Answers ASAP on Addiction while pregnant!!

[ashalina]

Hey everyone If someone could PLEASE help me with the questions I have! So I am about 23 weeks pregnant now and I have an addiction to percocets, It started when I got in2 an accident and I was prescribed them, when I was done with the script, I had gotten more from friends, street etc, and took long enough to actually see how i was without it. I didnt mean to get addicted and I wish so much that I never would have =( Now I didnt find out I was pregnant till the begging of my 2nd trimester and I told my obgyn as soon as I had my 1st appt with him. At that time I had heard from friends 2 wien myself off my taking suboxene , so thats what I did, I bought those of the street and was told how 2 do it by somebody who has actually been 2 a rehap b4 so i figured it would def have helped me, but when i finally got off the suboxene and weined myself off about 2 weeks later, I still felt like wen they wore off I was feeling just miserable & body was achin n withdrawls were back , so i gave in again! My doctor in the meantime knew  everything because i was completely honest w him and he had made me an appt with a psychiatrist or therapist? one of those, well i waited 2weeks 4 the appt and waited 2 hrs in the waiting room, 2 get there to have the lady tell me she doesn't even see or treat preggo women!! All I could do is cry! I tried 2 explain to her bout the suboxen n she was just saying there was nothing she could do! So i got some numbers for the methadone clinic and other places that help ppl who r addicted but yet again noone will help a pregnant women, So I told my doctor and he was still trying 2 figure out what 2 do. In the meantime he still knows what I am going through. Not to mention I do not get a script so I have 2 constantly get the percocets and be in the fear of knowing Idk what could happen to my baby, this baby is going to be my world and all I want is to be off and have a health baby!  At this point I feel like i am lost and stuck I feel like I have no options??? Can somebody please give me any advice or any information that they know of ! I am so scared !! Thank You so much!!!

[hmf099]

Ok, the good news first. I'm in Michigan so it may be different there, but I have seen many friends go through pregnancy on pain pills (usually prescribed by their OB, some not), who had very healthy, normal babies. My one former friend who's the most recent is an addict, and was taking around 7-11 vicodin 750's a day through most of the pregnancy, she got in a car accident right before she found out she was pregnant so her ob was prescribing her 5 a day and she was buying the rest. Even though she was taking even more while breast-feeding, she has a healthy 6 month old today. They did have to wean him with morphine in the hospital when she quit breast-feeding, but they thought it was because of what the doctor gave her so she had no problems. I have many stories similar to this.  

Now I don't want to offend you, but it seems either there's something your not telling us, or you have the worlds worst doctor. I just can't picture an OB knowing you are self medicating and giving you no other information besides "it's dangerous to quit cold turkey". I'm not at all saying your lying or anything, I just think it seems like somethings missing. That missing thing could just be the right doctor. I would call the office asap and ask for the numbers to some high risk OBs in your area. Considering your position you would be a high risk patient. It is dangerous to quit cold turkey, but you need to figure out EXACTLY how much you are taking so when you do find the right help you can give them the right information so they can help you properly, especially if your going on a maintenance drug like methadone. The reasons your finding it so hard to find help yourself is probably because a lot of doctors don't want to be held liable if things didn't go to as planned in labor and delivery. They don't want to risk getting sued. I have ocd and anxiety disorder and some psychiatrists didn't want to see me when I was pregnant for that reason. I know nothing about methadone and pregnancy so I can't say anything about that.  Has your doctor given you any other advice, maybe options you didn't like or something?  I have seen OBs safely taper expectant moms down to a lesser dose so your doctor should be able to help you with that or recommend someone who can. I would tell him I want to taper, what should I do, and see what he says. I was in an inpatient program that had a 1-3 month program for pregnant women that didn't use methadone or subs, but I'm sure they're hard to come by. This one was run by the Salvation Army, maybe you could get in touch with them in your area and see if they have that in your area? There are two here in metro Detroit. I hope you get more answers and the help you need. Please keep posting with updates.

[hiddenme]

Have u asked your doctor to refer you to a high risk obgyn? I could be wrong but I thought they deal with situation such as yours. There has to be a taper plan...I'm sure there are many other women who find themselves in this situation. I would call every practice until u find one that can help u. Good luck!

[ashalina]

Well my appt is in 2 weeks i believe? Did i say today? Sorry! But also there is one place I wanted to tell u about that i just heard of ! Its in Baltimore its called - John Hopkins Hospital and they have a pregnant detox section I think? Supposedly they put u on methadone while your there to ween u off the addiction and then u stay I believe for about 7days and they monitor the baby, and basically ween u off the pills. Now the only thing I'm worried about is the methadone! I mean Ive heard worse about that stuff then pills, I feel like I didn't want to just be put on it when I don't know much about it. But I heard it does work, I'm just nervous ya know? But I mean technically if this place is good then it must be, because seems like this is the only option I have actually found, So I'm guessing if methadone was bad they wouldn't be using that for the place to get pregnant ppl off the pills u know? Just wanted to get your opinion on it as well, since your helping me so much!! And it really means a lot, I appreciate it so much!

But yes whatever information you can find or seem to find would be 110% appreciated!!

& I also cant seem to understand how that is the ONLY thing I have heard of, I feel like is methadone really the only way? There has to be other options!!

Also when you look info up can u check out this place & let me know your opinion and advice on it !! Please!! I believe this is the link! Thank you

http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/psychiatry/bayview/clinical_services/substance_abuse/center_addiction_pregnancy.html

[tgtiffany]

Now I know what state you live in I can try to look up some stuff tonight and perhaps post it tomorrow if not tonight.  I think you need to TELL your doctor what you want.  TELL him you want to be put in the hospital and detox before the baby comes.  He probably hasn't been in this situation very often, if at all before and doesn't know what to do either.  Or ask him if he has any sort of plan for you?  If he won't send you to the hospital to be admitted I would go there myself.  I would just go to labor and delivery and tell them what's happening and tell them what you want and see what they can do for you.  Be HONEST as you have been with us.  If they won't help you at all then we will figure out something else to do.  I'm sure they will be able to point you somewhere though, as they probably have dealt with this situation a lot more then a single doctor has.  Let me know how your appt goes today okay?  

[ashalina]

Its not that I dont care what im taking but some days are different then others ya kno? So some days can be 90 mg in total other days can b more or less, and honestly I am only takin somethng when withdrawls start to happen. Its just all making me so overwhelmed because I am jsut getting scared, I want nothing but the best for my babygirl and I feel like when I go to the docs even after I told him EVERYTHING like I said in my previous posts he just doesnt seem to bring it up & just tells me eerything is perfect, which of course I am happy w/ that - but like idk if ppl usually dont want help but I DO! My last appt was so quick & busy and had 2 rush so my next appt is going to be an hr, I have said I really need to get some extra time to talk to him - Wen i had first told him in the beggining he had also askd if i was gonna breastfeed & I said no, bcus of the pills I didnt think it would b a good idea and he was like yes u can u will be off them by then! So that had gave me hope, but its like how does he expect me to be off if he isent makin any effort to help me? I thought he was supposed 2 , it kinda feels like its no big deal , idk maybe im wrong, but the one thing he did tell me was to NOT go cold turkey because putting the baby through withdrawals is worse!! I hate living my life this way, I have to constantly spend money to buy them, always worried bout the next day and hoping im gonna be able 2 get them, so its like theres so many negative things, i just want HELP ASAP. I just want to get the hell off of them & feel NORMAL & FREE again! I dont understand why its so hard and so much to ask for?? I dont know what I can do!? I am 24weeks now and i feel liek time is closer I WANT to be off so that god for bid my child goes thro it, or they try to take her. I feel like I have been doing everything I am supposed to, i know i have a problem, ive been asking for help, I want help, I want to better myself for myself & my babygirl !! But I feel like im getting Nowhere, its just such a hopeless feeling!! =( Thank u all though

Also I live in Maryland! & yes im takin my vitamins! & you are so right, its like nowhere helps pregnant woman. I couldnt believe it though! Like wouldnt it be more important to help and treat a pregnant woman? Even my doctor said that, bcus he had sent me to this psychiatrist in the beginning and I waited for my appt forever then waited for 2hrs in waiting room & I get there & she says she doesn't even see pregnant women so she doesn't know y he sent me there? So I'm like WTF like all that waste of time we coulda been looking somewhere else - ya know?

Well, If any one can tell me what my options are? And if there is somewhere that will help me in the right way? I sure hope there is, I been praying every night I will be able to find something!

[tgtiffany]

I think that you should figure out exactly what you are taking.  If you tell someone "oh I don't know, some of this and some of that"  They are more likely to not ....I don't even know how to explain this, but majoring in social work, and if I heard someone tell me that I'd feel as if they didn't really care how much they were taking, as if it didn't matter much to them.  And it obviously does matter to you enough to ask for help at least.  Also, it will be helpful in knowing how to taper down.  Figure out the amount though.  What state do you live in?  Haven't been to your profile yet, I will try to look up some things tomorrow for you.  I think you should try to start taking a little less each day, even if you take like 1/4 less of ONE pill that you are taking it will help.  Again, not a doctor, so I can't tell you exactly, just as GMcp said.  I will try to find you some helpful information tomorrow though, as I used to work online finding stuff like that.  Are you taking your pre-natal vitamins?  Make sure you take those, because they will help the baby a lot more than you think.  And make sure that you are eating super healthy and not a lot of junk food.  The baby will have a hard enough time as it is that he/she doesn't need other junk and stuff in their system too.  Even if you don't feel like eating, eat anyway!  I'll message you or post tomorrow hopefully, perhaps the next day with any info I've found.  (Would look it up right now but gotta take care of the little ones at the moment)  In the meantime I would call whatever is equivelent to information in your state, here for helpful numbers and stuff it's 211, but that's Texas.  I'm sure you can get help from someone somewhere, they can't just not treat you because you are too far along, if so it's like they are just ignoring the situation and letting the baby get hurt anyway.  I know some places have those policies though for liability reasons.  Good luck