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About Brenda
Expertise
I have been an R.N. since 1988 and come from a family of nurses. I have clinical experience in labor and delivery, as well as post-partum care and pre-term pregnancy complications. I have also worked in Community Health Clinics dealing with this area of expertise, including WIC (Women, Infant, & Children) clinics performing nursing evaluations and assessments in determining a need for services or intervention for pregnant women, newborns, and young children. I have worked in immunization clinics in and around my community as well. I also have several years experience in OB and Pediatric Home Care Nursing. In addition to that, I am a mother of two, ages 21 and 16, both of which I had hoped would be vaginal deliveries, but ended up being C-Sections... one of which had me in pre-term labor...another which was frank breech (bottom first)... one who rejected the breast... and so on... to list my personal experience would be a bit lengthy! I'd simply like to help anyone who might have a question or concern that I can draw on my expertise to answer!
Experience
I have been an R.N. since 1988 and come from a family of nurses. I have clinical experience in labor and delivery, as well as post-partum care and pre-term pregnancy complications. I have also worked in Community Health Clinics dealing with this area of expertise, including WIC (Women, Infant, & Children) clinics performing nursing evaluations and assessments in determining a need for services or intervention for pregnant women, newborns, and young children. I have worked in immunization clinics in and around my community as well. I also have several years experience in OB and Pediatric Home Care Nursing. My experience also includes approximately three years working in Behavioral Services.
Education/Credentials
Graduated from the Mary Lanning School of Nursing in May 1988. Have been a licensed Registered Nurse in the state of NE since 1988.
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You are here: Experts > Health/Fitness > Women's Health > ObGyn/Pregnancy issues > hydrocodone use
Expert: Brenda
Date: 5/2/2007
Subject: hydrocodone use
Question
Hi. Thankyou for taking my question. I didn't find out that I was pregnant until I was nearly 20 weeks. I've been taking Lortab 5/500 pretty frequently for back pain. I'm 29 weeks now and my doctor just advised me to stop.I've been trying to research this drug and the results have been concerning but my doctor says there's nothing that can be done. My question isbasically isyou can tell me anything specificproblems itcan cause my baby because my doctor was so vague and the likelyhood of there being a problem. Like I said before I did use the drug frequently 30mg/day 3-4 times week. Thankyou for your time.
Answer
Dear Krysta,
The effects of Lortab in pregnancy have not been adequately studied. Drug dependence does occur in newborns when the mother has taken Lortab regularly prior to delivery. If you take it shortly before delivery, the baby's breathing may be slowed.
I did find some specific information on Vicodin, which has essentially the same ingredients (hyrocodone and acetominophen). Vicodin is considered a Category B medication. Studies have found it to be teratogenic (capable of causing developmental abnormalities in the fetus) in some animals - producing central nervous system anomalies. Human research has been limited, but there has been a suggested association between exposure in the 1st trimester and some congenital anomalies - mainly cardiovascular defects, but again, the data is limited.
From what information I can gather, this would not be the worst medication for you to have taken. Your doctor is precisely right...At this point, the thing to do is simply quit taking it. There is nothing that can be done about the time before you even knew you were pregnant. All you can do is monitor what you ingest from here on out. Chances are that everything will turn out to be just fine.
I hope this information has helped you and answered your question. I wish you well.
Brenda
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