Pregnancy and opiates

[Nibblenic]

Was just looking to chat to anyone on long term pain medication. Who will be taking it through pregnancy

I've come down from 10mg morphine to averaging 60mg dihydracodiene a day, sometimes less.

It's stressing me out tbh and I'm not seeing the ob till 12 week but very much aware the placenta has connected us.

Midwife told me not to stress and she has all sorts of women doing a hell of a lot worse through choice but it's still a worry.

Anyone else in a similar boat

 

[Amygdala]

Sorry, I can't relate but if I was in your position, I'd insist on seeing a consultant now. I'm sure the midwife sees women "doing worse" but you still want to manage your situation in the best possible way. Who prescribes your pain meds? Can you see them? I'd definitely talk to someone more qualified. While midwives do a wonderful and important job, they're not really best qualified to comment on (relatively unusual) medications during pregnancy.

 

[Rhiannon137]

^^^
What she said.

I don't have personal experience with this, but it's always a good idea to minimize the amount of medication you take during pregnancy. It's not always realistic to get it down to zero, but you want to be fully informed about the risks versus the benefits to make the decision that's best for you and your baby. I have severe allergies so I continue taking my antihistamine (that is PROBABLY) safe throughout pregnancy, but some women would not make the same decision.

I agree that the person who prescribes your pain meds is the one to talk to soon.

 

[crownest]

I'm no expert Im lucky I was able to come off all my meds the last by 24 weeks. The doctors can't say 100% any meds are safe I had different opinions with different doctors but it came down to your quality of life and how you can function. I know with opiates they like to come off them in 3rd trimester so the baby isn't born addicted otherwise they have to go through withdrawal.

 

[Nibblenic]

My Gp has written to the OB to ask about the drugs and use of a tens machine. Which is normally banned in early pregnancy, but works for me and could be an option, certainly will be from second tri.

It was a pain clinic consultant that moved me from the morphine to the dihydra codiene with a view to pregnancy

Ive read all the relevant re-search and the top and bottom of it is there is no real answers. As you will never know what a foetus/baby would have been like without the opiates, obviously they dont do controlled tests on pregnant women.

The 30mg a day is the bare minimum I can take and barely function means im basically flat on my back from about 2pm and awake during the night in pain. Luckily i dont have to work so I can do some serious pacing. I know im doing my best but its still praying on my mind

 

[crownest]

My Gp has written to the OB to ask about the drugs and use of a tens machine. Which is normally banned in early pregnancy, but works for me and could be an option, certainly will be from second tri.

It was a pain clinic consultant that moved me from the morphine to the dihydra codiene with a view to pregnancy

Ive read all the relevant re-search and the top and bottom of it is there is no real answers. As you will never know what a foetus/baby would have been like without the opiates, obviously they dont do controlled tests on pregnant women.

The 30mg a day is the bare minimum I can take and barely function means im basically flat on my back from about 2pm and awake during the night in pain. Luckily i dont have to work so I can do some serious pacing. I know im doing my best but its still praying on my mind

Your best is all you can do don't beat yourself up. Your getting doctors advice it's all you can do they will come up with a plan and tbh thevpain consultants will be the ones most up to date on the drugs yoyr using. People who don't suffer with chronic pain shouldnt judge it's not just having a pain.

 

[Nibblenic]

My Gp has written to the OB to ask about the drugs and use of a tens machine. Which is normally banned in early pregnancy, but works for me and could be an option, certainly will be from second tri.

It was a pain clinic consultant that moved me from the morphine to the dihydra codiene with a view to pregnancy

Ive read all the relevant re-search and the top and bottom of it is there is no real answers. As you will never know what a foetus/baby would have been like without the opiates, obviously they dont do controlled tests on pregnant women.

The 30mg a day is the bare minimum I can take and barely function means im basically flat on my back from about 2pm and awake during the night in pain. Luckily i dont have to work so I can do some serious pacing. I know im doing my best but its still praying on my mind

Your best is all you can do don't beat yourself up. Your getting doctors advice it's all you can do they will come up with a plan and tbh thevpain consultants will be the ones most up to date on the drugs yoyr using. People who don't suffer with chronic pain shouldnt judge it's not just having a pain.

Thank you. It's hard, last time my spine was in a far better condition, and I didn't take any pain meds till 3Rd tri. However my daughter still had respiratory depression after birth and had withdrawal. It wasn't great but she's generally fine now and was after the first week.

Just feel a bit alone in it all