How Late Into Pregnancy Is It Safe To Stop Taking Suboxone? (Page 7)

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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How did things turn out?

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Hi there, were you still taking roxy when you found out you were pregnant? And if so, how far along were you when you found out you were preg? And when did you start subs? I just found out I was pregnant yesterday and am in a similar situation, I don't take any other drugs but am addicted to Roxy 30mg as well and have a dr appt set for 2 weeks and they are aware of my addiction but am nervous to keep taking these until then but don't want to go into WD so early on and something happen to the baby :/ I'm so scared of that but want to be off of these ASAP!

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

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I took suboxone with my youngest my OBGYN said the baby was perfectly healthy and he did not suggest me completely stop I did whein myself down to very little a day and only once a day... My son was born 6pounds 3oz 21inches and had absolutely no effects from the suboxone... Best of luck I just wanted to let you know what the outcome was for me since I was in the same situation...

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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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Yes, they will check for any and all substances in your blood. You should only be taking narcotics under the supervision of a doctor (preferable and ob/addictions specialist)! See one right away! They can help manage your intake and symptoms throuought the pregnancy and keep children's aid at bay. Yes, they will call CAS if they find anything in your blood and if it is not under the supervision of a doctor, you WILL have your baby taken away from you. This is serious and no joke. Taking suboxone during pregnancy is extremely dangerous and cannot be done unless monitored for your safety as well as the baby.

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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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hi im in this same situation i need advice did u get off before birth i really need you to respond im going through it

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I am trying to understand exactly how much you take. I waited until my last trimester to stop taking suboxone. I was on such a small dose because I don't have a high tolerance for opiates. One 8mg strip would last me a month that's how small of a dose. I went through withdrawals for about 15 days before I had the energy to do anything! My daughter was born 8lbs and 20 inches long and she is perfect. I would suggest taking just enough opiates to keep from withdrawing throughout the day. Stay away from sub altogether because the half life is 48 to 72 hours and your wd symptoms will last longer. You want as short of a detox and wd as possible. Wait until the miscarriage window is closed so I'd wait until you're into your 2nd trimester!!! Although the best way to wd is off of opiates other than suboxone they will pick up on your opiate usage at your objective. The panel they use doesn't check for Suboxone. That is a different more expensive 15 panel evaluation. The withdrawal will be longer but it will go undetected by your doctor. Good luck to you! I went through the same scary situation 2 different pregnancies. It will all be okay! Don't detox from a high level. Taper down to almost nothing over the next few weeks until you're into your 2nd trimester. Or you can wait until your 2nd trimester to taper down until the beginning of your 3rd trimester a then stop and withdrawal. The hardest part is after that's over and you have your baby they give you pain killers. That's what caused my problem all over again after delivery. And here I am again 5 weeks pregnant and about to do the same thing all over again. It's a struggle it really is and most just see you as just some addict. That's not always the case. I was never hooked on anything before I went to a doctor after having my first 2 children with the use of an epidural and now I have static nerve issues. I went to my doctor because of back pain and told him I didn't want to be put on any narcotic pain killers. I was them prescribed tramadol for 14 months taking 4 a day. I was then switched to a different medication and started experiencing wd symptoms. I went back to my doctor and he acted like he didn't know what I was going through. 7 days in and it was still getting worse! Later on I had to wd off percocets and by day 6 I was feeling much better. It's crazy to think I asked to be put on something that I wouldn't wd from come to find out it was a worse wd than a narcotic like hydrocodone or oxycodone wd. Never take tramadol/Ultram!!! Ever since that time in my life anytime I take anything for pain for even just a week I'm right back into withdrawal. I trusted my doctor and now I am stuck with this burden for the rest of my life. If you follow my advice you and baby will be just fine! Good luck and I hope this post helps you and anyone who comes across it!

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did you ever stop at the 25 week mark curious ? i need to myself wanting to stop but just scared of what might happen?

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How did things turn out? I'm in this same boat and want to hear positive experiences!!

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So how was the turnout? I too am in the same situation now

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I am in the same boat as everyone here. I am down to 1.5 mg of suboxone and I am currently 4 weeks pregnant, I want to get off the boxes ASAP but I don't know when the right time is, because I do not want to miscarry. It is sad that no one can give you a straight answer, even doctors don't know from what I gather, because there are no studies yet on how to taper from suboxone. I am thinking of weaning off slowly over the next 2 months, but I am scared to miscarry. I am not Rx'd the drug so I can't mention it to my doc and get kicked out for being "high risk". Any suggestions? I am scared of everything at this point, I do NOT want to lose my 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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Yea they will test for it when you are about 14-18 weeks and it is a very hard talk to have with your doctor

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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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My wife is eight months pregnant and is having withdrawals from subs and we are seeing a doctor at the high risk pregnancy center at ecu but she is reluctant to tell her doctor because she was discharged from the port services group due to insurance issues. What should we do?

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Hi, i have a question if you dont mind me asking. Did cps or anyone test you or anything?

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Re: Sicksadgirl (# 16)

I know this post is old but I am in the exact situation you have just described. How did things end up. How was your baby and did she withdrawal I'm so terrified. Thanks

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