Morphine in Pregnancy

[heylottie]

Hello -hoping for a bit of reassurance really.

Am 12 + 5 with much wanted baby but have really, really been suffering with a herniated disc/sciatica for the entire pregnancy. Have tried everything (physio, accupuncture, etc etc) - am now with a very reassuring chiro, who expects me to feel a bit better in a few weeks.

Anyway, during the day I manage the pain with paracetamol and cocodamol. But at night, oh at night, the pain is indescribable. DP sleeps in the other room as I scream into the pillow, struggle to get comfortable and generally want to kill myself. Have even thought about taking myself to A and E in the middle of the night.

Anyway my sciatic nerve is patently badly inflamed. Knowing that in extreme circs you can take small doses of ibuprofen for short periods I asked my consultant today if I could take some for a few days just to get the inflammation down.

He said no - and has given me morphine. I find this incredible - a few low level ibuprofen is worse that morphine???

Has anyone else taken morphine during pregnancy? Am quite scared... alternatively has anyone taken a few ibuprofen and been ok?

Hello, sorry to hear you are in so much pain. Ibuprofen is a definate no no in pregnancy. Can't remember the exact physiology behind it but know that it is harmful to the fetus. It may be worth you being referred to a pain team or clinic if that is available at your trust. I have known women to have been given morphine in pregnancy x

i took morphine for a kidney stone - only small doses but my baby was fine.

Sorry, brufen interferes with the mediators that maintain the foetal hole in the heart that allows the circulation to move in its rather odd way.

It is completely contra-indicated.

Morphine has been used for many years in pregnant women, it is considered safe, however if you take it for the rest of your pregnancy the baby might have some withdrawal symptoms on delivery as it will have become used to it.

That reads a bit worrying - the symptoms are being a bit jumpy, difficult to settle, sometimes hard to feed initially. They settle on their own, or very occasionally baby can be given a reducing dose of morphine to wean off slowly.

ah thank you - that is all reassuring! One day maybe someone will develop an anti-inflammatory that CAN be used in pregnancy! I imagine that would make a lot of women very happy... x

Yep morphine is not so bad long as it is in small quantities... I did take codeine (60 mg) every 6 hrs from around 30 weeks of pregnancy. It does help with the pain you describe as I has something similar. I would advise on taking fybogel or lactlose too tho and its not good for going to the toilet!! ... hope your feeling better soon xx