTAL

[avisg]

TELL YOUR DOCTOR ASAP   ....Whether you took them durning  your whole other pregnacy and there was not a problem does not mean it will happem again. diazapen can cause MAJOR brith defects you need to workout a taper program with your doctor to get you off it as safely as  it can be done and a doctor needs to do it .soma works in a sedadive way as well This is about what is the best for your unborn baby .They will try to find altruntives for your pain but I am sure you feel the well being of your baby is far more important then whether the doctor lets you stay on these meds .let us know what
the doctor has to say ..good luck...
avis

[mrspurple]

i am 7 weeks pregnant and take loracet the green ones and take diazapen 10 mg and also somas. for a number of reasons i have 5 slipped discs in my lower back mid back and neck i also have alot of right hip pain, i just found out i am pregnant with a home test and i am affraid to go to the doctor and tell him this. i used to take 7 to 8 pain and 2 diazapans and 3 somas a day, now i only take 4 to 5 pain half of a diazapen at night to help me fall asleep and a 1/4 of a soma to help some what my muscles relax. i am trying to cut down but its hard i didnt think i was addicted but i have been taking these meds for 3 yrs, and i tried for one day to not take them and the withdrawl made me sick and cramp really bad, so when the cramping started i got scared and took a pain pill within the next 5 hrs took half of a pain pill. Although it does not take all my pain away, i am not having the withdrawl affects, i do worry about my baby. i have 3 children and with my last one i was taking the same meds but had only been taking them for 5 or 6 months prior, the moment i found out i was pregnant with him i stoped completely with out any withdrawl affects or anything like that. And now i just dont know what to do or how to tell my doctor (pain doctor) cuz i am afraid he is going to take me off of them right then and there and i allready know what thats going to do if he does, as far as my OB well i havnt called him yet but he is the same doctor that has dilivered all of my children, but i am still scared. i was on here looking for answers and help, and found so many women with the same problem as me or similar problems as me, is there anybody here that would please help me out on how to wean myself off and on how to tell my doctors that i have allready tried quiting cold turkey and that i went through a horrible withdrawl so they too can understand and help me come off of them slowly instead of them taking my meds completely away from me. i am afraid that they wont take my word for it and just think i am an addict and looking for an excuse for them to keep giving me my scrypt, cuz its not like that i do want to quit, but just 2 yrs ago had a miscariage and it was hard i dont want to go through that again but i do want my child to be born healthy i do want to quite completely, but like i said i didnt even know i was addicted until i found out i am pregnant and went off of them right then and there but the withdrawl was just horrendous which was fine up until the point where i started to cramp really bad with some bleading after throwing up all day. please will some one give me some advice and help me get clean before something really bad happens to my baby !?!?!?!

[SophieShine]

Hi Tee and welcome to the forum.
You commented on an old post. You should copy and paste your question and start your own thread. You're gonna have more chances to get an accurate answer.
Best of luck to you. Sophie.

[Onelovebobmarley]

I would like to know if someone would accure problems while taking fiorinal for tension headaches without a uterus?

Thank you to anyone who can anwer this question for me

Tee

[mollybeen]

I took quite a bit of fioricet prior to and during the first 4 weeks of my pregnancy.  I have taken 1 a day, since I found out, (about 2 weeks ago).  I am really worried obout the possible damage already done, any- thing?

[reviewer]

I read your post... I am an Labor/delivery nurser. I have been for 16 years.. I have sen all kinds of things.. the most doctors recommned for pregnant women is Tylenol, sudafed, and Robitussin.  There are so many critical things happenig during your trimesters,small little things that you wont know until maybe your baby is in preschool.  If at all possible talk to you doctor try to taper down.  Your littel one needs you now and she or he will need you clean and sober when they arrive.  I know it is a difficlut person but they are not asking for this stuff and alot of things do cross the placenta barrier.  Not to scare you but I am being brutally honest here and it may make some people made... I know in the state of Indiana that if a baby falls with in certain weight, head circumference, and lenth  graphs or they are born early it is madatory that a meconium drug screen be done on these babies and it is reported to the state.  SOOOOOO please talk with your doctor be completely honest.  I dont know too many doctors that prescribe anything too strong during pregnancy because they are constatnly growing and making brain cells each and everyday.  Please dont take offense anyone... I have worked in labor and delivery enough to know what goes on...  I know the feelings that your are having but soon those feeling from the drugs turn to depression and you have no energy and you turn into somenting your family no longer know.
K.

[Lacy678]

Today is March 29, 2007. I am due April 11. I went to the doc today, they chkd me and I am 3 cm dilated. I am addicted to Lorcet 10's (the fat blu and green ones) I take them pretty much everyday. When I take them I take no more than 2 a day. I am so terrified of what this has done to my baby, that it makes me sick with myself. I am not perscribed this medicine, I just really like it, and I have been addicted for a few yrs now. I am actually surprised that 2 a day is enough for me. Like I said I will go into labor any day and I am still taking them. I have tried so hard to quit, but the withdrwls are so awful. Taking them makes it possible to clean, work, be in a good mood, have sex, take care of myself and my children. I just lost my baby sister/best friend in a car accident a month ago. Her 15 mo old baby girl was with her and she survived. My husband and I are now taking care of her. She lives with us and our 3 yr old son and we are in the prcess of adopting her. Her father got 5 yrs in prison a wk in a half after she lost her mother, so u can imagine what she is going through. I DO NOT accept what has happened to my sister. I just refuse to believe it !!! Taking my "escape" makes me somewhat okay, and right now I dont know what I would do with out it...I guess its kinda too late to "wean"  I just don't know. WHAT DO I DO??? Someone please offer some advice...I am desperate!!    
  Thanks So Much!
L

[aarroyo]

does anyone know how long hydrocodone stays in your system for?i am 33 weeks pregnant and quitting this week.im going to wean for 2 or 3 days then take none after that.i usually take 2 to 2 and a half a day.they are 10/325 does anyone know if i stop this week if my baby will still have it in his system if i do not?i know it takes 1-6 days to be completely out of my system but not sure about baby?does anyone know?please help if you know

[peehills]

i just found out about two minutes ago i am pregnant but i am scared and dont know what to do i take percocet and the duragesic patch for pain are they going to take me off both of these will i am pregnany i have a really bad back and leg and cant function with the pain without them what is going to happen

[broknbck]

Caffiene can be a  remedy for headaches. Also vit. D, which you can get from sunshine. You need to find the cause of your migranes and then you can try to fix it. Treating the symptom only is a never ending road.
Migranes are a result of the arteries in and around the brain narrowing. The insufficient blood flow leads to the arteries dialating-which causes the pain. This can't be a good thing and masking the symptoms only lets the condition go on untreated. Is your doctor trying to determine the cause?

[fashindancinbaby]

First I want to say its easier said then done to go 9 months w/out any medication, especially if you were already taking it before you found out you were pregnant.  Im in pharmacy, and the Fioricet, taken occasionaly just like your doctor said isn't bad for the baby, its the constant caffeine in them that is dangerous for the baby.  It can cause IUGR and other low birthweight problems.  Also try to be careful with the alcohol consumption.  I am @ 6 months and just dieing for a drink of alcohol, but I don't want to cause any unneccessary damage to my little girl.  If you could, limit other substances that you can control, like the alcohol, or other caffeine sources while your pregnant to make sure you do the least amount of damage.  

I didn't get a chance to read all the posts, but if you are unhappy with your doctor, you should have no shame in asking for a different one.  You should be able to be completely open and honest when you are with child.  Its their responsibility to get you any help that they can.

And as for the the baby being addictied, that could be true.  They say that in the last trimester certain medications should be avoided because while the baby is inside you, you aid it in digesting everything that you take in, but the baby could be born with whatever medications you took still in its system. . . therefore there *could* be a chance for withdrawl.  

You still have time, take care of yourself and your baby, you will forever be grateful when the little one is in your arms, knowing that you did the right thing, if only for a few weeks

~Good luck and God Bless

[leahds123]

If you are addicted your baby will be addicted. Sorry to whoever takes offense to this. I had a back operation less than a year ago. The surgery did not correct the conditions I have, instead it caused more problems. I was prescribed percocet 15 mg 4 times a day just to be able to work. I found out a little over two weeks ago that I was pregnant and have already weaned myself off. Yes I live in pain and it will only be for 9 months, but my child will not have to experiene the world the first time going though withdrawal symptoms just because I was not strong enough to stop takind medication. Medication that everyone knows is not safe during pregnancy. Stop making excuses, you are going to put your child through something you don't want to go through. That is selfish and disgusting. You all need to pray for strength I will pray for you all.

[lunachick]

I don't know why this person posted all that stuff about the negative affects of pain medication while pregnant. That stuff rarely , if ever, is a result of taking pain meds while pregnant, and if it does happen it's most likely cause of some other issue. I have read sooooo many posts on here from woman who took pain meds throughout pregnancy and everything came out perfectly fine, and the baby was even still o k years later. I myself took pills the first month of my pregnancy (unbeknownst to me), quit c/t, and my baby is perfect. Mikaela, read around here, you will find a ton of stories similar to yours..

[bettie1976]

i took ty pm almost everynight towards the end of my pg cuz my hips were cracking and movin n stuff and she came out just fine.

[angeline6]

Mikaela-You need to act on this very quickly.  It is important that you understand that you are a Mom now, and not just when your baby is born.  At this point, he has no choice but to depend on you to do what is best for him.  My understanding is that narcotic pain relievers are okay during pregnancy only for a short period of time and only in small doses.  You need to be completely honest with your doctor.  Have her taper you off the meds, instead of taking you off cold turkey.  See if there are other lifestyle changes (warm baths, massage, accupuncture, water aerobics, etc.), medications, diets, etc. that might help you to get through this 9-month period.  I need to tell you straight up:  9 months of your pain and suffering will be so much better than if your child is born with a disability or delay and both of you have to endure an entire lifetime of pain and suffering.  I work with children (0-3 years), with developmental delays and disabilities of all kinds, on a daily basis.  I have seen the damage that improper medication usage during pregnancy can do.  I assure you, it is very real.  Even if you are getting regular, prenatal care, and even if you are having you ultrasounds and the doctor is saying that everything seems okay, it doesn't mean that nothing is wrong.  No prenatal test can advise you of whether or not your child will have Autism.  There are many other delays and disabilities that those tests cannot show.  What will you do if your child is not able to show you affection throughout his life?  What would you do if your child is not able to start walking and communicating with you, when all of the other children his age do?  What if instead of changing diapers for 2-3 years, you have to change your child's diapers for 5 or more years because he can't learn to be pottytrained?  What about those amazing times ahead, when you are able to bond with your baby during breast or bottle feeding, looking at his sweet, happy little face?  Wouldn't that be so much better than having to feed him through a tube that the doctors had to insert through his stomach because he cannot take food orally?  These are all very real possibilities.  I know that you are going to be a good Mom, because you are already concerned for the well-being of your child.  You already know how important it is.  Do not let it go.  I hope that this has not been too much.  I care very much for your situation, and I want the very best for you.  You can make it through this, and the rewards will be great.  Give your child what he needs now, and you will thank yourself so much later.  In the end, it will all be worth it.  I'll keep you in my prayers.

[Mikaela08]

I am 31 and pregnant with my first  child.I had an extremley painful l4-l5 fusion(low back surgery) almost two years ago.To be honest I didn't even think that I could have children because of my severe back problems.I'm 14 weeks and have been taking Lotab 10/500 @ 1 1/2 every 6-8 hrs. on good days and 2 every 6 hrs. on bad days.Before my pregnancy it was prescibed by my pain mgmt. Dr. @ 2 every 6hrs. My obgyn is aware that I take lortab.She did ask me to only take them when the pain was unbearable and she took me off the ibuprofen 800 completely.My pain mgmt Dr. is now saying that he is going to stop my rx completley because of my pregnancy.The problem is that I am in pain 24x7.I even wake up in the middle of the night in so much pain and I have to take my pain rx and put the heating pad so that I can go back to sleep.I can't even get out of bed in the mornings or do regular chores without constant pain..I insist on doing all of my house cleaning and I pay the price at the end of the day when I can hardly walk straight up.I walk hunched over.I've been taking ambienCR in order to get at least 5-6 hrs. of sleep a night.Please I'm oblivious to the damage I might be causing my baby.If I could I would stop all together or try to wean myself off the rx but, my pain is so intense.I still can't believe I got pregnant.My fiancee and I were intimate once in almost 3 months and it was a suprize.We've been together almost 10 yrs. and it's our 1st baby.I need somones advice on wether they think this amount of rx is causing harm to the devolping fetus.And if I do need to stop taking rx .Is any pain rx safe?Please! I would appreciate any advice you can give me.Thank you.Ever so grateful.    -Mikaela

[lashamummyof2]

please check a post a few bellow this one about 'percocet and pregnancy' -- I posted that I had been on pain meds througout my pregnancy and gave birth three weeks ago. the baby is very healthy. everyone is different though. i was on small doses at the end and worked very hard to cut it out despite pain. now that the baby is born, my challenge is to continue using the small dose when i need it, and not everyday. it has been extremely hard for me, but everyone on this forum is in the same boat. check out my other post as it has more detail. I know many women who needed pain meds during pregnancy and I've not heard one bad outcome. however, all of these women took the meds as directed, so if someone is taking 20 a day, who knows?

[FLaddict]

If you have a question pertaining to this topic... I suggest you post a new question.. there are different formats to this site and these old posts do not show up for everyone.. You can go to the "post a new question"  and tell us what you need support or advice about.. we would be glad to help you if we can..

[lauslv]

Yeah probably  not but it would be great for someone to be able to give a answer about the their experience.

[peekawho]

I doubt after 7 years they're coming back to check for new comments.

[lauslv]

So how did your problems and children turn out?

[nancy]

i too have been on fior for many years. i am 37. i take 2-4 a day when i have the headaches. which is usually 5 times a week. i just recently gave birth to a very healthy girl and all the while using the fior. thats what they recomend for the migraines at my doc. i was worried also but it is such a fast moving drug that as an adult your body filters most of it before it gets to the fetus. i also breast feed. the drug maxes out in the blood stream and in the milk supply within 40 to 60 minutes. so when i have to take them i time it. if im not able to time it between feedings i supplement with formula. i have studied this drug so much over the years i feel like an expert.(im not though) these are just my opinions and my experiences, take them as you will. eat healthy, drink lots of water and take care of yourself best you can. asprin and motrin are worse for you then the fior.