Chronic Pain

Hi everyone --
Just wanted to let you know that Max Daniel arrived via C-section on Christmas Eve and he's doing great -- no withdrawals, no jitteriness, no problems whatsoever. He was small, 5 lbs., 3 oz., but he's already regained his birthweight and then some. Here's the funny part: I'm breastfeeding, and at the hostpial, they increased my pain meds by 3x my usual dose and said not to worry about any effects on the baby! Isn't that hoot, after all the grief I got in the early days? My hope for all of you is that you have a wonderful New Year and happy and healthy babies! (And for me, that Max learns that 4 a.m. is for sleeping, not partying :-)
Bonnie

OMG! I am so glad I found this forum. I have been really nervous the past week or so. I have been dealing with increasing peripheral neuropathy from my mid back down both of my legs. The pain is usually at a 5-7, and at bad times (like this week) at around 8. My husband and I were so concerned that we would never be able to have kids.....I just was not sure I could go through it. I wanted it more than anything and SURPRISE! I found out I am preg on Thursday. SHOCKER. I really wanted to plan this and get off some of my meds. I was going to get a spinal implant in March that I heve been waiting for for 2 years, so at first I bawled..the timing wis unbelievable.

You all give me so much hope. Hope that I can still have some relief from the pain and be a good mommy to this little baby. I currently take lyrica, lortab, and fentanyl (50mccg every 2 days). I am getting ready to collect all of my files and get them over to an OB to see how we proceed from here. Wish me luck!

*BTW* I am 28 and I have been living with chronic pain for 8 years. I have a very supportive husband whom I love more than anything...and I am scared to death to embark on this journey. Finding this forum is a blessing. Talk to you all soon!

Congratulations! I am so excited and happy for you and your family!

Blackdove-

You tried to Private Message me and I only got the first two or three sentences! I would love to chat with you if you still want to talk. I'm sorry I am not online as much as I'd like to, but such is life with a baby! Email me at Luv2laugh AT sbcglobal DOT net please and we'll chat.

Bonnie- CONGRATS on the baby!! I'm soooo proud and happy for you. What a relief huh? Isn't it the best feeling ever just to have them in your arms and know they are fine and all that worrying was for nothing! I will never forget that feeling!! It's the most amazing moment to meet your child. ) Congrats and enjoy this! Take it easy and heal.. I had a c-section also. Don't push yourself too much b/c what the pain after a baby (not surgical pain but life pain) is more than I ever expected... But it's worth it... they are completely worth it!!!

Nicole

Ganzygrl, can you please let me know what you were taking and for how long? My pain med doc just put me on Morphine Sulphate and I have been on Norco/soma for 3 years. I am terrified of my baby having withdrawals. Please anyone help. My husband would leave me right now if he knew I was even taking anything that could possibly harm the baby. He would rather me suffer than the baby!

Spookycat99-I'm so sorry your husband isn't supporting/understanding your doc and your plan. That just makes it harder for you and would make me feel more torn and guilty than I already do. I'm not sure what meds others have been on (although when I first found out I was pregnant I was freaking out and did a ton of research about it). I've tapered down to Percocet 2x/day (4-5 pills a day total). My goal with my midwives is to taper the last 4 weeks of the pregnancy (I'm almost 31 weeks) and to be off a few days before the baby is born. That makes the baby not have any withdrawls at all. But they said I'm going to be "pretty miserable". So I'm terrified...and I was in the hospital yesterday all day so they could stop contractions and a full day of nurses and midwives saying-"well it's really bad to have a baby at 30 weeks, but it's really really bad to have an early baby addicted to all that percocet". So now I'm all freaked out that if the baby comes early, I won't be tapered in time. So I guess my point is there's no fail safe and I'm realizing that more every day. I think we all want to have healthy happy babies, but I explained to my husband about how chronic unaided pain can cause a ton of problems in my pregnancy and I am doing my best to trust my midwives...although I hate my pain docs because they said they wouldn't see me while I'm pregnant, so it's just the midwives and me. Fat lot of help they'll be for the tapering of meds (can you tell I'm a little resentful ;-)...Anyway, I hope you feel a little better and people can support you more.
Also, you might have seen something written earlier on this site, but if you look up your meds on Teratology (.org)-I think that's the spelling-- it tells you a # to call in your state that takes you to a person who explains (more than you will ever need to know) research about drug interactions and pregnancy. It really helped me and by the time I saw docs/nurses for my pregnancy they said I knew more than them. I live in Washington and the phone number is the research team/a nurse at the University of Washington. Anyway, I hope everyone feels a little better at least for a moment. Thanks for everyone who writes on this forum, it's helped me a lot. Take Care-Renee
(one other thing I did was talk to SEVERAL pharmacists, because they all have different opinions, and some printed out articles for me...all helpful, some snotty saying "oh you should get off now!!!", some saying "it's fine you're not on very much". I trusted the articles I was given on research, etc...)

Hi Spookycat99 --
I was on Vicodin ES 3/day. With my first baby I was on morphine sulfate b/c of preterm labor. Niether of my kids had any withdrawal problems. My son (5 weeks old today!!) had areaction to my milk, so I stopped nursing and so can take real painkillers now, plus muscle relaxers -- yeah! We're bottlefeeding him now.

I've started trying to taper off my percocet and it's harder than I was hoping. I'm 33 weeks now and I had preterm labor/contractions at 30 weeks. They gave me a shot to stop contractions and I have to monitor them closely now as I still have them every day (not braxton hicks, but painful like when i had my son, my cervix was opening and softening, etc. I'm just scared and feeling overwhelmed and my neck is really hurting, more than it has since I got pregnant. I'm still trying though (to taper). The midwives (at group health I see 5, you can't just see one...)are telling me if I can't taper they will switch me to Vicoden, but I don't know if that will even help...it hasn't helped me with pain before (when I broke my wrist). I'm just having a hard time. And I'm bummed because I missed a bunch of entries on this until just a few weeks ago, so I never saw some of the stuff until recently. I just don't want to be hurting more than I already am (although it's looking pretty unavoidable at this point. sigh...). Ganzygirl-did the Vicodin help very much?

Hi Renee --
Sorry this is late in replying -- Max doesn't like it when I get on the computer!
The vicodin helped somewhat -- what it sounds like is maybe you're stressing out too much and that might be affecting your pain level. Let me know whether the vicodin helps you. I'm thinking good thoughts for you and the baby!

Hello All,
I have been dealing with fibromyalsia and chronic migrains for over 2 years now. I am 16 weeks pregnant and really having a hard time with with my pain. I am on Stadol NS right now and it seems to be helping some. Has anyone had the same problems and what meds have helped? Thanks so much.

I feel sooo relieved to find this forum! I have been dealing with chronic pain for many years. During my first pregnancy, I had a broken back. I had surgery to repair it in Nov 2007. Now, I am living with severe neuropathy, arthritis ans back pain. I also have fibromyalgia. I receive regular massages and I am trying acupuncture tomorrow. I am desparate. I have my first OB appt. next Monday and I am praying there are alternatives to pain management. I am very relieved to know that this is not hopeless and I can be treated. What are some of you out there able to take or do to manage your pain?

Hi Moebrad,
For my fibro and migraines I was on Vicodin for a long time and now I am on Stadol NS. We will see how well that goes. And you know the usual stuff that we do at home as little or much as it helps. Wish I could be of more help.

Ladies, I cannot tell you how thrilled I am to have found you. I woke up this morning, took my medication and waited for it to kick in so I could get out of bed. It didn't do the trick and I stayed in bed crying for most of the morning. I took an interim dose when I was able, and when that started to take effect came to the couch, got out my laptop, and searched "chronic pain pregnancy". Here I am! I have read everyone's posts and I want to thank you for making me feel "normal".
I am 14 weeks pregnant, have chronic back & neck pain, along with sciatica from two car accidents I was in. I was hit as a pedestrian at 20 and was rear-ended at 25. I had a discotomy at 29 after I learned that I had herniations at L3-4 and L4-5. The surgery failed and I now have another bulge at T11-12. I take OxyContin 10mg twice/day and at the 6 hour mark between doses, I take three quarters of a Percocet. I have been fretting about taking medication throughout my pregnancy, but don't feel I can reduce it further at this point. I am seeing an obstetrician for the first time tomorrow morning and just hope (pray, really) that he understands chronic pain or knows someone he can consult with.
I am extremely disappointed that so little research has been done on the topic and that there seem to be so few compassionate practitioners that understand our situations. I am in Toronto, Ontario and since I only recently moved here and married, do not yet have a family physician. I have been in pain management programs, but they aren't for me. I manage best by doing all I can to keep my pain and medication as low as possible and by living as close to a normal life as I can without dwelling every second of every day on the fact that I suffer from chronic pain. If anyone has a family physician in Toronto that understands our plight, please, please give me their name.
I will be back soon...and thank you all again for sharing your experiences.
K

Hi Queen --
I hope the ob. was helpful. It takes al ot for them to understand waht we're all going through. The best help we can offer is that those of us who have successfully made it through know it can be done. Don't forget about the non-medication coping mechanisms, like heating pads (keep to your back only), massage and meditation. I try to think of my pain as an entity living in my body, not as who I am. I would like that entity to get out, but unfortunately, it looks like I'll have it forever. So I make the best of it. I have to say that my pain level has dropped since I gave birth to Max, since he's not pressing directly on my broken pelvis, but now the old pains are back from my unstable joint. Sigh! But I look at my gorgeous boy, who is smiling now, and know it was worth it! Keep your chin up!