Should I be concerned about being on Suboxone through out my whole pregnancy then put on Methadone in just the last few weeks?

[cheekybabie]

Just to fill you in I was very addicted to Oxycodone, I used it recreationally, snorting a couple 30 mg "blues" a few times a day until I started losing all ways of means which resulted in scraping money together to get 1 or 2 of them and barely getting by, sometimes being in withdraw for 2 days before I got something. I was using to get by, not to get high. I was at my rock bottom and wanted help and by the grace of God my aunt, who wasn't on speaking terms with me, called me and offered to let me come work for her on a "trial basis" at the business her and my uncle own, if I did well she would let me work longer. She let me stay out in her house which was about 45 mins away from where I lived and when I told her I had a pill problem she took me to a fancy psychiatrist that prescribed me suboxone. I had to see him twice a month, at $125 a pop + cost of prescription and she took care of the bill. About a week after all this had started I started to realize I hadn't had a period in a while, which for me was always a common side effect of using those pills, but also that I was nauseous, which is also a side effect of being in withdraw and I often was before. Needless to say I found out I was pregnant about a week into my Suboxone treatment and found out much later then most women do, here it was 2 weeks into January and the last time I slept with my ex bf was October.. the psychiatrist wanted to keep my on the Suboxone explaining that it is very possible that I may still be on the Suboxone when I had the baby and he could be in withdraw. Even though I wanted to be off of it before he was born, the Dr. did not want me to stress it and said we would do a steady taper, basically he would give me my 2 weeks of meds and I would decide if I wanted to take less. If I did but felt withdraw then there would be extra to compensate. The doctor made no big deal to me at all that I was on Suboxone he made me feel like it was very common when I started doing research and reading that Methadone was tested and safe for pregnancy and there was no certainty about Suboxone  it threw me off but I still trusted in my doctor. I was pushing myself pretty hard to take as little as possible so I could reach my goal of being off before labor. Eventually things started going sour with my aunt who suddenly couldn't afford to send me to see the Dr anymore, and since she was paying me so little ($150 a wk for full time) I couldn't afford him not with a baby on the way, I had to use my Medicaid and go to a methadone clinic, I tried everything and this was a last resort, so at 33 weeks pregnant and being on Suboxone for 20 weeks or so, they put me on a very small dose of Methadone to match what I was taking in Suboxone, I was down to 2 mg of Suboxone and they started me at 8 mg of Methadone which made me feel withdraw so I eventually got up to 11 mg. And I am now 37 wks. Basically I've been getting scared that I've done the wrong thing. I don't feel as good on the Methadone as I did the Suboxone, sometimes I feel slight withdraw but really don't want to ask to be put on anymore... anyways, if anyone has stories of their own or can give me any info from personal experience or just what they know about this type of thing, any comments are very appreciated!

[cheekybabie]

Yes I am scared, although I see a lot of pregnant women in the clinic so I know it is ok for a baby to be born on methadone, I just don't know if my situation is right.. I am expecting him anytime now, he is due July 18th but i am already dilated.. and he moves a lot!! And I have made my OB aware of this from the beginning, so I am categorized as "high risk patient"
I just really want to be off of this stuff for good and not need to rely on any drugs anymore.. do you think it will really take 6 months for me to detox of these 11 mg of methadone? Ive only been on them for like 6 weeks...

[gnarly_1]

HI Welcome to the forum my advise is look up what we have on record go to the top of this page you will see a box marked search/....put something like pregnant and on methadone in the box and hit search button it will bring up old post for you to read try various tytles I think you will find what your looking for good luvck and it is safe to have a baby on methadone and as low of dos your on he/she may not have any side effects good luck to you and your baby.......God bless......Gnarly

[Sharun49er]

Hello, I bet you are so scared, I know I would be. When is your baby due? I hope he/she is okay. Is the baby kicking good?

[vicki595]

Hi!  Wow!  It's obvious you've been trying very hard!  Is you OB aware of all this? How are you feeling?