so i am 31 weeks along and in the hospital because of contractions. i been here since monday nd probly will be the rest of my pregnancy. from the very beginning i been having back pains that kept getting worse. at about 3 months they prescribed me to 500 mg vicodin, 1 every 4 hours. now that im in the hospital they give me 2 every 6 hours. i cant help but feel like my babies might come out addicted because i feel addicted. i cant stand the pain when i dont have them. but the doctors dont seem to care much at all about giving them out n when i complain about my back the nurses just say oh ok u want more vicodin?.. has anyone else had this or something like this happen to them while u were pregnant, if so were ur babies ok?
The hospital I work in, uses the theory that if you are in pain, and take medication because your in pain, you won't become addicted. It's when you take meds for the use other than what they are prescribed for that addiction occurs. But I'm sorry, I'm not sure the risk of meds while pregnant...I would talk with your dr. about it. I hope you feel better soon...Congrats on getting to 31wks!
I'm taking paracetamol (same thing as Tylenol) with codeine (which, I *think* vicodin has codeine in it) right now for back spasms as well, and I have the same worry. about the babies, and I asked about it too, as I hate being dependent on anything! My doc explained two things to me. 1) With most prescription pain meds you have to be on them a really long time (like, over a year) in order to get physically addicted. And it doesn't sound to me as if you are in any danger of getting mentally addicted, as you are so aware of the possibility. As a pp said, you aren't taking them recreationally, or to forget your problems, or just cause you like the way they make you feel, you are taking them to treat genuine pain. 2) Any drug that ends in "eine" like codeine, morpheine, etc, is in and out of your system really, really fast. It's why they use them in pregnancy-they have very little time to cross the placenta, so the baby's exposure is very minimal. (This jogged my memory, and I realized: I've had morpheine injected IV before, when I blew my knee out, and been warned by ER nurses "This will only last like 20 minutes, so be prepared for it to wear off quick!") That being said, what I have found is that I can manage the pain by taking just half a dose. (I was prescribed 2 pills, I only take one) It may be worth asking to try to see if you can get by on a half dose, just enough to "take the edge off". I have a fairly decent pain tolerance, though, so don't try to be a hero. If it hurts, take the pill, Mama. So, I hope that helps put your mind at ease-I know it helped me not to worry so much once he explained those things to me. Good luck-hang in there! We're almost through it!
I've suffered from migraines most of my life and they are more frequent and the pain is more severe during pregnancy. I've taken vicodin with all of my pregnancies. My first two children are fine and were not dependant on vicodin at all. With this pregnancy I've had to take more vicodin than with the other two, and I have no worries about additions concerning the babies or myself. Lots of luck and best wishes. Congratulations on your twin pregnancy!
I had kidney stones with my first pregnancy and I was given morphine in the hospital and prescribed Vicodin for home use in case I had more and I was worried as well, not about addiction because I don't like taking meds unless I have unbearable pain, but about it affecting my baby. Both my doctors and my Mayo Clinic Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy book stated that Vicodin does not cross the placenta and is fine to use.
The only thing I would caution you about is the risk of constipation as a side effect. Make sure you're drinking more than is recommended and eating a good amount of fiber. You may want to ask about a stool softener too just to prevent any problems. But don't worry about the babies...being in constant pain is worse for your babies than the meds are!
