Chronic Pain

quote:

Originally posted by IceCreamGoddess:
Heather,

My pain doc was OK with me staying on the patch of I wanted to, but I chose not to (personal decision). I figured I'd try it without and if I needed to go back I could, and I didn't need to. I really hope you find a pain doctor that is commited to helping you through this. I would also try and see a maternal and fetal medicine specialist.. usually they only see high risk pregnancy patients, but b/c I am a chronic pain patient I was considered sort of "high risk" and got to go see one of these docs. It put my mind at ease about everything I was on, what I could do and couldn't do, etc.. it was fabulous. I was lucky that if my pain doc or OB/GYN didn't know the answer they would find it for me by referring me to someone who did. Hang in there.. there IS a way. There is no reason why you can't take some medication, it's just a matter of getting the safest ones at the lowest doses possible for you. Remember, most websites or medication info will tell you not to take while pregnant and it usually is simply a case where not enough research has been done to tell you otherwise, so they take the safe road, which is great, and advise women who are pg to stay off meds. However, educated doctors will be able to tell you which meds are indeed clearly unsafe (with research to back it) and which meds are just too new, etc. to know.

Feel free to message me anytime if you need support.. I just went though this. I'm not a doctor but I'll be happy to share my experience with you. My daughter is now almost three months old and she is healthy as can be!!

Best,
Nicole

Awe, that is so sweet. I thank you so much for giving me this 411. I am seeing my pain doctor tomorrow and I am bringing your post with me. LOL. I am going to do a little more research tonight and figure some stuff out. I will let you know how everything turns out.

Thanks again,
Heather

Yes, let me know how it goes!!

As for trying to email me, anyone should be able to do private messages on the forum. If you go to my Shareposts, I know you can get to a link from there. Or you can email me at luv2laugh06@sbcglobal.net Sometimes I don't get to check this board as often as I like to with the baby dictating my schedule, so try the other email if you want to!! I'm happy to chat with you about my experience, offer support, etc..!

quote:

Originally posted by Thankful-for-my-many-blessings:
Hi, Nicole. Congrats on your healthy baby!

I would love to talk with you. I tried to get your email address to write you in private. I didn't have access. I'm scared to death about all of this. I'd love to talk to you and see what pain meds you found to be the safest during pregnancy. I just need some reassurance from someone that has been there done that.

Thank you in advance!
Stacie

Stacie,

I tried to Private Message you also and can't seem to do it... not sure why. Email me at Luv2Laugh06@sbcglobal.net

I'm happy to give you reassurance!! I know how incredibly scary it is... Talk to you soon!

Nicole

I found this site while researching chronic pain and pregnancy. We need help. I have been dealing with chronic pain for about 12 years. For the last 5 I have been taking ultram. We want very much to have a baby but my doctor has told me that I have to stop the medication for at least a full cycle before we even try to get pregnant. I am down to 1-2 pills a day (from 5-6) but I can't seem to get past that. I am sure you all know what this feels like. If I stop all together, I don't sleep, can't sit still, can't feel comfortable, cry all the time, and just HURT. I can't imagine doing this for however long it takes to GET pregnant, then for 9 1/2 months plus nursing as well. Adding to that, I can't imagine wanting to MAKE the baby when I feel like this! I don't know what to do. I am switching doctors because my previous one has not been very helpful or even sympathetic. But my appointment isn't for another 3 weeks. I guess what we need is to know what other people have done about chronic pain. What methods are safe? Affordable? what WORKS? We want a baby so badly but cost seems very high at 5:00 in the morning when I haven't been able to fall asleep for more than 15 minutes at a stretch. Thanks for reading this, even if no one has any advice.

Kaylaura,

I wish I could give you information based on personal experience, but thankfully my chronic pain problems (fibromyalgia) didn't develop until my children were grown. However, Nicole (aka IceCreamGoddess) has recently had a baby and has posted a lot of good info throughout this message board topic. If you haven't already, be sure to read all pages in this topic.

If I remember correctly, Nicole is out of town right now for a few weeks, but I'm sure she will respond to your questions when she returns. In the meantime, I think her suggestion of finding an obstetrician who specializes in high-risk pregnancies is an excellent one. He/she should be able to work with you to find the best medication to help you with the pain with the least risk to the baby.

If you would like to check the safety of any particular medication during pregnancy or while breastfeeding, go to Epocrates.com Sroll down until you find the heading "Safety Monitoring."

I wish you the best.

Hi there!

Yes, I've been out of town for a few weeks, and then had a medical procedure and have been down and out! I'm bouncing back now though.

KayLaura, If you want to email me privately you're welcome to: Luv2Laugh06@sbcglobal.net

I also have written some stories on my shareposts about my experiences. I hope I can help you in whatever way possible. It's a tough road to be pregnant with chronic pain, but definately doable! My teething, laughing, rolling over, healthy, beautiful, amazing baby girl is proof! LOL.

Sincerely,
Nicole

I am new here and would like to talk to women that suffer from Chronic pain and are trying to get pregant. I have been in chronic pain for 14 years. I have had two back surgiers. My neuorologist put me on Lyrica in Jan. My OB/GYN wants to start IUI in July. My Ob told me to stop taking all my meds. I called my neuorologist and asked them if I could take something else. I received a very nasty message from his nurse. She told me to not get pregnant and that if I felt I needed to have a baby to adopt. I cried so hard that night after getting this on my voicemail. My Neuoroligst won't see me anymore cause I want to get pregant. My OB just says I can't be on any meds. I love my OB they do high risk pregnancy. My doctor is on vacation for two weeks. I have been off my Lyrica this week until yesterday when I couldn't take the pain anymore so I had to start taking it again. I have not been sleeping this week and was feeling awful. I would love to talk with anyone about what I am going through. Dr's can be so mean. I don't want to give up my dream of having a baby. I'm 27 years old too.

Thank you so much,
Aislyn

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Stacy,

I would like to talk to anyone that is either preganant or has had a baby with chronic pain. My husband and I want to have a baby. I've been in chronic pain for 14 years. My Neurologist says NO that I can not and should not have a baby. MY OBGYN says Yes that I just have to be off my pain med. Well I didn't make if off the pain med for a week and the pain was so bad I had to start taking it again. My OBGYN is on vacation so am waiting for a call from him next week. My Neurologist won't have anything more to do with me. I have had two back surgeries and had a spinal fusion. My OBGYN want's to start insemination next month to get me pregnant but only if I'm off the pain med. I just need someone to talk to that understands. The dr's don't seem to understand chronic pain.

Thank you,
Aislyn

Please e-mail me at jspencer81@sc.rr.com if anyone wants to chat.

Thank you,
Aislyn

quote:

Originally posted by Aislyn:
I would like to talk to anyone that is either preganant or has had a baby with chronic pain. My husband and I want to have a baby. I've been in chronic pain for 14 years. My Neurologist says NO that I can not and should not have a baby. MY OBGYN says Yes that I just have to be off my pain med. Well I didn't make if off the pain med for a week and the pain was so bad I had to start taking it again. My OBGYN is on vacation so am waiting for a call from him next week. My Neurologist won't have anything more to do with me. I have had two back surgeries and had a spinal fusion. My OBGYN want's to start insemination next month to get me pregnant but only if I'm off the pain med. I just need someone to talk to that understands. The dr's don't seem to understand chronic pain.

Thank you,
Aislyn

Aislyn,

I have RSD, a non-curable nerve disorder, and I am 14 weeks pregnant. I was advised against pregnancy also. I believe doctors think that they always know what's best for you.

I am unsure of what your condition is, but you need to be the judge. I am 26 years old and had a surprising pregnancy. I decided to have it during the time in my life where my RSD was horrific.

I quit all my meds besides the Duragesic pain patch 75mg. I stopped Valium, Klonopin, Morphine, and Topomax. I had to be on some sort of pain med and my OB and pain doctor were okay with it. This was a Blessing for me.

If you want some advice as far as pregnancy goes so far is that it is TOUGH. The 1st 3 months were awful for me. They may be different for you. But, going into the 4th month, I have my energy back and the morning sickness has calmed down.

You just need to know yourself better than anyone else, find a good pain doctor and OB that will work together, and it will make life a little easier.

I wish you the best and hope that you are in as little pain and get all that you want in life.

Hugz,
Heather

My husband has always been very supportive when it comes to my chronic pain. However, now that we are talking about getting pregnant, he is nervous. He doesn't want to see me in more pain. He also is worried how I'm going to lug around a baby, a car seat, a stroller, etc. with chronic back pain. My meds are very minor right now, and I've told him that I'm willing to take a chance for the opportunity to raise children. Does anyone have any advice on how to reassure my husband? I know it's a personal thing, but I thought some of you may have been through this already.

Heather,
Thank you so much for replying to me. It means a lot to hear from someone that is pregnant. I'm 27 years old and I fell figure skating when I was 13. My spinal fusion was a life saver to me. I started having nerve pain in my right leg it came on all of a sudden in November 2005. I can't get it to go away it's always there and it travels down into my big toe. I did go see a pain management doctor who my husband and I both really liked. How do you get your pain dr and your obgyn to talk to each other? Dr's here don't seem to want to deal with each other. My OBGYN's office called me this morning and made me an appointment for July 23. I was supposed to start insemination next month but now it's been put off for another month it's very frustrating. I have had to cancel two months of insemenation already. I feel like I'm never going to be able to start it. The dr's keep postponing it. The pain dr wants to start nerve blocks I've had them in the past and they never worked. I'll try it in July but not sure if it will help or not. They want to start me on physical therapy which I've done before too. I do go to water arobics at night. I'm still not going to give up my dream of having a baby. It's hard my brother's wife is pregnant for the first time and it's the first grandbaby for my parents. Sometimes it's hard to be happy for them when I'm having such trouble with pain and even getting pregnant.

Thanks for listening,
Aislyn

quote:

Originally posted by KateDogg:
My husband has always been very supportive when it comes to my chronic pain. However, now that we are talking about getting pregnant, he is nervous. He doesn't want to see me in more pain. He also is worried how I'm going to lug around a baby, a car seat, a stroller, etc. with chronic back pain. My meds are very minor right now, and I've told him that I'm willing to take a chance for the opportunity to raise children. Does anyone have any advice on how to reassure my husband? I know it's a personal thing, but I thought some of you may have been through this already.

It sound's like your husband needs to talk to my husband. They sound so much alike. My husband is wonderful to me and does a lot for me due to having the chronic pain. My husband is nervous about the same things as your husband. I just keep talking to him and he comes with me to all my drs appointments so that he can try and understand more about what I do go through on a daily basis. He comes with me to my GYN and the different dr's I've been to for the pain. He goes right in the room with me too. I always make sure I ask him how he is feeling I think it helps us to talk a lot about this, I know it doesn't just effect me it effects my husband a lot too. We have decided we are going to do everything in our power to have a baby and he will support me 100 percent. I know it's going to be hard but I feel deeply in my heart that I can do this. I don't have any real advice for you and I'm sorry for that. For us just talking to each other helps a lot and taking it day by day. I feel that's all we can do.

Aislyn

Hi-

I just started crying when I was reading both of your notes. My husband is just like both of yours as well. We both really want a baby and we want my chronic pain to get at least a little bit better. I guess what I'm figuring out is that doctor's today do not have a solution for women who are trying to get pregnant, or are pregnant, who also suffer from chronic pain.

I have had spinal fusion on my neck, and now also have 4 more hernitated disks in my back. We just started insemmination, and have not had luck for 4 months now, so we are moving onto Clomid, plus the shots. I'm nervous, but I know it's what we want so badly...so I need to sacrifice taking my meds and also trying steroid injections (which I have never done for my back, but I really want to try as it's the only hope I have, and haven't tried it yet due to trying to get pregnant.) But, any hope of any pain relief is about 14 months away due to contiinuing to try to get pregnant, hopefully getting pregnant and then maybe breastfeeding (although I'm not too sure I can do that with back pain).

Anyway, it would be so nice if we could all get our doctors on the same page. I'm just so frustrated that they all know that I have chronic pain and am going through fertility treatmetns, and none of them talk to each other. To me, you have to make a choice, and right now, we are choosing to try and have a baby, and as far as the pain goes....well, I am doing chiropractic treatments and walking (that's the only exercise my pain doctor will allow right now as I respond so poorly to anything else). Frankly, none of these things have helped my pain at all, so I just need to keep tolerating it and trying all of these non-medication and non-steroidal treatments, until we do have a baby, and then after the baby, I can maybe find some relief, even just a little would make me happy.

Well, thanks for listening. I was talking to my husband and saying it would be so nice to meet people who are dealing with the same thing as I am. By chance, where are you guys from? I live in Chicago, so if anyone knows of any chronic pain/fertility support groups, I would greatly appreciate it.

Thanks for listening.
Kari

Good evening, ladies. I found this post several weeks ago when I found out that I was pregnant and frantic. Nicole was so kind and helped ease some of my concerns by sharing her story with me. Thanks Nicole! Since then I've been reading everyone's post. I can so relate.

A little about myself... I'm 12 weeks pregnant! Yeah! I have several chronic conditions, I've had 5 brain surgeries and spinal surgeries, including: being fused from the skull to c-6 employing rods and plates (I can't move my head at all from left to right), I have a VP shunt (in my brain that drains into my stomach), and lots of other fun stuff. So as you can imagine, I deal with some nasty chronic pain issues.

I am very fortunate to have found a great OB. I am high-risk and he is a Maternal-Fetal Specialist. He has lots of experience working with patients in chronic pain. I highly recommend that you all look for a doctor like this. I'm not seeing anyone else currently other than him consulting with my neurosurgeon. He has completely taken over my care while I am pregnant.

I'm not sure if this helps anyone. I just wanted to try and give you gals some hope. I really thought that I would never be able to have children because of my health, pain, and fertility problems.

Bottom line, you can take some pain medicines and have a healthy baby. Most importantly, you need to find a knowledgeable OB to oversee your care.

Please let me know if anyone has any questions.
Stac