Pregnant and Addicted :(

[Kalli36]

I am 24 weeks pregnant and am batteling with an opiot addicion! Over the past 2 years I developed a perocet addiction and it got WAY out of hand! I have kept it a secret from everybody because i was to embarased that i continued use while pregnant! my doctor perscribed me a low dose for back pain so even tho i took way more then perscribed i convinced myself it was okay since they came from the doctor to begin with. i tried to 2 quit cold turkey over the past 2 days and have had non stop dirreah, shaking, leg pains, cant sleep so irritable and nausea! i just took 3 today to stop all the pain as im terrified if its doing this to me what it must be doing to my baby! i cant believe im in this mess and dont know what to do! Will it harm my baby for me to quit cold turkey because if it doesnt i will endure the pain! Im also scared if  tell my doctor she will take away my baby i dont know what to do>? I kept telling myself i could quit and i would do it once i found out im pregnant and now im 24 weeks tomorrow and still havent stopped... .

[newmommie17]

I am having the same problems u are i am 21 weeks and been doing them for like 2 years and i stopped for like a month then started back up..i keep it a secrect as well and i am not sure what i should do i really havent tryed stoping i slowed down alot but i can go a day or 2 without taking it but i get headaches and hav no motivation and get real aggravated im not sure either if stopping cold turkey will harm the baby but i definatly heard withinur 7 months to stop because the baby will go thru withdrawls and hav to stay in the hospital..im not sure what to do i need help as well with this one

[Julia M Aharonov, DO]

Kalli, you must realize that you are not the only one in this predicament. We get this question on this forum over and over again from wonderful caring women who want to have healthy babies. You must talk to your OB/GYN.  I can not promise you that they will not report you,  but they should not, especially  if they see that you are concerned and are cooperating and working with them, everything is confidential.  They treat many women in exactly the same situation and will be able to refer you to a physician who will most likely put you on a medication called Suboxone or Subutex and will over a few months taper you if you will need it. However if you are not on such a high dose of opiates  you might be able to just slowly taper it off by yourself, so that your baby will withdraw slowly with you without any problems. By tapering I mean cutting the dose and prolonging the time between doses until you only take at night, then none.
Hopefully before your delivery, you will be drug free and happily looking toward bonding with and nursing a healthy baby.  You need to quit smoking as well (if you do), because it leads to decreased baby weight and higher incidence of early labor.  Please see you doctor ASAP.  If you feel that you can not be open and honest with him/her, then find another one. May be this is not the right OB for you if you can not trust him/her enough to talk about such an important issue. Good luck to you and your growing family. You must take care of yourself for your baby.
P.S. Please read my blog on Preganancy and Addiction