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Methadone detox while pregnant? Been there?
Filed Under (detox-faq) by admin on 11-12-2007
SmileItsNotThatSerious asked:
I will ask again, because people aren’t understanding. I was violently attacked at 22 years old and would up using heroin to dull the memory. I sought therapy, got on a meth clinic. I was detoxing off meth after returning my life to normal and doing some serious mental house cleaning. I was down to 35 mgs when my husband and I got pregnant. To most meth clients, 35 mgs is a laughable dose, the usual dose is like 130 mgs. I have decided NOT to abort, but to place my faith in the Lord and continue my VERY SLOW detox. I am now 8 weeks pregnant and at 26 mgs, with about 9 weeks left on the detox. I disagree with current thought that it is safer for ALL pregnant methadone patients to stay on meth because they might relapse while pregnant if they detox. Scientifically, the risk of miscarriage is low for slow detoxes, as long as you hold if you experience discomfort until body adjusts, (it does w/in a week). I have miscarried before, it sux, but the alternative is worse.
Basically, due to the current atmosphere of myths and ignorance, if I “report” my pregnancy to my clinic, they might try and keep me on meth (and why shouldn’t they-I give them 3 grand a year). I have NO ONE to turn to, and I am looking for someone who has done this to offer advice! I do not believe that having a drug addicted baby is in the best interest of the child, and I have faith in God that all will go as it is meant to. A doctor friend confidentally advised me that I am following the TRUE best course of action. I also REFUSE to give birth with some baby-stealer from CPS at the hospital, no woman (unless she’s strung out or mentally ill) should be so humiliated. I need to know where to turn for real guidance and support, not foolish rants from people who have never been there!
PS this is NOT a RAPID DETOX. Totally different. Most people detoxing the way I am, once they are 100% sure they want off meth, experience a very minimal primary withdrawl and little to no secondary withdrawl. It is more mental than physical. They body gently adjusts to producing more of its own dopamine every time you drop in dose!
I will ask again, because people aren’t understanding. I was violently attacked at 22 years old and would up using heroin to dull the memory. I sought therapy, got on a meth clinic. I was detoxing off meth after returning my life to normal and doing some serious mental house cleaning. I was down to 35 mgs when my husband and I got pregnant. To most meth clients, 35 mgs is a laughable dose, the usual dose is like 130 mgs. I have decided NOT to abort, but to place my faith in the Lord and continue my VERY SLOW detox. I am now 8 weeks pregnant and at 26 mgs, with about 9 weeks left on the detox. I disagree with current thought that it is safer for ALL pregnant methadone patients to stay on meth because they might relapse while pregnant if they detox. Scientifically, the risk of miscarriage is low for slow detoxes, as long as you hold if you experience discomfort until body adjusts, (it does w/in a week). I have miscarried before, it sux, but the alternative is worse.
Basically, due to the current atmosphere of myths and ignorance, if I “report” my pregnancy to my clinic, they might try and keep me on meth (and why shouldn’t they-I give them 3 grand a year). I have NO ONE to turn to, and I am looking for someone who has done this to offer advice! I do not believe that having a drug addicted baby is in the best interest of the child, and I have faith in God that all will go as it is meant to. A doctor friend confidentally advised me that I am following the TRUE best course of action. I also REFUSE to give birth with some baby-stealer from CPS at the hospital, no woman (unless she’s strung out or mentally ill) should be so humiliated. I need to know where to turn for real guidance and support, not foolish rants from people who have never been there!
PS this is NOT a RAPID DETOX. Totally different. Most people detoxing the way I am, once they are 100% sure they want off meth, experience a very minimal primary withdrawl and little to no secondary withdrawl. It is more mental than physical. They body gently adjusts to producing more of its own dopamine every time you drop in dose!
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is there a question here? you might want to talk to your OB since at that low dose in such an early pregnancy, you may be able to stop cold turkey now without any effect on the pregnancy
I didn’t see your previous question, but I understand this one just fine. I think it is great that you want to get off the Methadone completely. Just remember to continue to take it SLOWLY. The slower you wean yourself off, the less likely you are to have a miscarriage. And, as always, always follow what your doctor is telling you. He or she knows what’s best for you and your baby. I wish you luck on your new drug-free life and on your new baby!
i have never been there but i have had to detox before and let me tell you i think its great you have gotten this far.. talk with your doctors about what they would prefer you to do and i know as you can’t just quit that stuff all at once.. i think the baby will be fine but try to lower the dosages ASAP… the sooner you do the healthier the baby will be.. good luck!!
So, what’s the question here? You gave the impression in your last question that you wanted off of this stuff NOW. I still stand by the advice to go see an Ob/Gyn, at least. If you’re worried about the health of your unborn child, it might make you feel better to go to the doctor instead of faking ectopic symptoms to get checked out at an ER. If you start seeing an Ob regularly, you can build a relationship with them, instead of worrying about what the ER people think of you.
Good for you if you’re slowly detoxing. Maybe an Ob/Gyn can find you a detox clinic that’s supportive and not trying to bilk you for money that you don’t need to be paying them for methadone that you’re not going to take.
If you don’t happen to get off of the methadone, the alternative (having the baby that’s been exposed to it) is not worse, especially if you’re on such a low dose. Your baby may go through some withdrawal, but nothing like what he/she would go through if you were on a higher dosage of methadone or still on heroin. There are treatments for the baby if this happens. Though, plenty of non-former-heroin-addicts are prescribed opiates during their pregnancies for other reasons. I was on controlled substances for the second 2 trimesters of my first pregnancy for some severe health problems I was having. My doctor prescribed them for me. My daughter was born a perfectly healthy 7lbs 14oz. She had no lingering effects from the medications.
Relax.
I haven’t been there, but I used to work for FDA and inspected methadone clinics and have reviewed hundreds of patient files.
When I was doing this, most clinics had the policy of detoxing pregnant women, not only because it was good for the baby, but because the women, like you, were motivated. If you say this isn’t the current thought, it just shows how old I am. I don’t like the idea of you hiding it from them, because they are going to notice soon enough anyway, and they rely on your honesty, and they won’t trust you in the future. I think I can understand why you don’t want to tell them you are pregnant, though, if they will refuse to detox you.
I don’t think you need to worry about CPS–depending on your state, of course. They won’t take a child from a mother who is acting responsibly by seeking treatment and having regular urinalyses to show she isn’t abusing drugs. Very few people could prove that, but you can.
Of all the pregnant meth patient charts I have reviewed, I saw very few miscarriages. The success rate for detox was four or five times higher than others in detox. And very few had any problems with their babies. I do recommend you tell the hospital staff when you have the baby that you detoxed from methadone x number of months ago, so they can do any checks they need to on the baby.
I wish you the very best of luck, and I admire your courage.