Im 4 months pregnant and been taking Tramadol the whole pregnancy

Hi! I posted back when I was 9 weeks pregnant, and figured I would check back in. I am currently 33 weeks, and unfortunately still battling with the Tramadol. That being said, I have come soooo far, and am so proud of myself. At the time, I was taking 3 pills at a time, probably every 4 hours. Now, I am taking 2-3 pills a day, at 7 to 9 hour intervals. That is something I never thought I would be able to do, to get from 9-12 pills a day to 2-3. I had hoped to be off completely by now, but it has been difficult to get down from 2 pills a day to none. I am confident I can do it though, and I think about my babies (i'm having twins) every time I take 1. I WILL stop taking these before the babies are born. I will not risk them going through withdrawals.

Good luck to all you ladies out there! It is possible to get off these things, I just know it!

Hi all - I've been on tramadol for about 5 years now. I am 37 weeks pregnant and have taken between 4 and 6 per day throughout the pregnancy, getting down to 3 per day during the second trimester. Same as everyone else, the wd is awful and I have to cut back slowly to reduce at all and not be in agony. I have researched this a lot, my OB knows about it, and I am currently back up to almost 4 per day. I'm trying to ween down to as little as possible by the time I give birth to my son. I promise to post about the wd when he is born and whether or not he is ok. I am worried. But at least tramadol is not a narcotic to where they are going to come to my house because I'm on crack or something. I figure this is still better than methadone or subutex which are scheduled and controlled.
I began taking them for a shoulder injury that never healed properly, but now am pretty sure that I take them to avoid going through wd more than anything. These things are dangerous and wonderful at once. I have no desire to take any other med since being on them for pain. They completely remove my shoulder pain and exhaustion. That said, my OB is concerned about the wd in the baby more than anything.
For those interested, studies show that the baby gets about 1% of my dose through the umbilical cord. Breastmilk will be about a 3% transfer from me to him. Some mothers breastfeed and the baby is able to ween off that way and not have severe symptoms, it seems. Other babies have zero wd even on higher doses. So far my son is very active and healthy with no defects at all based on the ultrasounds and blood tests. He is so active that I don't have to count his movements or anything - the dr is very pleased with how my pregnancy is going and the health of the baby. He wants the baby to ween with me before birth to as low as possible, but he knows it might be hard because I could go into labor at any point really.

Okay - enough rambling. I just want you all to know that I will be back to post about the birth, the baby, my dosage, etc. My due date is Oct 19th so I hope to be back on sometime soon after that to tell you about the wd he experiences. I hope that the LACK of info on post-partum wd in newborns is evidence of a low incidence of such things, and that our babies will all be fine no matter when we can quit. Try not to stress out, and please please everyone talk to your dr so that they know what you are going through. I am so glad my OB understands my situation, and will be able to look for signs after birth in case my son needs anything. WD seems to kick in about 12 to 20 hours after birth if at all.

Best to you all - I will post soon about how this all goes in the hopes that I can give insight to everyone else in a similar situation.

Hi, i am almost 7 weeks pregnant, 1st time. I have been taking tramadol's for idk almost a year now. I took them on & off before this though. I didn't think i could get pregnant i am in my early 30s & i'm very happy & scared at the same time, along w many other emotions. I was prescribed 2, 3 times a day...But i was takin 5 or 6 50mg's a day. I told the dr. i was taking them as prescribed. & they told me i should be fine. I guess they wanted to me to just STOP like idk the next day! haha But i started takin 4 a day, now like 2day i Only took 3. They did prescribe me flexeril 5mg for my shoulder & back pain. I REALLY want a healthy pregnancy & baby. Tomorrow i am going to take just 2, then the next day just one. Am I weening off of them too quickly? I HOPE i can do this. Any positive feed back, please feel free. Thank you

I first found this topic while searching Google for info about tramadol addiction at the beginning of my pregnancy. I've checked back several times since then to see if anyone has posted stories about what happened after they gave birth.

I'm now 37 weeks pregnant with my second child. I took absolutely nothing during my first pregnancy, as I didn't have issues with pain or addiction. This time is completely different.

Before getting pregnant I knew I was addicted to tramadol. I took it for back, hip, and pelvic pain that reared its ugly head after giving birth to my 10lb first born. Without the pain relief I could barely function. I also had a great deal of fatigue and depression, which oddly enough the tramadol also seemed to clear up.

This entire pregnancy I've struggled with serious back, hip, and pelvic pain. I've been to a chiropractor many times, I've done exercises, and tried just about everything out there to make it go away to no avail. I didn't want to continue taking tramadol. My plan was to wean myself off it. I got down to taking Four 50mg pills a day and I just can't seem to go any lower. It's not just the withdrawals - it's the pain as well. It comes back tenfold when I go without. I can't even get out of bed. I have a preschooler and I NEED to be able to take care of him too.

I'm not sure what's going to happen when I have my baby. I'm really trying to wean down to just two 50mg pills a day. I don't want my baby to go through withdrawals. I also want to breastfeed and I know that I can't continue taking tramadol while doing that.

I should point out that all testing/ultrasounds show my baby is absolutely in perfect health. It will probably be as big as it's sibling, too. (Oh joy!)

I will most definitely come back and post an update after baby is born. It's due in just three weeks.

Thanks to everyone for sharing!

I'm right there with you - I'm the other 37 week pregnant lady on here. I'm sorry to hear about all of your pain from birth. I hope we can find a way to taper down soon. I'm still at the same dose, as well. I've read posts on other forums about moms who breastfed and tapered at the same time, so it is possible. It sounded like it was a way for the baby to actually not have severe WD. They do give tramadol to nursing mothers after C-Section, so I know it's common that some is gotten through breastmilk.

Good Luck to you.

Thank you Mommies for your current postings. I am 25 weeks along and addicted to tramadol as well. Its a great drug until you try to get off of it. I will be thinking of you and your upcoming deliveries. I look forward to your next posts. Please keep us up to date. As you know it is hard to find post delivery comments .

Hi Ladies,

I have something different for you.
I just found I am pregnant, I am 6 weeks along.
I live in Australia and I have been on Tramadol for 6 years now and only take it when I go to work.
I take 2 50mg capsules an hour before work and that is all I need.
When I am not at work, I do not take them as I do not need them.
I have a slipped disc in the bottom of my back (L5 disc) and only need Tramadol while I am at work.
When I first found out I was pregnant before my period was due, my doctor told me to stop taking Tramadol straight away because it causes miscarriages.
Of what I have seen on this thread, no one has miscarried from taking Tramadol while pregnant.
For the last 2 weeks at work, I have been struggling with the pain as I work behind the bar at a club and am on my feet for 8 hours a day.
I cry because of it and I ache for days afterward.
I love my job so much but at the moment I am hating it because of the pain I am in.
My doctor says not to take it because I will most likely miscarriage but I was thinking I only work 5 days a week and if I only take 1 50mg capsule each time before work which is 250mg a week...could it really be that bad?
I need some advice...I really don't want to put my baby at risk but I dread going to work all the time now and it's making me depressed.
If I'm on holidays from work I don't take Tramadol because I don't need it so I really don't think I'm addicted to it, it's just when I go to work I think I am.
Any insight would be wonderful as I don't want to lose my job because I'm always sitting down and crying from the pain and I also don't want to risk my babies life if Tramadol isn't good for you when pregnant.
Please help!

Thanks,
Lauren

Hello Everyone-

I have been reading everyone's post for awhile and have found them to be very very helpful. I am currently about 21
weeks pregnant with my 3rd child. My first two pregnancies I had no pain killer addiction-but this one is different unfortunately.
I was originally on 2 (50 mg) tramadol a day when I found out I was pregnant. Right away I knew I had to do something about it-
but I knew that it was going to be a process. From then I slowly and gradually cut my dose from 2 a day to a quarter of one (50mg)
a day. This took me about 2-3 months to get to that level. Needless to say I am very happy and hope to be off of tramadol
completely within the next 2-3 weeks. Although-I seen plenty of people have their babies on higher doses and the baby's are
perfectly fine. But-this is just my choice to come off completely so I'm not tied down to some pill. But-I know some people have
genuine pain and can not function without it. And to them-I feel that the benefits outweigh the risk. In my research tramadol
isn't as bad as a true opiate pain killer-just because it's synthetic. But I wanted to tell the soon to be moms out there that
it is possible to cut down and wean off if that is your wish. I can't wait to read all the follow ups to help the moms feel better. But
I wish everyone a good pregnancy and a healthy baby.


Marlene

Hey everyone!


My post is the very first one of this page (5), and I have to say reading all the posts after mine sounds like something I could have written myself! This is the hardest thing ever, being addicted while pregnant, the guilt of having to take the med to get through the day, and the fear of what it going on with your baby. But, it is so comforting to read these posts and know that you aren't the only one. Thank you all so much for sharing your stories on here!

I am now back down to 2 pills a day. I make myself wait 12 hours (more if I can) in between pills. It is good to say the wd's aren't as bad as they used to be, but still there. I think tomorrow I will try to move down to 1 1/2 pills a day and see how that goes. I will probably be having my babies in a couple of weeks, and that helps motivate me even more. It is way past time to stop being selfish. Like others have said, the babies are doing great, moving like crazy, and their heart rates are soooo good! My doctor is always saying how well my pregnancy is going. The boys are at a good weight and should be 5 1/2 pounds if not more by the time I deliver, so all is well. I go for non stress tests weekly now (since I am having twins, am 36, and on blood pressure meds) and all I ever hear is how well the boys are doing. The RN even told my husband and I that these were the best twins she's ever monitored. All these things make me feel so much better! I think my fear with the Tramadol was that there would be a heart defect, or some kind of defect, and they are both very healthy physically, and I thank God daily!

I am hoping if I can't get all the way off, or even any lower than 2 a day, that it will be low enough that my babies won't have to struggle with it out of the womb. Of course, hearing about weaning them off while breastfeeding is a promising thought, if it comes down to that. Hopefully it will all be ok though. I look forward to hearing how all your deliveries went, and how the babies are. Good luck to all of you due soon!

Hi All - I had my son! I am the guest who posted about being on 4-6 per day during the pregnancy, getting down to 3 during the second trimester. I wanted to update everyone asap.

I was induced early and ended up having a c-section due to blood pressure issues. I am a small person who is usually very healthy, but the pregnancy was hard on my body. That said, I was scared to death about what my son would go through when born.

He DID have some minor signs of withdrawal at birth. He is only 6 days old today, but seems to be doing much much better. My docs all knew about the tramadol while I was pregnant and current usage. They knew how much I was taking, and allowed me to take them when I started to labor. When they discovered that I wasn't progressing with pitocin, I talked to the dr about a c-section. He straight up told me that if I had one, it would be my opportunity to STOP the tramadol once and for all. He would prescribe me percocet that would help with my withdrawals, and I would take them for 2 weeks to get the tramadol out of my system before weaning off the percocet. I was in favor of the c-section based on my hard labor with no progress, so I agreed and threw away the tramadol.

Well, it's been 5 days since I took tramadol and I have no withdrawal symptoms. I am on the percocet for the c-section, and it seems to have taken away all of the bad stuff I was fearing with tramadol/ultram withdrawal. I am so relieved.

My son was born perfectly healthy. He scored a 9/9 on his APGAR tests, and was great for the first day or so. Then came some minor symptoms. He was a bit fussy, easily startled, jittery, sneezy, and overall seemed to have what the staff would call "symptoms that COULD be withdrawals OR normal baby fussiness". In other words, had they not known about the tramadol, they would not have thought he was coming off of medication. Some of the percocet is coming through in the breastmilk, but not enough that he was drugged and therefor not enough to mask the tramadol. He continued to have the symptoms above for the first 3-4 days or so. Many of the nurses did research about tramadol as they had never dealt with it before in labor or delivery. Because it is not a narcotic or a controlled substance, it wasn't frowned upon or seen as a reason to evaluate my parenthood. Had I switched to subutex or something, then there would have been repercussions from authorities, apparently. Tramadol is effective for pain, and will not be seen as a reason to question fitness for parenthood (unlike methadone, vicodin, etc. abuse).

Now, at 5 days old, he is doing much better. He sleeps a lot, but also has times of being alert and totally normal. He is not jittery or startled easily anymore, thank goodness. He still sneezes a bit, but that apparently could be just him clearing out his lungs. I feel very good about being honest with my dr. They would have given him meds to stabilize him at birth if he was having severe symptoms, which made me feel better because he wouldn't need to suffer much in any case. He is perfect and beautiful in every way, and I am so glad that tramadol didn't effect him negatively. I am finally off of tramadol completely for the first time in almost 6 years (I never missed a day before the c-section) and tapering the percocet is much much easier than tramadol from what I hear.

Best of luck to everyone out there. I just want you to know that your child LIKELY won't have any adverse reactions after birth, and if they do they should subside in 36-48 hours or so.

Hang in there, mamas. Your babies will be fine. Just try to taper and be honest with your doctors.

Oh thank you so much for posting. you must be very busy bonding with that sweet boy, thanks for finding the time to write.I am sure i wasnt the only one waiting to hear the outcome of your delivery.I am glad things went well for you, you are blessed. Enjoy your family and this time in the "baby bubble", it doesn't last long enough.

Hi, Ladies, this is very important! I have just discovered my addiction to tramadol thanks to you; I've been taking it regularly for about 3 years, recently suspecting I was pregnant (not sure yet) and decided to find out if it might harm a foetus. Now I'm shocked to realise, from this site, that the nasty symptoms that I've been suffering for more than 2 years, which I thought was fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue, are nothing more than withdrawal symptoms from this medication, which I began for arthritis pain! My body cries out for it each day, and the need has been increasing. The tablet has been causing all the symtoms that I've been taking the tablet for!! Beginning with irregular doses, then onto 50mg, then 100mg a day. My liver is beginning to suffer, according to recent testing (searching for causes of my symtoms!) My GP does not know what I've realised. She assured me this was non-addictive in small doses. DON'T LISTEN TO THEM!! I recall clearly that I was addicted from the very first pill! I tested my theory over the past two days; the withdrawal symptoms are clear, and ghastly! I feel for all those trying. But I must tell you this: you MUST FIGHT! Do not risk your organs!! Your children will need you in the future, not just now! And the longer you stay on this, the harder it will be to get off. Also know that babies in the womb do not have nervous systems adequate to feel any pain until about 26 weeks, so get off it sooner, not later. Yes, I suffered skin-crawling and sweating and nausea and schlock-horror nightmares last night; yes, I am edgy and nauseous today - but I am winning this battle!! And I know what you're really afraid of - not the withdrawal symptoms, which you know will pass, but in fact life without these 'uplifting' pills, which have 'helped' us to cope with life. Well, let me tell you, I CAN'T WAIT to get rid of this killing fatigue and body aching! I am so looking forward to just having my arthritis symptoms; it will be a picnic by comparison! You will be happy and well, really you will, and your children will have you so much longer! And if fear of life after tramal makes you hesitate, just promise yourselves to 'cheer up' your lives, with hobbies you've let go of, new shoes, going to the movies, putting your feet up shamelessly. Get lazy for a while - you need to. That is, after all, part of the reason why we get addicted to this stuff; because our lives are not what they used to be. Well, make it so! Don't try cutting down; it won't work! Remember, addiction to this medication begins with just one pill! Cold turkey is okay; if we can handle childbirth, we can sure as hell handle this! FIGHT! This stuff is the poison that's making you unwell, it is not the cure! Get mad, and FIGHT!

For anyone who is pregnant and addicted to Tramadol- please email me. I took it through my whole pregnancy and my 1 year old never had withdrawal and is completely normal. My email address is ***this post is edited by moderator *** *** private e-mails not allowed **
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I think you'll be surprised to hear what I have to say. (in a good way)

Hi, I'm ditching Tramal right now, and surviving; my suspected pregnancy is a great motivator. I didn't even know I had a tramal addiction until I read these posts, when I was wondering if the tramal I was taking would affect a baby. Didn't even know the filthy stuff was addictive.
Now please listen carefully: I've been taking tramal for about three years, since hip surgery and for ongoing arthritis. But soon after beginning, my symptoms began to include what I thought was chronic fatigue or fibromyalgia. It was only through this site and others like it that I recently realised my symptoms were no less than daily tramal withdrawal, my body screaming for more. I was now up to 100mg a day. This past year has been a nightmare of horrible symptoms, so bad I felt I couldn't go on with life, but had to with my young son. Little did I know that the tramal was causing it all!!! My doctor kept prescribing it and said I was just weird when I described all the other symptoms and asked for help. She should have known! I gave her plenty of clues, particularly that my fatigue and muscle pain were only relieved by tramal, nothing else. How could she not know? My liver was showing signs of distress; I was getting worse, and life would have become impossible for me if I'd kept going that way.
When I was suspicious, I decided to test it, and went cold turkey. Immediately, obvious withdrawals began. Nobody can mistake that skin crawling for what it is. I'm so angry at what I figured out, that I will never go back to that doctor. My rage fired me to flush every tab and rip up the scripts; you MUST do that immediately! You must not be tempted by pills or scripts in the house while you withdraw!
The first nights are the worst, but you could try what I did. I took panadol (as per instructions only) through the day, then at night, when I was absolutely unable to sleep, I took a panadeine extra, which is supposed to be okay for pregnancy. I broke the tab in half - it was enough to get me back to sleep. That's all you need. You might have to take the other half later in the night. But try not to do it for more than two or three nights consecutively. I didn't have to; panadol was enough after those first three worst nights. Then again, a few nights further on, I had to have half a panadeine again to sleep. The withdrawals come and go, but mainly go. You don't want a codeine addiction instead. Do this only when essential.
Reduce your responsibilities in the daytime. Get daycare, get help, take time off work, nap, and most importantly, use physical activity to overcome the skin crawling (it works a treat). Above all, get a DIFFERENT doctor and tell all; my new doc has prescribed something to help me sleep if I need it; she says it's totally non-addictive. But I haven't needed it yet. I'm doing fine. You should go to a doc for help, too. Panadol might not be enough for you. But do not do a cut-down thing!! It doesn't work!! I've read too many sites about this now, and I'm sure that cold turkey is the only way. It doesn't matter how little of this filth you're taking, you are still feeding your addiction and it will not go away. You'll just prolong your withdrawal symptoms. Get it over and done with. I did.
If you want incentive to do this, then know that you are going to feel FABULOUS, like I now do, despite my arthritis!! All the 'chronic fatigue' symptoms have gone completely! My energy is back, my appetite is back - it's wonderful! I still get skin crawling (have it right now) but not so badly and only occasionally; I know it's on the way out. With the worst over, I'm not at all worried that I'll ever go back on this, or any other poison like it. Your other incentive is your future. My liver was beginning to suffer, and my home business as well as my young child, not to mention my (hopeful) new baby. Tramal was no longer making me feel good, not for long. It was making me feel mainly bad, as these things do. You're headed for the same or worse if you don't try to get off it.
Come on, ladies! You can do childbirth, you can do this! You are lionnesses now! We should sue these damned doctors who introduce us to this!
Be strong!

To Lauren from Australia; I am also from Oz. Please trust me that you are indeed addicted. You can go for a while without it and be okay if your circumstances permit. I was doing that for the first year or so of taking it. I didn't take it every day. But the addiction will grow; it always does! You will become more dependent, and you already are. If you find you cannot keep avoiding taking it, then you are addicted. Can't your doctor prescribe something else for your back pain; something that is not a narcotic? If not, then find another doctor. You're on a rollercoaster and you must get off NOW. You'll be able to do so without even as much difficulty as I'm experiencing if you do it now, and I'm coping with my work. But the mere fact that you will have withdrawals is enough to tell you that you are addicted. This stuff is addictive from the very first tab.
What is more important; your baby or your work? Make a choice. Take time off work to cope with withdrawals if you need. Being a Mum is a far more important and rewarding job than any in the world, and I know; I've had a wonderful career, but nothing I've done compares with the importance of what I'm doing now. (Don't let your partner tell you otherwise.)
I'm coping with my arthritis without more than Panadol Osteo. It's easy now that I'm free of the daily tramal withdrawals that I was suffering from taking the drug for three years. You too will begin to suffer constant withdrawals as your body demands more of the drug and as your current dose becomes ineffective.
No job on this planet is worth that. But every baby is.
Good luck.