Methadone withdrawal pregnancy
Common Questions and Answers about Methadone withdrawal pregnancy
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Most physicians have little to no experience with (or much knowledge of) methadone and how it works and especially methadone and pregnancy. A doctor must hold special licensing to prescribe methadone for opiate addiction, and have the appropriate opiate-substitution training to do so. Therefore, you may not always get the current or correct advice from a general physician or OB-GYN. Your methadone clinic can't steer you to an OB-GYN with the correct addiction training.
In the past, mothers on methadone have attempted to reduce their methadone dosage over the course of a pregnancy to spare the unborn child methadone withdrawal symptoms after birth.
I have a few articles about pregnancy on methadone and on Subutex at my blog, Suboxone Talk Zone-- just go there and search for the posts about pregnancy and you should find them. I agree with the prior comment-- we don't know of serious problems from opiates in neonates. The worst part will likely be the judgmental attitudes you will be given by the hospital staff. As for the withdrawal, there are a couple things to remember.
I took vicodein during my entire pregnancy for a fractured spine and pelvis and my baby had no withdrawal. Never stop opiates cold turkey in pregnancy and never miss a dose as withdrawal in utero CAN cause miscarriage or fetal death.
I feel very strongly that methadone is not the best choice for drug treatment during pregnancy. I am sure you want what is best for your baby and so do I. Methadone is an opiate, very long acting one and very addictive. You are still opiate dependent and if you continue to be on methadone through your pregnancy, your child will also be born opiate dependent. Your baby will be in withdrawals after birth and will have be spend time in the Neonatal ICU to go through those withdrawal.
I feel very strongly that methadone is not the best choice for drug treatment during pregnancy. I am sure you want what is best for your baby and so do I. Methadone is an opiate, very long acting one and very addictive. You are still opiate dependent and if you continue to be on methadone through your pregnancy, your child will also be born opiate dependent. Your baby will be in withdrawals after birth and will have be spend time in the Neonatal ICU to go through those withdrawal.
I returned to methadone as was best option during pregnancy.(fortunately baby had no withdrawal symptoms). Haven't used heroin for about 5 years but so scared of withdrawal, thought i would be on one of the above for life. Baby now 19mths & have been withdrawing slowly so can still fulfill parental (single). I am currently on 4mg and have conflicting info regarding what to do next.
Hey and welcome :) I will post some information below for you. Withdrawals can cause some issues so your going to want to make an appointment with an OB to discuss your options. Dont be afraid though...be honest with your doc and it will be fine. There are many pregnant women who come here with the same issue and it ends up fine so long as they go see a doc.
The fetus feels withdrawal symptoms during pregnancy. Short-acting opiates such as heroin cause fluctuating levels of opiates in the blood, ranging from high levels during intoxication to low levels a few hours later as the drug wears off and withdrawal symptoms start appearing. This fluctuation is tough on the unborn child.
http://www.healthystartfv.org/Doctors%20Info/Heroin-Detox%20Website%20-%20Opiates%20%20Pregnancy.
I believe everyone is different. I was on klonopin for 2 years and became pregnant and had to ween off of it. This was not hard. However I was unable to ween off subutex (not recommended because opiate withdrawal can be very dangerous for an unborn baby) and switched to methadone for my pregnancy which is the most studied and safest drug to take while pregnant.
It can be dangerous if not done under a doctors care who understands methadone. Most clinics you go to that get you started on methadone understand what to do when you are preg. Please understand that methadone is better than any street drug or narcotic drug(even if perscribed by a doctor. You really should not try to detox off anything while preg. Your body will go into withdraws which in turn will put alot of stress on the baby.
I feel very strongly that methadone is not the best choice for drug treatment during pregnancy. I am sure you want what is best for your baby and so do I. Methadone is an opiate, very long acting one and very addictive. You are still opiate dependent and if you continue to be on methadone through your pregnancy, your child will also be born opiate dependent. Your baby will be in withdrawals after birth and will have be spend time in the Neonatal ICU to go through those withdrawal.
I'm on methadone as well, this is my first pregnancy. Depending on the state you live in and the hospitals policy where you deliver, CPS might get called because you're on methadone... But as long as you're clean and doing everything right they probably won't even follow up with a report... Just a heads up.
Stopping methadone in any way causes withdrawal symtoms in the mother and the baby. During the first trimester this makes having a miscariage much more likely and in the 3rd it makes premature birth and stillbirth much more likely. In the 2nd trimester there is less risk but its still there and methadone causes some of the worst withdrawal of any medication and not only is the mother's body stressed but he baby goes through it as well..
ve got methadone to begin with but my withdrawal from roxys was a hard one and I got very scared when I started cramping, fearing I was causing my body to miscarry. I just want to do the right thing but safely.
I am pregnant with my 4th child and I'm on Methadone this is my 2nd pregnancy on Methadone my 1st pregnancy was ok on it however when I delivered my daughter didn't have any withdrawals but the doctor insisted I breastfeed after 2 weeks of breastfeeding my baby wouldn't latch good so I went to formula and 3 days later she had withdrawals so bad she was in ICU for 2 weeks being detoxed with opium. If I wouldn't have breast fed she wouldn't have had withdrawals.
I thought methadone was the only safe drug while pregnant? All doctors I know switch pregnant women to methadone from subs if possible. Maybe I'm wrong? So your dr is keeping you on the subs? I've never heard of a pregnancy on subs only methadone pregnancies. I'm curious as well. Good luck hun!
Staying on your methadone will also ensure that you do not relapse on whatever it was you were taking to get you on methadone in the first place and that you are comfortable and withdrawal free during your pregnancy.
Women who are on methadone and feel they need it and also want to have children decide to get pregnant and have healthy babies on it every year.
my daughter is 33yrs old and was arrest on 8/27/08. At the time of her arrest she was on daily methadone (110mg). since they don't give methadone in jail she was forced into cold turkey withdrawal. Last thur4day she was sent to a mental health faciltiy because she is seeing things and hears voices. Please can anyone tell me is this somtimes part of the withdrawal or has she possible lost her mind.
So now my choices are to terminate or I can keep the baby and go into rehab Monday where they will dose me on methadone daily and keep an eye on me and this pregnancy. Then once the baby is born I will be admitted into detox. I'm lost right now and could use some advice. I have a2 year old right now and I just don't know what to do.
This means that it is not known whether buprenorphine and naloxone will be harmful to an unborn baby. Use of buprenorphine and naloxone during pregnancy may cause withdrawal symptoms in a newborn baby. Do not take buprenorphine and naloxone if you are pregnant or could become pregnant during treatment.
Contrary to what you may have heard methadone is not safe during pregnancy, it is actually more dangerous to a baby than heroin. I am not sure why doctors prescribe it but they shouldn't.
I am also 9 months pregnant and taking suboxone. My doctor told me the baby might go through whithdrawls but Im beeter on suboxone than taking other drugs. The withdrawls won't be as bad as methadone or any other drug, Just make sure you tell your doctors and nurses in the delivery room because they will have to have oxygen ready. I'll let you know if I have any problems. My due date is March 24. Good Luck!
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