Tramadol during pregnancy

Hi. I am currently 8 weeks pregnant with our precious IVF baby and also have ankylosing spondylitis, arthritis of the spine and pelvis. I'm taking around 200mg per day of tramadol to control my pain and I am bedridden when I stop taking it. Has anyone out there taken tramadol throughout their pregnancy and did you experience any detrimental effects to you or your baby? I'd love to hear from you.

Hi Nindy,

Sorry to hear about you problems. Try to discuss with your doctor if taking tramadol would be safe for you. Tramadol is a synthetic opioid. According to the PDR drug information for tramadol:
?There are no adequate and well-controlled studies in pregnant women. Tramadol should be used during pregnancy only if the potential benefit justifies the potential risk to the fetus. Neonatal seizures, neonatal withdrawal syndrome, fetal death and still birth have been reported during post-marketing.?

I see this is an old post however I'm in the SAME EXACT position you were in and I'm desperately trying to find info and can't. I was wondering if you could tell me the outcome of Tramadol during pregnancy. I currently am 5 weeks pregnant and am taking 4 a day. If I try and even cut down by a half I suffer from depression and withdrawl. Was your lil one healthy? Please help if you can. The obsession is killing me. Thank you so much!

Hi

There is a really nice man at the Drug Info Centre in Melbourne called Rodney Whyte who can give information on medications and pregnancy/breastfeeding. His phone number is (03) 95942361 mon-fri 9am-5pm. Even if you are interstate, It is definately worth giving him a call.

It is really hard trying to balance your health needs and the needs of the baby, and you need accurate information so you can make an informed decision. Please call him. He had to do some research for my medications but got back to me when he had the info.

K

Kate, Thank you so much for this phone number. (I just posted a long message and I clicked the back arrow before posting it so if for some reason there are 2 posts it's because of this). Anyway, I WILL call this number as soon as I can pull my pregnant self together. It will be a HUGE RELIEF just to talk to someone about it instead of just living in denial. Thank you again and best of luck to you :o)
Jaime

sorry to hijack, very similar question but its morphine tab and oramorph. how would it affect pregnancy and birth etc. (suffer full severe abdo adhesions)...actually does how a pergnancy would be affected by adhesions??
sorry to highjack huni...im in the uk so a bit different and not pregnant yet.
thank you
rach xxxx

Hi Rach

If you are not pregnant yet, you actually have a few more options you can go through.

My GP wasn't sure about my meds so i got a referral to an obstetrician at a major hospital. I had an appt and explained my circumstances and asked all my questions, and then he went away and researched and i met up with him again and he explained my options.

You could ask for a referral to an obstetrician who may deal with high risk pregnancies (just because they may have seen lots of different circumstances). They should be able to also give you advice on how pregnancy will affect your condition.

You might find your meds are fine. You might find there is limited info and they can't tell you the effects. Or they might suggest you change medications- this is a lot easier to do before you get pregnant.

take care,

k

Hi Sultrysnow!

Firstly, congrats on your pregnancy. I understand how stressed you are now that you have this precious little bundle and still need to be taking tramadol.

Since my last post, we miscarried our baby and we're still doing IVF. In my research in tramadol in pregnancy, 1% of the dose you take crosses the placenta. As I understand it, the placenta starts functioning at about 8 weeks of pregnancy, so at the moment I doubt your baby would be getting anything. After that, it would get a tiny dose. So if you're taking 400mg a day, your baby will be getting 4mg, which I don't consider significant. In lab studies in rats, they found extremely high doses of tramadol causes such things as skeletal ossification but no major malformations in their babies, but the doses they did their tests on were absolutely huge, nowhere near what the average human takes.

I have had discussions with both my rheumatologist and my IVF obstetrician/gynaecologist. They have both said that they can think of far worse drugs to take in pregnancy and if you need to take it for pain relief, then you must do so. It is a matter of weighing up the benefits against the risks and in light of chronic pain, which I have and sounds like you struggle with as well, the only option we have is to continue with the medication you need to function. Personally I feel a mother who smokes throughout her pregnancy does far more damage than taking tramadol. People will make you feel guilty and tell you that you shouldn't take anything stronger than panadol, but they don't understand chronic pain. In reality, there has not been enough research conducted into tramadol in pregnancy to confirm or deny concerns. It is totally unknown. So to keep themselves out of trouble GPs will take the safe option and tell you not to take it. As a registered nurse, I feel I'm relatively well informed and have done research into it. We're currently doing another IVF attempt, and no I don't feel brilliant about taking tramadol still. But what other option do we have? You need to make the decision that sits well with you, but hope the above information helps.

In pregnancy, I couldn't find any GP who was willing to write me a script for tramadol. I ended up ordering it from the USA online, where you don't need a script for it.

Please feel free to write, I totally understand where you're coming from. Take care.

Nindy

Hi,

My Name is Shirani and i have JCA, Juvenile Chronic Arthritis, but also osteoarthritis. I have had it since I was 3 and I am now 32. I have it quite badly and am on a lot of medication. I am currently 4 and a half weeks pregnant. I too, am taking tramadol and feel funny about taking it. The specialist obstetrician i have been seeing said it would be better to take panadeine forte if I could but if I had to take it I had to. Your post made me feel better as not that much goes into the placenta. It is nice to know there are other women out there in the same situation as me. I am making an appointment to see the doctor again soon so I'll ask about taking it again. Its tricky though as I am also on other medication and it might be better to reduce that instead. Is anyone taking cortisone?


Shirani

First of all, Nindy, I'm sorry about your miscarriage. IVF can be SO FRUSTRATING! I actually concieved through IUI but I'm very familiar with IVF as I have some experience there too. I hope you're both still trying. Thank you SO MUCH for your advice, Nindy. You have NO IDEA how much it helped. I actually CRIED through the whole post.....tears of relief (and pregnant-insanity lol) I don't understand this forum so I didn't even know you'd responded. Anyway, I have been trying to cut back (just BARELY) but it's good to know I probably haven't done any damage. I REALLY want to THANK YOU for taking the time to help me and others with this.

And Shiraz76 I feel your pain. Feel free to contact me anytime for support (sultrysnow@aol.com). (76 is my year too lol)

And to everyone else, GOOD LUCK! Especially you, Nindy! KEEP TRYING! <3 <3 and god bless you

Nindy, I replied to a different post and wasn't sure if you'd recieve notification that I'd responded to your post BUT I DID! I thanked you SO MUCH! If you can navigate your way back check it out. I'm forum-dillusional (NO idea how to work this thing) Thank you again <3

Hi,

Nindy, I am sorry to hear about your miscarriage, I too hope you are still trying. Sultrysnow I will email you. For other people who are interested, my rheumatologist advised me to cut down on my tramadol. This made me worried and thought maybe i should just stop it all together even if I can't walk. I went on the internet and got conflicting information. I spoke to the pharmacist but my husband and I were still worried. I spoke to my new obstetrician (i have changed from public to private) who advised the bottom line is tramadol does not cause any birth defects to the baby and does not effect the baby's development. The problem is the baby could be born addicted to to the tramadol. I am not sure how likely this is. My obstetrician said it is best to be on as least medication as possible when you are pregnant but you still need to function. He said i should still take my day time dose as I still need to be able to function. I still feel bad that I have to take it. I feel guilty and wish I didn't have to take it. My husband said I shouldn't feel bad but I sometimes do; can't help it. My rheumatologist said prednisolone is safe to take and so did the obstetrician.

Shiraz76

Shiraz

I am sorry you have these difficult decisions to make, and that you were getting conflicting advice. It doesn't help with working out what to do.

IF your baby is born addicted to the tramadol, they will be able to assist the bub (with medications) to get through it. You have shown your care by getting as much information as possible NOW, and this will help the doctors to be prepared if your bub does need a bit of help when they arrive.

It's great news that the medications doesn't affect baby's development. It's important that you are at your best during pregnancy and when your little one arrives. You might find you can cut down your meds a little, but if you can't try not to feel bad. Your bub needs you to be physically and mentally ready to be their Mum.

take care,

Kate

Hi Sultrysnow and Shiraz76,

I'm really really pleased my post helped you. I know how I felt when no-one could help me, so it's so great that you're feeling ok about it. Yes, we're still trying and have just had our 4th failed IVF attempt, but we'll keep trying. Shiraz76, I'm also on prednisolone and yes your Dr's are right, it is safe in pregnancy, so don't worry.

It's just great for me also to know that I'm not the only one dealing with chronic pain, tramadol and concerns with pregnancy. I know you can't help but feel bad about it, but you do need to be able to function and believe me, I know what it's like when you try and drop your dose, virtually impossible. So hang in there, be kind to yourself and enjoy the little miracle growing inside you. You're not a bad mother for taking tramadol, it's necessary for your existence, just remember that.

Lotsa love and hugs,
Nindy

Hi Sultrysnow, Nindy and Kate,

Thanks for your reply. I know I have already said this but it's good to know that there are a few of us out there who are dealing with chronic pain, tramadol and pregnancy. This is meant rudely but healthy people don't get it. They try to, but unless you have experienced it yourself you can't really understand. Were/are the doctors worried about you guys and pregnancy? The doctors are a bit worried about me, well there are quite a few potential issues but doctors always seem to be over cautious with me. One issue is that I already have high blood pressure (controlled with medication) but as you probably know that makes you more likely to get high blood pressure when you are pregnant. Also being on prednisolone can make you more likely to get diabetes while you are pregnant. Prednisolne can make you break you waters early. Also just the fact that I am pregnant and my body dealing with that, and how that will effect my arthritis. I think there could be more but I can't think of them all. Did you guys get told you might have issues like that? Have any of you had children already? I don't think you have. Nindy, hang in there I imagine IVF would be quite challenging and upsetting. I am sure it will happen for you. Thanks for your posts (think that's what they are called) it was nice to hear I am a good mother already and the baby isn't even born yet. I am only seven weeks but I feel great better than normal I think. I haven't really had any morning sickness or nausea. Anyway better go i am writing an essay.


Cheers,
Shirani:p