Chronic Pain

Hi Renee --
I just re-read your post and I had to laugh -- you have pain in your neck, right? Well, I know that "normal people" have some discomfort in pregnancy, but in their necks?!?! I'd like to see the mom who is pregnant in her neck! Hee Hee! You gotta laugh at that. It just goes to show you how ignorant some of these so-called medical professionals are! (Of course, I guess for some people pregnancy is a pain in the neck, too!!)

As for Maryvalley, when I knew I was going to get pregnant, I interviewed a couple of OB/GYNs before settling on my current doc. You can set up informational appointments that shouldn't cost anything. Go over your med history with each one, and ask how they would treat you. That's the best way. See if you feel comfortable with that person and his/her staff. If not, just go on to the next one (assuming there's more than one -- if there's only one OB/GYN practice in your town, try another doc in the practice, he/she might be better). After all, you will be entrusting not only your health and life to this person, but your baby's too. Good luck!

Ms Morgon-I'm going through the same thing, they want me to go off of Percocet for the third trimester (I'm 15 weeks now) and I'm scared to death. Just either for the baby or me being in pain, then I feel selfish or like I should only be thinking of the baby (not myself or my pain...) ya right...I can't help it. I meet with another doctor today. I've gone through withdrawl before and it's hard. For me it was kind of like having a REALLY bad case of the body ache flu with my regular pain in my neck feeling exagerated/worse than I think it really was. It didn't last forever (about 3 days) and everyone is very different and I was not pregnant at the time. Also that was a dead cold stop, no taper-which I've been told is quite different. I would recommend tapering (like i'm sure any doctor should/mine does). I'm still scared to death of feeling pain all day long with no relief...My withdrawl was after taking percocet for a month. This time I've been taking it for 2 1/2 years, so I'm feeling pretty anxious. But if you feel better, pain-wise that sounds encouraging and hopeful. I'll be thinking of you, renee

Hello Renee!

I read your post and I felt immediate empathy for you. I got pregnant unexpectedly 15 years ago, and I had chronic pain associated with migraines. I was told by all the doctors to get off every single medication I was taking, which I did. In the meantime, I experienced severe pain from the migraines, and the same doctors who told me to get off the drugs, also told me it wasn't good for the baby to have its mother experience the stress of chronic pain!! What is a woman to do??

I finally found a local general practitioner who told me about Compazine and who administered it to me, via IV, on a number of occasions. It got rid of the migraine pain, although it had this nasty little side effect called tardive dyskinesia, in which my mouth would go into biazarre contortions, and I had very little control over them. They did't hurt but they were very embarassing to have other people see. My face would be all contorted and people would wonder what the heck was wrong with me. My husband and I had to laugh about it, or we would just cry, and I preferred to maintain my sense of humor rather than give in to the bad stuff. I have found that anything is more bearable if you can just laugh about it.

I don't have any experience with taking percocet while pregnant, but I do know they are supposed to wean you off of it very slowly, to avoid withdrawal. They don't really know if percocet is all that bad for an unborn child, but they do know that the stress caused by withdrawal is NOT good for the baby. ANY kind of extreme stress is not good for any unborn child, so it is important to weigh the pros against the cons. Also, it is so important for you to be good to yourself. If you don't take care of yourself and be good to yourself, you are not going to do your baby any favors.

Therefore, be sure to do what is right and good for you, because the better you feel, the better your baby will do. If you are all stressed out or are in severe pain, it can only be bad for your unborn child. There is so much emphasis placed on the baby, but we all too often forget how important the mother's well being is to the health of the child. You can't just separate the two out from each other like they are two little islands, having no relationship to each other.

I will be thinking of you and hoping that you are doing well and are pain free. Keep me informed on how you are doing. I make regular visits to this forum, so I can keep up on how things are going for you.

Again, be good to yourself, first. Everything will fall into place after that - including being good to your baby.

Kay

Yes.. anytime you stop a medication such as Percocet please taper down slowly, don't stop immediately. The withdrawl effects will cause you and your baby some nasty stress. If they insist you don't take meds during your third trimester then ask them to taper you down so you don't do it cold turkey. That is awful.

I personally took medication up until the night before my c-section, and she was fine.. so maybe an alternative to stopping the percocet completely may be to switch to a lower dose of another medication that is similar, but not percocet? Then at least you'd have "some" pain management. Ask if you have any options for any pain relief during your 3rd trimester. That was the hardest few months for me out of the entire pregnancy.

Also, make sure your docs have a post-delivery plan for your pain control in your chart. People in the labor/delivery are not used to dealing with chronic pain patients. The hospital was an awful experience for me b/c of that!!!

Wishing you all the best!!!

Hi ladies- not pregnant yet, but need some advice. I'm 31 and have been waiting for my pain "get better" before I get pregnant. Well- I've been waiting for 7 years and it still isn't better. The doctors are saying it probably never will go away. I have hypermobile joints, 4 disk herniations, and probably early onset osteoarthritis. I'm pretty stable on OTCs, exercise, and alternative therapies, but still am in pain everyday.

Now that I would like to start a family, I'm not sure if I should wait longer and keep trying to manage the pain, or if waiting longer (and getting older) is just putting me at more risk?

Some people (including some of my doctors) are saying, "You better hurry and have children before this gets worse." Others are saying, "Wait until you are stronger or have figured out how to manage your pain." Neither group of people really knows how it feels. But you ladies do know how it feels. What do you think? I know it's an individual choice ultimately- but I'm scared, and I'm sure you've been at this point before. Anything you have to share would help a lot. Thanks...

Hello,

I have had chronic pain for 15 years and am currently taking medication. I am looking into getting pregnant and would like to put together a team of doctors that would understand and help. I live in the Washington DC/Virginia/Maryland area. Does anyone know of any good doctors in my area that could help me? I am very nervous about the whole thing and would really love to find some help. As many of you have probably experienced, I have been treated badly in the past by doctors in reference to my pain and would like to avoid this. Especially when dealing with something that is so important to me…having a baby.

Thank you,
Celeste

Ladies with chronic pain considering/currently pregnant: find a doctor that doesn't have an outdated/puritanical attitude. It is NOT better for you OR your baby to be in bad pain, and withdrawal is even worse. Find a doctor who understands. It is often a difference of philosophy or as simple as the kind of liability coverage they have paid for. One additional possibility, it might be the state you are in. A few of you seem to be in the southeast, which might have extra restrictive laws about chronic pain management or what expenctant mothers can take. It might be worth it to you to travel up to the DC area or something to find someone even since it is really a very tricky issue and you will have widely differing experiences based on the level of help and understanding from your doctors. Try networking with the healthcare people you know and also their patients. I think more people than one would assume end up taking narcotics during pregnancy, even if the doctors try as much as they can to discourage you just because it is better all things being equal. So someone who has been pregnant in your area might know someone who has been good about it, and you will also be able to piggyback on their good relationship rather than starting out as a total stranger.

Hi Renee-
It sounds like you and I are in the same boat...(which is not a place I wish anyone to be!!) It's hard to be pregnant, but it's even harder for the rest of us that are forced to deal with chronic pain and all of the issues that come along with it. I have decided that I'm not going to stop my pain meds before I have the baby. This has obviously been a very difficult decision for me to make, but honestly I don't think stoping is realistic.
A month ago I felt GREAT!!! As my pregnancy has progressed I have become increasingly miserable. My pain level is often intolerable at times and this is with both oxycontin and percocet. I'm 23 weeks this week and never had the intention of tapering before my baby was viable (just to be on the safe side), but now there is just NO WAY!!! The bigger I get the more uncomfortable I am and the more I hurt.
I'm back in physical therapy and have undergone hypnosis as a alternative means of coping. The hypnosis has been helpful because of the guilt that I have felt. One thing that we've talked a lot about is that I'm no good to anyone, espcially the baby, if I don't put myself first. I can't take care of the rest of my family if I'm not taking care of myself. This is something that seems so obvious, but we all need to hear it...all along i have felt like i was being selfsih, but i'm now moving past that and realize that i am simply taking care of myslef so that I am capable of taking care of the rest of the family.
i have been trying to take the least amount of medicine as possible, but this has been really hard for me to do...and perhaps the rest of you are just better then I because when I hurt, I don't have the self control to not medicate. All of the advice that has been given on tapering is good stuff, but for me, it's hard to not take the medicine when I'm freakin miserable.
Anyway, I really appreciate the support from all of you ladies and i wish you all happy and healthy pregnancy's.
-Erin Morgan

Erin,

I am so sorry you are having such a hard time! I completely understand the guilt factor also. Throughout my entire pregnancy I felt like (and often did) break down into tears every time I had to take a med. I had to have a friend of mine remind me that I WAS doing what was - in the long run - best for me and my baby. I never tapered really.. there were days towards the middle of my pregnancy that I didn't need as much medicine, but not long. I mostly stayed on the highest doses prescribed. I wasn't on oxy or percocet during pregnancy, so I can't really speak to those meds specifically...but the meds I was on I stayed on until the night before my c-section. I DO know that worrying and feeling guilty and beating yourself up is only hurting you and your child more... I know it's very very hard not to. We are so angry at our pain, resentful that we are even put in this situation, and not allowed to enjoy the pregnancy as so many others do. All we want is a healthy, happy baby!! However, try hard to take those good days when you have them to really really focus on the good. After an ultrasound and results that show your baby is growing normally and everything is OK, find a sense of renewed energy and remind yourself you are NOT a bad mother! Those are the appt.'s that kept me going. I never felt so alone as when I was pregnant and in pain.. I really do get it. It sounds like there are so many others here that "get it" also. You are not alone sweetie!! Let me know if I can do anything for you ok??

Nicole

Hey all. I haven't read all of the posts, but I wanted to share something I've come across that may help many of you with chronic pain. It's called prolotherapy. If you google Dr. Mark Wheaton and prolotherapy, it will bring up a good article on the treatment. From this site you can also find a doctor in your area. Some doctors are far more qualified to do this treatment than others, and it pays to do your research and find a good one who does the treatment properly.

I had been struggling with back pain for 11 years. I'm 29 years old. This treatment is an actual fix - not temporary and totally natural. I am now 5 months pregnant and am really struggling and wish I would have been further along in the treatment before I got pregnant, but we don't always get to decide those things. My doctor estimated it would take between 6 and 10 treatments for the parts of my back that are the worst, and the complete healing process takes 2-3 years after that, but it actually heals the damage that has been done to your back/knees/wrists, whatever.

My doctor explained to me that often times when we are injured it is the ligament that is injured, and not the muscle. The muscles get plenty of blood flow and are able to heal, but ligaments get little to no blood flow and rarely heal on their own. In my case, the muscles then took over the work of supporting my back, which the ligaments are supposed to do, and now the muscles are overly tired and were spasming horribly until I started this treatment. In addition to all this, we don't have the testosterone levels that men do and are unable to heal the way men can.

My doctor is located in Oak Park, IL. His name is Ross Hauser. He's the best doctor I've ever been to. I had seen orthopedic surgeons in Chicago that simply sent me to treatments that only harmed me further and led to 10 years of improper exercise and further damage to my body. Insurance rarely covers the treatment but it is worth every penny, and compared to chiropractic care or physical therapy, is much less expensive.

It's been 5 months since my first treatment and I have only gone 3 times. I am struggling as a result of having to carry the weight of this baby, but no more spasms, and I don't think it would be so horrible if it hadn't already been a really long few years of dealing with the pain. My tolerance seems to be low. I'm on this board looking for information about how the pain and the chemicals released as a result of the pain/stress may impact my baby. That's all. If I didn't have to sit at a desk all day it wouldn't be so bad.

God bless. Hope this helps. My doc is at caringmedical dot com. If I can be of any service, I'm at krs31 at yahoo.

One more thing - as an expectant mom who suffers from chronic pain, if there was one thing I could tell any of you, it would be to seek out this treatment. It is an answer to prayer, and if you work with your doctor to establish good health, it can help. Good nutrition is important, too. Many of us suffer from food allergies that contribute to our pain and never realize it. Go get an allergy test. It can make all the difference. If you want more information on it from a scientific perspective, sign up for some of the newsletters on the caring medical website.

Ok I can't stop. I'm sorry! Just had to post this:

http://www.caringmedical.com/conditions/Back_Pain_during_Pregnancy.htm

There is a link at the bottom that describes the specific treatment. Just very zealous about the treatment.

Hi Ladies,

I just wanted to remind you all of one thing that helped me through my pregnancy. One day at a time!! Many of you are early on in your pregnancy, and that is only going to cause you more and more stress to think about "what if" during delivery. Believe me, I know that it's easier said that done. I worried and worried, but truth be told.. some things are out of our control and you need to focus on the things you can control - taking care of you. Try to enjoy your pregnancy. For many of you, you may find this will be the only baby you have because of the pregnancy and all it's ups and downs with pain. There are so many joys of being pregnant... please try not to ignore them. Journal and document and share with your spouse and friends those first kicks and those exciting visits that are positive. You need those boosts!!! Just a reminder. It's so easy to get caught up in the "what if" of everything in our lives... especially when it comes to a helpless little being. Just remind yourself that this baby is protected by many layers of filters and guards to keep it safe. Mother nature knows what it's doing! You need to concentrate on relaxing, keeping your stress levels down, and being the best mom you can be now so that you aren't in too much pain to enjoy the little things that come along with being pregnant. ))

I can't believe my daughter is 8 months old now... and so perfectly incredible it blows me away. I went through this all and know the guilt, the 'what if's', the shame, the excitement, the pain... and once again I'll say that I am here for you all should you decide you need to reach out. You can reach me at Luv2laugh AT sbcglobal DOT net. With a little one that keeps me on the go, I don't check email as often as I'd like to, but I will get back to you.

You are not alone, there are resources, and we all have to stick together to help us through this. Remember the hormornes are going WILD right now... so that just makes everything completely nutty!!! LOL.

All my best to you and your babies!!!!

nicole

hi, i'm new here and i was unsure whether to go through with this surprise pregnancy due to my already constant pain, although i disbelieve in abortions and want this baby very much. I looked into it and found you guys and you have givin me the strength to do this. I cannot thank you enough!I have yet to see the doctor although by my calculations i am 7 weeks along, and im not sure what they'll tell me at least now i know im not along and how to talk to the doctor when im there.As you can imagine i have all the same concerns and want a healthy baby.Any advice at all will be great and i will let you know how this goes, thanks for the strength to even try

Hi everyone --

Just wanted to update you. I've been on bedrest since Nov. 1, thanks to preterm labor. One nice thing, though, is that my back and pelvis are feeling a bit better. (as long as I don't sit up or walk around -- then it all hurts like crazy!) I'll be 33 weeks on Monday, and my baby is doing fine. I'm thinking good thoughts for all of you and hoping you are doing well. You really gave me strength when I needed it, and I'm here for anyone who needs encouragement.