Are labour drugs nicer if you are a f***head? (Recreational drug user)

[Preggopreggo]

I see many reports of diamorphine and even more so, pethidine, making people feel unwell/dizzy/confused in labour.

However, if you are already accustomed to getting off your nut, do these drugs have a less intense/more manageable effect if you take them during labour? Or do you think there’s no correlation?

I have heard many reports of non-birth scenarios where partyhead people don’t seem to be as intensely affected by potentially mind-altering medication.

Very few people at all seem to speak ill of lovely gas and air 😏

I think people moan more when they have negative side effects. Pain relief in labour is a bit crap as they like to wait and see and then give it you when pain is out of control. I broke my wrist and the first thing they did was get my pain under control and try their best to keep it under control. My experience of getting pethidene in labour was vastly different to getting morphine/ diamorphine / ketamine in A and E.

Much preferred the epidural in my last pregnancy.

Depends what recreational drugs you mean. Opioids are not recommended for labour if you have ever been a regular user of any opioids previously.

I’ve never been a habitual drug user, but I loved diamorphine. I had fabulous hallucinations. The ski jumpers really took my mind of giving birth the first time and the pink elephants demanding cucumbers amused all the theatre staff for my second.

I hated balloons when I tried them at festivals in my teens, and then hated gas and air in hospital. I've always liked the feeling of ecstasy/mdma much more than drinking. I'm teetotal now, and haven't taken any 'party' drugs since before I had my kids. Pethidine was horrible, but I am fine with codeine when I've had to take that, so I think pethidine was just too strong me. I hate the sensation of alcohol, but when I've taken benzos like Valium I like that feeling it makes me feel relaxed and confident, which I think is how alcohol makes other people feel. I've had benzos a few times as I had bad panic attacks and anxiety, but am now on antidepressants instead because I did find that diazepam feeling quite addictive (just not feeling anxious and calm all the time was amazing, I was only on a low dose but was starting to become quite a regular thing). I don't know if I was a total fckhead before I had kids, but not on opiate drugs like pethidine and as I said I've hated nitrous oxide both recreationally and medically. I don't think you can generalise, and obviously depends a lot on the person. There are lots of people who don't like nitrous oxide as well as lots that do though.

Never used any recreational drugs. Morphine during labour was very helpful and no sickness with it. Felt a bit tired and a bit lightheaded but nothing that bothered me.

I had pethidine in labour and didn't really think it did the job (am not a rec drug user). It just made me quite groggy/tired and I wanted to lie down. I could still feel the pain of the contractions.

I've had morphine after surgery a few years ago and that does cut the pain effectively.

After the pethedine wore off I had an epidural and that is what I'll go to for the next birth! I had gas and air whilst I waited for the anesthetist and that was also brilliant. I had a very long labour so although gas and air cut the pain I would have been sucking on it for hours and hours so I'm glad I got the epidural. It allowed me to finally get some sleep.

Never done drugs, but the diamorphine was such pure blessed relief I was sound asleep between contractions. I can certainly see how people get hooked on the stuff. Gas and air was great too, though too much made my head feel like a balloon drifting away from my neck.

I think there’s some truth in what you’re saying. I was a party person in my younger days, and must say I had a great time on gas and air, until things got really intense and it didn’t work anymore. Pethadine made me puke and then the pain is so intense the drugs didn’t really help and certainly didn’t have the buzz of a rave! But I think if you’ve used recreational drugs, you’re probably more relaxed about being administered drugs? So then perhaps less likely to have bad side effects.

There is some potential truth to what you are saying in that people accustomed to recreational drugs may have a 'tolerance' to the drugs and experience less side effects. Having said that, the only drug that will take the pain away completely is an epidural... gas and air, pethidine and diamorphine will just take the edge off.

I think your head is in such a different place during labour though, same rules don't apply?

I very much enjoyed the full gambit of childbirth drugs. Felt very chilled on the diamorphine and didn't feel sick or spaced out. I had a mispent youth in nightclubs, so maybe there is something in your theory!

I have done recreational drugs (years ago) and found gas and air alright, however I will say that is doesn't take the pain away at all tbh. It makes you out of it, like when you take it recreationally, and so in between the contractions I was having a lovely relaxed time and definitely not worrying about the next contraction! But the contractions still hurt like hell when they came. Epidural is the only real magic stuff - and it's bloody brilliant. Shame they don't let you carry on with the gas and air after the epidural goes on, would make it even better!!

I've never done drugs recreationaly, but did have g&a with my first, I've always said I'm sure it would feel good If you're not in pain, but during labour it's more of a distraction/makes you breathe, it doesn't really change the actual pain so you don't get the 'high' feeling in the same way you would without the pain. I've never had anything stronger, I don't like codeine so wouldn't do pethidine etc x

I think if that sensation is familiar it can be easier to get into the rhythm, if you see what I mean.

I suspect if you do loads you won't get the full effect.

I was a retired partier when I had my water birth and starting on the gas and air was like meeting an old friend. I was loving life

Loved gas and air.
Actually looking forward to it again 😂

Used to take recreational drugs occasionally, but nothing trippy - weed, mdma, odd bit of coke. I found gas and air did nothing (but had pretty bad contractions by the time I could convince them to give me something more than a paracetamol). Pethadine calmed me down a bit, but was surreal. Ended up with an epidural (CSec) - great pain relief. Hospitals can be crap with pain relief in childbirth, so ask for it early.

Iv never been a drug user but I did enjoy the labour drugs, the morphine was ok but it wore off and the gas and air oh I loved that stuff iv been looking forward to it all this pregnancy

I don’t do recreational drug use, apart from alcohol before pregnancy.

I couldn’t stand gas and air during my labour, it just felt like adding another issue on top of my pain, didn’t touch the pain at all, but make me feel nauseous. I tried to take in a lot and for some time, but nothing.

I was offered Pethadine next (I think, it was an injection anyway) and it took some pain away, not enough (I was being induced and the pain was terrible) so I’ve ended asking for epidural, and that took all pain away.

this time I’ll go straight for epidural if I can’t stand the pain. I wish I knew that the first time.

Well I'm not accustomed to getting off my nut. I had a couple doses of pethadine that took the edge off a bit and didn't make me unwell/dizzy/whatever but it wasn't strong enough for me and I got an epidural which was amazing.