Painkillers and Pregnancy

[PregnancyPains]

Looking for someone who has been in a similar position to me...

So I've recently discovered I'm pregnant. Unfortunately I have gallstones (been referred for surgery but no news yet) and I regularly suffer with attacks. I take 2 strong codeine tablets almost daily which helps manage the pain and curbs the attacks.

Being pregnant, gallstones can become worse and codeine isn't recommended for pregnant women. Has anyone any experience of this? Is there any alternative painkillers (please don't recommend paracetamol) you were given?

There's no way I can go through an entire pregnancy having regular attacks with no painkillers

I was prescribed co-codomol 30mg tablets during my last 2 pregnancies. I was told they are fine, just not to take them too close to the birth date because your baby could be born having withdrawel symptoms. Both my babies were born with no problems at all.
I was also advised to phone 999 during a gallstone attack and tell them I'm waiting for my gallbladder to be removed and having an attack and cant take the pain and paramedics would come straight out with proper pain relief. My doctors told me to do that. I did it once during an attack and was offered morphine.

I was prescribed co-codamol 30/500 all the way through my last pregnancy. I felt guilty having to do so but one of the SCBU nurses (my DS was premature) said that it was better for my health to have kept on taking them.
I didn't have gallstones during the pregnancy but I had my gallbladder removed a few years ago. Gallstones are evil and I hope you get the relief soon.

I am managing fibromyalgia and TTC so have been discussing painkillers with my pain management specialist. I have been told no NSAIDS (ibuprofen, mefenamic acid etc), no aspirin, but I can take paracetamol. No tramadol/tapentadol but cocodamol has not been found to have negative side effects in pregnancy.

I am allowed to use tens machines or heat gel/cold gel too if they could be helpful?

Good luck!

Go talk to a doctor and see what painkillers they recommend you use. I'm currently TTC while suffering from chronic pain. My doctor explained that being in pain raises your stress levels and floods your body with cortisol. Cortisol is bad for growing baby's and is linked to many mental health issues later in life. While the painkiller poses a tiny risk to your baby, so does suffering through the pain.

Taking them is the lesser of two evils, but get advice on which medication to use from your doctor as there may be something more suitable for you.

I have a serious pain condition. I was taken off gabapentin and remain on panadeine forte (which is 30mg codeine + paracetamol).

Some days I don’t take anything for the pain.

I’m 24 weeks pregnant - my baby’s kicks are the same - whether I take it or not.

I saw a specialist early on in my pregnancy who told me I could continue taking that but couldn’t take the gabapentin (birth defects).

I’ve had gallstones before. Panadeine forte wasn’t enough to stop the pain, I needed morphine and fentanyl.

If panadeine forte helps your pain, then take it.

Gallstone pain is horrendous. I had full body cramping when I had an attack and thought I was dying.

I’ve had a stuck kidney stone for weeks and eventually urine backing up to my kidney ....gallstone pain was still the worst pain I have ever experienced

Hi everyone can any one let me know if they have took Co codomol through pregnancy I'm really scared that I am going to cause a miscarriage please help any advice

I took co-codamol and even oramorph (when necessary) throughout my pregnancy for a chronic hip and back condition.

Baby was fine.

There will be medicine you can take, leaving you in substantial pain isn't conducive to a healthy pregnancy.
Speak to the GP about all your available options.

Was you early on in the pregnancy when you was on your medication x

Co codomal here as well throughout my second and third pregnancies.
You must know this already but try to avoid dairy and reduce your caffeine intake to try and reduce the attacks of pain. Dairy makes the gallbladder contract and this then pushes the stones out which is what causes the pain.( That's what I remember) .
I hope it gets better for you

Did anyone in pregnancy have brown stuff when they wiped I'm so scared I'm having a miscarriage due to taking Co codomol xx

Have a discussion with your GP regards appropriate analgesia. They will be in the best position to advise you and prescribe appropriate analgesia. All medications carry some risk so it's up to you to make an informed choice in regards to what works best for you.

The reason a lot of medications cannot be recommended as completely safe for pregnancy is that it would be unethical to perform that trial - "lets give 5000 pregnant women codeine daily and then compare the rates of miscarriage..."

Now i'm only a paramedic so if you're GP has prescribed this obviously follow their advice, but codeine is associated with a biliary spam, it can cause gall bladder dysfunction if used regularly. If you're seeing regular fare ups it might be appropriate to change analgesia anyway.

Reference on NICE BNF guidelines in how codeine is not recommended for patients with gallstones:
bnf.nice.org.uk/drug/codeine-phosphate.html#sideEffects

And from the european medicines compendium in the special warnings and precautions for use: "Gall bladder disease or gall stones - opioids may cause biliary contraction. Avoid in biliary disorders"
www.medicines.org.uk/emc/product/5753/smpc

I was admitted to hospital at 30 weeks with a gallstone blocked duct and was given IV Rx morphine amongst other things. Eventually had other issues and delivered early. I cannot imagine that pain for any length of time. Best wishes

This page may also be useful for anyone concerned regards codeine or co-codamol during pregnancyL

:www.medicinesinpregnancy.org/Medicine--pregnancy/Codeine/

Sorry that didn't work properly.
This is the link: www.medicinesinpregnancy.org/Medicine--pregnancy/Codeine/

@INeedToGetHealthy Hi! I know you might not see this with it being an old thread, but I'm in the same boat, 39 weeks today in agony with spinal arthiritis and have been having to take dihydrocodeine, did you come off the cocodomal when you were nearing your due date?

I've been told we may have to stay in for monitoring which I really don't want 😬🥹 so I'm debating on just coping with the pain as I'm worried about baby being used to them. Thanks so much in advance for any advice if you do see this! Xx