Is Hydrocodone Safe During Pregnancy?
Women are faced with many decisions during pregnancy. In many cases, they must decide what to do with the best interest of their unborn baby in mind. This leads many to ask the question of whether or not hydrocodone is safe during pregnancy.
Generally speaking, hydrocodone should only be taken during pregnancy if the benefits outweigh the risks. This is something you can discuss with your doctor, making sure you are clear on whether or not taking the drug could put you or your baby at risk for health complications.
Do the benefits of taking Hydrocodone outweigh the risks?
Note: you should never take drugs illegally, especially during pregnancy, as you never know what type of impact it will have on you and your child.
The primary concern with taking hydrocodone during pregnancy is that the baby will be born with a physical dependency on the drug.
Since the baby will not have access to the drug once he or she is born, it will result in a variety of withdrawal side effects. These can include:
- Irritability
- Excessive crying
- Hyperactive reflexes
- Increased stools
- Tremors
- Vomiting
- Yawning
- Fever
- Sneezing
Animal reproduction studies, based on questions regarding the impact of hydrocodone during pregnancy, have proven that use can have an adverse effect on the unborn baby.
Due to the fact that there have yet to be any human studies on hydrocodone use during pregnancy, due to the potential impact on participants, the FDA has classified the drug as Category C. In short, this means that hydrocodone could be harmful to an unborn baby, however, there is not enough evidence that proves this to be 100 percent true.
Are you Pregnant and Addicted to Hydrocodone?
If you are addicted to hydrocodone and find that you are pregnant, it is important that you seek treatment as soon as possible. It would be in the best interest of you and your child to cut this drug out of your life, as you don’t want to take any risk.
While some pregnant women are able to withdrawal from hydrocodone on their own, without seeking professional treatment, the symptoms can be too much for others to handle.
Since your health is of utmost important during pregnancy, seek treatment from a rehab center that has experience assisting women with a hydrocodone addiction.
Just the same as any substance, it is better to be safe than sorry when it comes to taking hydrocodone during pregnancy. If you have been prescribed the drug by a doctor, it is your right to discuss the pros and cons.