Discussions that mention methadone

its nothoing to be ashamed about.....im a 44 year old proffessional chef who became addicted to pharmecutical opiates and then bought them off the street eventually turning to heroin all the time being married,wife not knowing,two kids 9 and 12....i was a proffessional addict.....i lost everything....in the process of rebuilding my dignity...i tried bupenorphine,every method of quitting....now am on methadone....i wish i was on meth 5 years ago....honesty is the best policy.....youve got a problem.....a disease....seek some professional guidance....youve got a additional problem...your saddled with an addiction plus your pregnant......3 other kids who need a supportful parent in their life.....plus a good hubbie.....my wife was good too,but all of it blew her mind......if he loves ya hell understand..........your in my prayers....chef

Chef,
Is it easy to get on Methadone? How do I do it? I saw my doctor today, and I couldnt bring myself to admit to him what I was doing. I was so chicken. For some reason, I didnt want for him to look down on me, and I didnt want him to report me, and have my kids taken away from me. I just freaked out, and couldnt say a word, I just wanted to get out there as quickly as possible. I imagined me telling him, and him going "excuse me", and running to his office to call the CPS. Oh, and I guess I should mention too that he found that I had a tear in my placenta which has been causing me to bleed, and all the more reason why I couldnt tell him. Surely he would blame me for that. I blame me for that. He told me that I had to be on bed rest until I gave birth which is a long time from now. I cant imagine laying in bed for that long, and being bored, wanting to take more of the Norco to keep me sane. I wish there was something else I could take that isnt as harmful, but that would "feel" the same. Something I could transition to. Sobriety just doesnt seem like an option to me. On the other hand, since I will be on bed rest any ways, it may be the perfect time to withdrawel. I did do better today though. I cut down to 6. I'll try to cut down to 5 tomorrow. Maybe I CAN do this.

Why doesn't your doctor give you a daily dose of methadone. It's a valid treatment for opiod addiction.

Quote from savannahlee:

hi everyone, first off, I would like to say that I am very nervous about writing this about this for everyone to read. I am very ashamed of what I am doing, but I need to get this off my heart, and I need to see if anyone has been through the same thing, and if you can offer any advice. I am about 14 weeks pregnant right now. It was unplanned. Before I got pregnant, I was seeing a pain management specialist for a host of ailments, Scoliosis, Crohn's Disease, Rhematoid Arthritis, and there's more, but those are the most major ones. Any way, I was taking a ton of medications for these ailments, one of them was Norco, which is a strong form of Vicodin. I was prescribed 2 every 4 hours, but I took more, as they didnt seem to work anymore. I was at about 14 a day, and then one day, I learned that I was pregnant. It was bad news, because I was in the middle of going through all this treatment, and I was on so many meds. Needless to say, Ive stopped taking everything, except for the Norco. I just could NOT deal with the pain. I am being selfish I know, but I know I am just addicted. Ive tried to get off them many times, but after about a day, I feel like I am going to die, and I cant function in my house, and take care of my 3 other children. I am a stay at home mom, and I have a 10yr old, a 7yr old, and a 1 one year old. I am very busy with them, and with the usual household things to do for them and my husband, who is just WONDERFUL. My OB knows that I am on the Norco, he just doesnt know that I am still taking about 8 a day. I asked him what the effects are on the fetus, and he says that there arent enough tests done on this subject to say for sure. I guess I was looking for some kind of validation, or something. I feel terrible, I am a great mom to my other kids, I am with them all the time, Ilive for them and my husband. My family is my world. I am very blessed. I just feel like such a loser that I cant get off these pills even though I have a growing child in me. What kind of a person am I? I am very depressed about this, and I never thought that I would become this person. It's just so hard. I am just scared of the withdrawel, and I have actually become addicted to the way I can function when I am on them. Has anyone gone through this? Please dont respond with reprimands, or hate. I am punishing myself enough, believe me. I just want to hear that I can get through this, and it's happened before. Thanks.

Hi Savanna, I've read the bb's for a yr now but this is my first post. I felt compelled to write to you as I have been where you are. First of all, I want to tell you that Kayleighsmom's post was very frightening. I'm very sad for her situation but that does not mean it will happen to you. I used my entire pg, 15-20/day. I would have to say my child was born "addicted" but there where no noticable symptoms. I know for a fact that in CA, the state I live in, CPS cannot take your child(ren) away from you just b/c they test + at birth. There has to be some proof of harm like withdrawel symptoms that led to a seizure or orther harmful effects to the baby. Without revealing too much of myself, let me say that I have dealt with this personally in my profession and have sent many a +drug test baby home w/mom b/c the child had no untoward effects. Yes, CPS was notified and a home visit will be made, but the child or other children in the home where not removed. On the other issue, detoxification during pg is generally not recommended unless it is a very very slow taper. Methadone is harder for babies to detox from than heroine. It's the absolute worste. Heroine addicts are recommended to turn to this during pg b/c of the other risks associated w/needle use. This is not the case for you. Perhaps after delivery this is something you may want to consider as well as suboxone. I will write more to you but it is late now and I must go to bed. Good luck to you and stop beating yourself up over this. It's not the best situation to be in, but you are human, we make mistakes, you and your baby WILL get through this!
Leora

Quote from Leora:

Methadone is harder for babies to detox from than heroine. It's the absolute worste. Leora

That is not true.

Abusing heroin during pregnancy is dangerous to both the mother and the fetus. Methadone maintenance is the best way to help a pregnant woman to maintain a normal pregnancy. This treatment is not likely to affect the development and cognitive functioning of the baby. Sure there will be a detox period for the infant, but detox is mild compared to congenital abnormalities and/or brain damage from unsafe narcotics.

Quote from Katyana:

That is not true.

Abusing heroin during pregnancy is dangerous to both the mother and the fetus. Methadone maintenance is the best way to help a pregnant woman to maintain a normal pregnancy. This treatment is not likely to affect the development and cognitive functioning of the baby. Sure there will be a detox period for the infant, but detox is mild compared to congenital abnormalities and/or brain damage from unsafe narcotics.

As far as infants/fetal development are concerned, there is no such thing as safer vs unsafe narcotics. Heroine and methadone are almost identical in their effects on a developing baby. The effects are usually none as far as congenital abnormalities and brain damage go. Opiates have been proven to be non-tetrogenic to fetus's. Heroine and Methadone are both opiates. Heroine is considered safe in european countries and is given in a hospital setting for analgesia. The point I wished to make is that the methadone withdrawal period is very long and protracted because of it's enormous half-life. That's why for maintence it only requires 24hr dosing where short-acting opiates like norco require q4hr doses. For a baby, this makes the difference between a detox that lasts days compared to weeks. Infants do not tolerate it well. But the thinking that leads to methadone recommendation is that the other risky behaviours associated with heroine use like aids, hepC, non-standardized dosing, and behaviors associated with the aquisition of heroione(ie prostitution) are more risky to the fetus and mother than the protracted detox from methadone. I don't mean to argue, but if Savannah is going to make an educated choice regarding this, it's only proper to support it with evidence that can be backed up with research. If there is liturature that disagrees with this, I'd really like to see it.
Leora

I did alot of research on the possible complications due to narcotic usage during pregnancy. First of all my OB gave me the script of vicodin to use for headaches. Narcotics are the only drug known to be safe for pain during pregnancy. You can't even take motrin or migrain meds. I was worried about taking this at first, but my OB said as long as I don't "overdo it" that the baby would be fine. Being that I am an addict (didn't know at the time) I did overdo it. I didn't take alot, but I did take when I didn't need it for pain. Thats when i began researching because I was very paranoid that I was doing harm to my baby, but felt like I had no control over my problem. The only evidence of complications I found had to do with the baby going thru w/d's after birth. To get to this point you would have to be taking a # of pills. I only took 2-3 a day. My baby was perfectly fine and healthy and did not experience any w/d syptoms. I am not saying that savannah lee should continue using..of course the best thing for her and the baby would be to continue to taper and get off these things, but I know the fear she is enduring right now cause I have been there and I want her to be reassured that her baby will be fine and if her baby is not fine and does have an abnormality it is more then likely not caused from using opiates. However Savannah you don't want to always wonder if it did or not and feel that guilt. I don't think you need to turn to methadone. You are not taking enough to need it and put your baby thru the w/ds that come with methadone. I have seen it and its not pretty. Talk about feeling guilty. I am studying to be a nurse and have done alot of volunteer work in the post-partum wing. I have also seen these moms take their babys home after about two weeks when their babys can go home. I believe you would put your baby thru more by turning to methadone rather then staying at your 6 pills a day. Just my opinion. Obviously it sounds as though you are ready to kick this habit. I would definitely suggest doing your own research. I believe what you will find will put your mind at ease. The main reason why you need to get off these (me too) is so you can be the best mom to your new baby that is coming. We need to be happy, healthy and drug-free to do that!! I know you will get there!
Jenny

Hi all. I just wanted to say several things. First - I am glad you guys posted - you are making the right move toward trying to get off of hydrocodone. Let me tell you what I know.... I know that my mother smoked w/all three of us girls and we all were fine. We all weighed over 7lbs and were not considered underweight. I am a smoker and I have three children and I am also a recovering addict to lortabs.

I smoke a lot - bottom line. However, when I was preg with my first baby, my OB told me that I didn't have to quit, but just get down to 5 and under a day. Well, I didn't like this...so I found a new doctor because you see... I needed my ob to tell me I had to quit completely because if a doc told me I could smoke 5 or less, I was going to. I thought this was very bad so I found another doctor. Guess what? My new OB told me that I could smoke 5 or less cigs a day so I did. Sometimes I would smoke more, sometimes less... but I had three children that all weight 7lbs and over. My middle child weight 8 lbs. One thing I did do was ate ALOT because I was scared the baby wasn't getting the nutrients because I smoked but all of my babys were fine and don't get me wrong. I'm very thankful to God for this. I gained about 45 lbs w/all three pregnancies. I'm not sure if I would have gained this weight if I completely stopped smoking or not but that is my experience and I hope it has helped.

As far as the drugs go --- there is a lady on this board that was preg w/her 5th baby and was addicted to drugs (I think hydros) Anyway, the baby was born addicted and the hospital knew this... they called the department of children's services and they came in a took her baby away from her IN THE HOSPITAL. Then, several days later - they went and took her other four kids away and it had been 6 months since she had seen them. Her post is under the name Kayley'smom (I think that's how it was spelled) I would highly recommend that you get help immediately.

I was speaking to my doctor the other day and he said that basically, we were all protected as long as we are getting help - in some sort of a treatment program. I am on Suboxone (which you cannot take during pregnancy) but it's really helped me so keep that in the back of your mind after you have the babies and if you determine you cannot stay clean. You guys can do this if you really want to. You do not want you new born baby taken away and I know you don't want your children taken away that you already have. I'm not sure what they would do if the baby was addicted to methadone since that is a treatment program... I'm just not sure. But I can almost guarantee that taking methadone every day is better than abusing hydros. For the person that said they are down to 9 a day - I know you can do this. You are not getting a high and you are just worried about withdrawing and the wds just are not that bad. You will be sick for about 4 - 5 days and then the worst part is over.

Please consider doing something drastic to help yourself - even if that means a detox program to help you get clean and then hitting aa/na meetings about 5 times a week. You CAN do this.

The reason why this hits home to me so badly is because kayleysmom hurt so bad over her addiction and the fact that she lost all 5 of her children that she tried to kill herself and was in a coma for several days. Thank God she is o.k. now but 5 children almost lost their mother completely. At least now, they have a chance of her staying sober and them coming home. So, keep the cigs under 5 and please go get help. Maybe you can talk to your obgyn and see what he/she says? Just don't continue to abuse these meds. And don't think that you can take them until the 7th month and then decide to get help - get help NOW! You can do this.