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QUESTION:
I ma 30 years old, very fit however have been dealing with
chronic neck pain/backpain for 3 years due to old job incident. I want
to begin having children, but fear birth defects because I will need to
use vicodin during the flare ups. During the flare ups I typically use
1 vicodin, 500 mg a day. I am worried about causing birth defects, or
long term problems to the bay. Can anyone advise me, or has had
experience in this area and tell me how it affected your baby. I am
trying to educate myself and fining it hard to find any guidance in
this area. I really appreciate any stories, and/or advise. I also take
Lunesta during the flare ups to sleep, can anyone reccomend sleep aides
during pregnancy?
ANSWER:
We had a thread on this within the last week, so you may be able to find
some info and opinions in some earlier posts.
As far as I know (and being the wrong sex to ask an OB/GYN) there is very
little risk to taking Vicodin occasionally during pregnancy. And it would
not shock me if there is some minor issue, it would be with the
acetaminophen rather than the (narcotic) hydrocodone. Some stone cold
junkies have brought some beautiful kids in to this world, their only defect
being born with a drug habit. The little ones have to go through a few first
days of misery as they withdrawal from mom's selfishness and may be a little
small, but we are talking hardcore junkie mothers.
Talk it over with your docs for reassurance, but if you aren't physically
dependent on Vicodin, it should not be passed on. It is passed on through
milk, so you may want to consider something else for the lil ones lunch if
your back acts up.
If you're planning a pregnancy, you need to find a doctor who's familiar
with using hydrocodone/apap during pregnancy. Also have a full physical and
don't forget the folic acid (neural tube defects)
Using only 1 Vicodin (5mg/500mg) a day is very low when it comes to using
meds for pain. Does this cover your pain or is 1 Vicodin every day all your
doctor allows?
Lunesta is similar to melatonin.... if you can't use Lunesta, there are
always anti-histamines (benedryl, atarax, etc) that may be safe.
I found during pregnancy (my 2nd one), I felt great. I was horribly sick
with my 1st child. I flared after having my 1st... my children are 20
months apart and I was officially diagnosed while pregnant with my 2nd.
If you think you have back pain now, talk to some woman who have gone
through a full-term pregnancy.
While the jury is out on what will & will not cause harm to babies and
plenty of smokers, drunks & junkies have had what appear to be healthy
babies, others have had ones plagued with low birth weights, various
birth defects, learning disabilities & the likes.
All & all if you are unable to abstain from all substances during a
pregnancy you might want to reconsider. Additionally the raising for
rug rascals is not an easy job which causes more then just minor aches
& pains in perfectly healthy women so another question you have to
seriously ask yourself is can you keep up.
in the final analysis the decision is yours, just make sure it is a
fully informed one by reading as much as you can on the subject and
soliciting information from experts such as your OB/GYN.
although I favor a "pure" system for pregnancy, I don't see any harm in
taking Vicodin. I'm not that familiar with Tylenol, but hydrocodone is
pretty close to its opium flower source. That makes it quite natural and
well tolerated. Of course you don't want to take chronically high doses
shortly before delivery as your youngster may be born into a world of
withdrawl. But that takes some real abuse level self medicating and you
don't sound like the type AT ALL.
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