Methadone Rehabilitation

Question by troubledinparadise: Methadone/opiates and pregnancy – For medical professionals only, please.?
I am a 32 y/o woman with extreme back & neck pain which has gotten progressively worse over the last 12 years. 2+ years ago when I became pregnant (unexpectedly) I was on very high amounts of opiate pain medications (160 mg oxycontin, 10-15 percocets/day, + anti-depressants, Vallium, etc.). Immediately upon finding I was pregnant I began speaking with my doctors about decreasing and eventually getting off all medications. I was very concerned about my baby being born addicted and having to go through withdrawal symptoms and after much debate, my doctor (OB and pain management) assured me it was safe for me to detox off of my medication. It was difficult but I did it. I ceased most meds and decreased the opiates (oxycontin) to 10 mg. twice a day which my OB and the local university hospital decided was where I should stay through delivery.

Tonight I was just watching a program on TLC about these young girls who are on methadone and pregnant. The doctors told them that it is “perfectly safe to stay on their regular methadone prescription throughout the pregnancy” and explained that the baby would “just have to detox after he/she was born.” It was stated that “detoxing a woman off methadone or other opiates is dangerous to the health of the fetus and could result in miscarriage, low birth weight or very premature birth.” I did a little research on my own and I have found several sources that confirm this.

My question is, in my situation, when I found myself 3 months pregnant and on all that medication, would most doctors have recommended that I remain on the medication through delivery and make my new baby detox outside of the womb or would they recommend I detox over the course of the rest of my pregnancy so my baby would be born without any chemical dependence? Also, what is (medically) the best course to take?

NOTE: I am so glad I detoxed myself prior to my daughter being born. Honestly, my pain management doctor’s initial reaction was to keep me on all the meds and I pushed to detox for my baby’s sake. I’ve seen the withdrawal effects on innocent babies and I would never be able to make her go through that agony alone. I could not live with myself. I just watched these mothers (on the TLC program) make excuses for their behavior by saying “its a disease” and how “horrible it was to see their baby go through that but that there was nothing they could have done.” Is this true? If the methadone-addicted mother WANTED to detox herself over the course of her pregnancy would the doctor support that decision or is it really safer to have the mother continue on her regular dose and make the baby detox alone?

Thank you!
Joe Z – I think you are the one on drugs here. What are you talking about prenatal vitamins for? That has NOTHING to do with my question. Did you even read my question???

Best answer:

Answer by Joe Z
It is a bad idea to remain on the narcotic pain medicine while pregnant as this would not only induce a “withdrawl” for the baby, but potentially cause permanent neurological damage. You want to take the least amount of medicine possible, and overall maintain a healthy diet. I would suggest going to a pharmacy and purchasing an OTC prenatal Multivitamin.