How Late Into Pregnancy Is It Safe To Stop Taking Suboxone? (Page 3) (Top voted first)

I am almost 14 weeks pregnant. I want to stop taking my Suboxone completely, but have heard it can cause premature labor if stopped too far into pregnancy. My doctor also said that withdrawals can not cause miscarriage or hurt the unborn baby in any lasting ways. I have been taking 2mg of subutex (now Suboxone) for the past week. Am I okay to cease all Suboxone use, or should I wait another week or so?

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REPORT

Do not taking any meds that are not prescribed to u while pregnant bc it will be in the baby's cord blood and also they will call social services in. They give drug panels and anything u have took will be in there and the hospital will get u in trouble.

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OK, so at 8mg and 13 weeks, you have to cut down 1mg every week and a half. Do you take it all at once or a couple times a day? When I got lower, I was taking some 2 or 3 times a day because it doesn't feel like it lasts. I would recommend it, at least when you get down to 4mg. So you've been taking 8, that's a whole strip. Fold it in half, then half again, then half again. One 8th is 1mg. Drop to 7mg right away. It's a small change and you won't feel it much. You'll need more time for the smaller changes. Go 1 week at 7, 1 week at 6, 1 week at 5, 1 week at 4. 4mg is easy because it's half. At 4mg, start taking 2mg twice a day. After a week of that, cut down by half a miligram increments every 5 days. So 5 days at 3.5mg (2mg in morning, 1.5mg in the afternoon or evening), 5 days at 3mg (1.5mg at both doses), 5 days at 2.5mg (1.5mg morning, 1mg evening). This part is hard! You'll be getting chills and hot flashes, headaches, trouble sleeping... But you'll have a bit of that because if the baby, too. Once you drop to 2mg, you can actually just stay there and the baby should be fine. But if you want to go lower, I would continue at .5mg increments every 5 days. I dropped below .5mg a day trying to wean slowly but I think that was too much. I was experiencing mild withdrawals from about .75mg and below. It was better to just quit completely and deal with it. I still didn't feel totally "right" for almost a month... But I was also pregnant and that throws things off. Good luck with this! If you need to go faster or slower, doc said dropping every 4 days is the fastest. Dropping every 2 weeks would be really slow but if you need to, do that. Babies usually don't go through withdrawals at 2mg a day so keep that in mind. It's a hard road but you can do it! Let me know how you're doing in a few weeks.

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Hello, i was wondering what you ended up doing since i am in the same situation you were in. Thank you.

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I was prescribed 24 mgs of subutex my whole pregnancy. I took it very sparingly. When my son was born I was 100% honest & let them know so the hospital could care for him properly. As long as you are taking what is prescribed & are totally honest for yr baby's sake you won't get into any trouble,but my son was born 7-20-13 ,came home 8-9-13 the NICU weaned him off using morophine ,so that he wouldn't withdrawal too bad. He is very happy,healthy,on track as far as development. I was told subutex was a better option then the pain pills I was prescribed before getting pregnant. PLEASE be honest while in labor. A lot of babies addicted to opiates can have severe seizures if hospital staff isn't aware of what you took while pregnant. Just take what you need,but don't stop because it can cause a miscarriage. I have 4 children & my youngest was the only one that I had to take the subutex with. I hope my words help. Good Luck!!

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In my case they did call CSB,but IF you have a legal prescription ,and don't over take the sub's you will be fine. They asked to count my pills ,seen I had correct amount and nothing further happened. They didn't even open a case because I had a legal prescription while pregnant . Don't get too freaked out. Don't stop taking the sub's. Take what keeps you from withdrawal, be totally honest,and I promise you and baby will be fine

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All I can say is, most doctors don't advise withdrawing at all during pregnancy. You should seek a second opinion. I had to stay on my benzos and my son was full term and doing wonderfully. I think that with everything that is going on in your body right now, its safer for yourself and your child to not withdraw. Especially at the low dose you're at. If you decide to, taper it out as much as you can. Remember that your child feels what you are going through. Literally.

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Mommyoffour,
I was so encouraged while reading your post to this discussion. I am always filled with more encouragement when I read the posts but yours related more to my situation. I am only having my second child but, like you, did nothing as far as drugs during my first pregnancy. Unfortunately, I got hooked on suboxone and then was switched to subutex after becoming pregnant. I am now 34.5 weeks pregnant---contemplating quitting so that the baby doesn't have to go through withdrawal once he's born. However, I read more horror stories about quitting subutex while pregnant--that it is more harmful. I just feel stuck in this place of not knowing what to do. I'm trying not to let my husbands negative attitude towards me affect the proper decision that needs to be made (which is to stay on a small dose at the very least) but its very hard because I do love him. How is your marriage now as a result of all this? I know that I shouldn't be worried about my marriage as much as I am but I definitely don't want our second child being born into a turmoiltuous environment, filled with constant negativity and emotional stress just like I don't want him being born with withdrawal symptoms.

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Kdsmama,
You mentioned you work at a subutex clinic. I am wondering what your thoughts are on quitting at 35 weeks pregnant. I have read that it can do more harm than good--as you said, doctors are there to help monitor you through all of this. I definitely want to quit but I also realize that I don't have a lot of time to do that before my baby is born. The last thing I want is to put the baby in harms way by putting him through withdrawal while in the womb--i understand it's easier to monitor the baby outside the womb than it would be when he's still inside. Anyway, I am looking for some advice on what to do as far as quitting while I'm pregnant and whether or not it would be advised to do that and, if so, the best way to go about it.

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My situation is the exact same as yours. I feel horrible and such an awful person. First thing I think about in the morning and last when I go to bed I also tell me self everyday I'm going to cut back and do a smaller dose but every day is the same doing the same amount and times I do everyday. And then searching the Internet trying to find simalar story's of mine I wanna rapper down but don't know if it's safe. I'm a lot sooner just prego only 5 weeks. I don't know what to do!! Hope to hear from you!

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I had a cesearean on suboxen and was fine. Pain meds worked... after also.

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i am 34 weeks and tapered off subutex my dr said i should be fine and its better for the baby then to withdrawl after. im on myb2nd day without and its really not that bad. its worth it for my baby. i went down to 2mg a day then just stopped.hope this helps.

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So I have been reading these posts and I can only speak from my own experience. I am currently 10 weeks pregnant, and got off all of my medications. This included 5 different psych meds, suboxone and xanax. I started tapering myself down to a low dose of all medications, after talking with many, many doctors first. And I was NOT prescribed the xanax or suboxone. This is a HUGE issue once you become pregnant or if you are planning to be. Once you see doctors and tell them exactly what the deal is, and IF U ARE NOT PRESCRIBED controlled medications, NO DOCTORS WANT TO BE LIABLE, therefore you will keep getting thrown to the ground until someone helps. And what they could be liable for, is any birth defects, miscarriage, or anything that might happen to you yourself. So the xanax and psych medications were a smoother taper because they have very minor withdrawal symptoms. The xanax I was taking 2-6 mg a day and tapered off within a week by dropping 1mg a day or by a half mg a day. I had no panic attacks or major wirhdrawal symptoms. The suboxone I had been taking for 2 years and I had been going into a panic on how to approach the taper considering I had spoken to 20+ doctors all who had a different answer on what to do. I was taking 8 mg strip a day. Over the next few weeks, I had been tapering down and got stuck at 4 mgs. I was nervous about my baby's health more than my own. I called detox centers around the state and of course, they would not take a pregnant woman. So I had decided to go to a nearby hospital to ask to be monitored and detoxed off the suboxone. I had told them my situation and they simply said "we are not a detox center, we do not do this here." I was released that night and sent home. Frustrated that no one would take me, help me or give me a simple answer. I had decided to discontinue my dose at 4 mgs to withdrawal a little. So the next day I decided to drive an hour to a very well known hospital who had countless specialists for high risk pregnancy and addiction specialists. They had kept me there for 1 week, I was closely monitored BUT I had not gotten what I asked for, I had went in there asking to be monitored so I can detox safely. They had tapered me down to a low dose of 2 mg of subutex. Note suboxone and subutex are different medications. Suboxone has buprenorphine and naloxone (opiate blocker) and subutex is just buprenorphine without the blocker. So the doctors maintained me on the subutex for the duration of the stay. I was released with my last dose taken the same day. My options at this point were to get onto methadone or to get into a suboxone program. I did neither. I checked into a rehab having the promise from staff that they WILL get me into a program. That also did not happen simply because I was pregnant. I left the facility after a day. I had also been sober for over a year and did not need rehab. So I went home, I detoxed on my own. It has been incredibly hard. My symptoms the first 8 days were sweats, feeling hot and cold, minor shaking, yawning, muscle aches, back pain, rebound pain, depression, and nausea. It has been 10 days. I now sneeze around 60 times a day give or take, I still have rebound pain which is the hardest part for me but not everyone will get the pain, I suffer from depression so there is not much you can do for that except keep your positive sources close by. I try to stay busy but I have absolutely no energy but the will to get thru. For me and hopefully every mom out there is to remember every choice you make is now for your baby. Any controlled substance including suboxone, subutex, methadone, illicit drugs, morphine alcohol, xanax, whatever it is your baby will be in the hospital detoxing whether you are maintained on a low low dose or high dose that baby will go thru every withdrawal symptom once born, you will not be able to bring your baby home that day. You might not even be able to hold your baby. Watch a video on methadone baby's or any baby addicted to any medication or substance. Your baby will be okay if you detox the sooner and if you do it correctly. I'm sure you already know every body is different. So make a choice that is best for you and your baby! Also even if you are prescribed a substance, that baby still has to detox once born, you will be dealing with DCF! I am not a doctor but some people don't want to go to your doctor about it. Just before my most recent OBGYN appointment I had taken a home drug panel. I was still positive after my last dose for subutex and benzodiazepine after 7 days. They had given me adavan while detoxing at hospital. You can also look up the "classes" of drugs with Google or ask a doctor. That is how doctors go by what is safe to give a pregnant person. Many medicines are not safe including psych meds. Please also consider every states rules and regulations are a little different so ask someone and do the research. I had my last OB appointment which I got to listen to the heartbeat, the specialists said everything is normal and healthy. Sometimes you have to go thru some hell to find that happiness waiting for you. Hope I could help a mother in need with my story. Please be brave for your baby!

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I have seen successful Suboxone detox and withdrawal done both from taper and cold turkey. Best advice is to go cold turkey once you are down to 2 mg per day. I was on Suboxone for 5 years and tapered while another 5 year user in our group jumped at 8 mg per day. From the information gathered there was not much advantage if any by tapering. Actually tapering from 2 mg to 1/32 of a mg was 7 months of wasted time. Do your baby a favor and stop taking Suboxone immediately. The withdrawal is not severe but ongoing annoyance and malaise.

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Thank you for the response Tommy C! I am just scared to do anything to make me miscarry, and there is just no information out there on the best time to quit that is safest for the baby. Would 6 weeks be to dangerous or the safest time, that is what scares me, doing the wrong thing. I think many doctors would rather us have the baby on the meds (at a low dose), than come off, but I think it is because they don't want to be responsible for us miscarrying. I wish I could hear more testimonials from women quitting suboxone during pregnancy. There were a lot of posts but not many follow ups to say what happened. I want to do what is safest and right now I think that is slowy working myself down from 1.5 to zero over the next 8 weeks. I will keep everyone posted on how I do it and what happens, if anyone else is going through this right now, please keep us posted too on how it is going! Good luck!

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I have a 6 month old beautiful baby girl. I've been on suboxone for almost 10 years. 12 mg a day. As soon as I got pregnant I was switched to subutex. From 6mg down to 4mg. My daughter had to remain in the hospital an extra 6 days because of withdrawal symptoms. Thank God they didn't have to give her any meds for withdrawals. But it sucks to see your infant in withdrawal and I promise it will give u such a guilty conscience and it actually induced post pardum depression. When the baby is born they will call Dyfs even though you may be prescribed the meds they are still in the babies system and the baby went thru withdrawal. They actually interviewed me at the hospital a day after birth. They knew there was no neglect or abuse so they closed my case 30 days later. It's a lot to go thru and it's just better to be on the lowest dose possible.

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I'm 38 weeks pregnant and have been taking .5 Mgs of suboxone every day and I don't know what to do. I feel like it's way too late to say anything to my doctor. When I first found out i was pregnant, I was 7 weeks and I went to my doctor and asked if it was safe to just quit cold turkey (subs are not prescribed to me) and I quit... For 2 weeks. I selfishly couldn't handle the withdrawal so I started taking it again and I got down to .5 Mgs and that's what I've been taking. Now I'm embarrassed to say anything to my doctors. I never told them I got back on it. They think I'm off of it. I'm so scared my child is going to be taken from me. No one knows I'm taking this medication. I don't want him to withdrawal. i don't know what to do. I've been telling myself I'd quit and here I am less than 3 weeks away from delivering my baby

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hi i was recently looking through this blog what ended up happing with your situation?

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So I have been doing one mg of suboxine each morning for three years. I have just leaned I am pregnant and u am scared. I don't wantvtovtekl my doctor and ve forced to take a higher dose of the two milligram subutex then risk my child being removed from me or put through a methadone detox after birth. Is that my only option? Could I slowly wean myself off of the one milligrams a day I have been doing, little bits per day without causing discomfort? Foes anyone feel this may be better than the how the doctors and systems may handle it? Any advice pleaseclala me at {edited for privacy}. I am so nervous to cause harm to an innocent child

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I am reading all these stories and though they are all very helpful and non-judgmental, I am still very discomforted by the thought of going through my whole pregnancy on subs. I am 6 weeks and 3 days pregnant. I've been on subs for about 3 years, getting them off the streets as I have no insurance. I am hoping to get it soon, obviously being pregnant, its pretty important. What I am wondering was how did all of your births turn out? Were your children born addicted? Healthy? Did the epidural work... I have been scouring the internet daily since I found out. I am very excited to have my first child, but also very, very scared for the poor baby... Pleaase any response or advice will help, I worry myself sick, and that is not good for us either!!! THANKS IN ADVANCE!!

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I know exactly what your going through because i'm going through the same thing i'm 10 weeks and this is my second baby and i'm scared to tell my dr. because i dont want to get into trouble but i've been taking about 2-4 mg. everyday for about 2 months and i'm scared to b sick but dont want to harm my baby either. I want to stop so bad but dont want to have a miscarriage from the withdrawls. please let me know if you found out any information because i'm dealing with the same thing and know what you mean how your crying writing this.

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