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slipped dic and pregnancy
What pain meds can I use for chronic pain during pregnancy. Of course I will talk to a Doctor before I get pregnant, so please don't say go to your doctor. I would like to know specific medications that have been prescribed to patients who are pregnant with nerve pain? ( slipped disc )
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PS-I read your profile and you MOST definitely have chronic pain. Chronic pain is any pain lasting for more than 3 months. Your doctor should get you a referral to pain management asap! Good luck with the ESI. I've had a ton of them. If you have questions about that too..ask away.
I responded to your post in the PM community, but I wanted to respond here as well in case anyone comes across the later and needs information.
I have a link to some very good research on my MedHelp profile that deals with the different pain medications and the effect they have on the baby during pregnancy and after birth. I have done a lot of research into the subject of Pain Management and Pregnancy as I am dealing with this myself and there is very little info available on the subject as it is considered somewhat unethical to do human studies. From what I have found there are a number of medications that are safe in pregnancy and not known to cause side effects. That being said, there is so little research that many doctors are not informed on what is safe.
Losing is absolutely right about the medications that are prescribed and not taking them in the first trimester.
It's always a good idea to assemble a team of doctors before you start trying as it is difficult to find a doctor who will prescribe opiate therapy to pregnant women when you are already pregnant. It will also take a lot of stress out of the equation when you do become pregnant and anything you can take care of before becoming pregnant to reduce the stress while you are pregnant is worth it.
I wish you the best with your doctors and your journey to become pregnant. It's not impossible to become pregnant when dealing with Chronic Pain. It can be more of a challenge than a "normal" pregnancy, but it's all worth it in the end.
I have a link to some very good research on my MedHelp profile that deals with the different pain medications and the effect they have on the baby during pregnancy and after birth. I have done a lot of research into the subject of Pain Management and Pregnancy as I am dealing with this myself and there is very little info available on the subject as it is considered somewhat unethical to do human studies. From what I have found there are a number of medications that are safe in pregnancy and not known to cause side effects. That being said, there is so little research that many doctors are not informed on what is safe.
Losing is absolutely right about the medications that are prescribed and not taking them in the first trimester.
It's always a good idea to assemble a team of doctors before you start trying as it is difficult to find a doctor who will prescribe opiate therapy to pregnant women when you are already pregnant. It will also take a lot of stress out of the equation when you do become pregnant and anything you can take care of before becoming pregnant to reduce the stress while you are pregnant is worth it.
I wish you the best with your doctors and your journey to become pregnant. It's not impossible to become pregnant when dealing with Chronic Pain. It can be more of a challenge than a "normal" pregnancy, but it's all worth it in the end.
Hydrocodone, lortab, percocet and vicodin are all routinely prescribed but most medications should be avoided if at all possible during the first trimester as this is when the baby is doing most of it's development.
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I have severe chronic pain and I met with a maternal fetal specialist/high risk OB before trying to conceive. I was on morphine, methadone and a few other nerve meds. and I also have a spinal cord stimulator. He said the methadone is best if a patient needs to stay on pain meds while pregnant because there is a lot of research that has evaluated its effects on fetal development and long term effects (often because of mothers who are on methadone maintenance therapy for addiction during pregnancy). He said the morphine is ok too..but that there isn't as much research out there on it. I came off all the morphine and cut my methadone down by a 1/2. He explained that mothers who take pain meds while pregnant may have babies who are born habituated to the substance but it is very dose dependent. The treatment for this is the baby to be in the NICU while he or she is weaned off the substance. Apparently, the dose I was on at the time we met (120 mgs of methadone/24 hours) had about a 50-60% chance of causing habituation in a newborn. Now I am on 60 mgs of methadone a day. I did have to stop taking ativan (which I took for sleep) and I had to stop taking nortriptyline (for nerve pain). The nortriptyline, especially, can interfere with limb development.
My pain is also caused by ruptured discs. I have disc problems from L1-S1 (all 4 levels) and have had 3 surgeries with no luck.
I should tell you that acupuncture has really helped me. You do have to go consistently...but you may want to think about it. Maybe a combo of pain meds and acupuncture could help you like it has helped me.
Message me if you have questions!