I Was in a Bad Car Accident

Go to a chiropractor. It's safe even when you are pregnant. I have a great one and she's helped me and my family through many things, even a car accident that my three children were in. I'd be afraid to take medication if I were pregnant, too.

I am a physical therapist. When you are pregnant your ligaments are more lax due to hormones. This could be an increased reason for your back pain (of course not knowing the details of your accident). If you hit your knee on the dash you could have bruised it or repositioned your kneecap (patella femoral disorder). Instead of the Vicodin I would ask my doctor if you could get a referral to phyiscal therapy. Where do you live? I would be more than happy to further discuss this with you if you're interested.

narcotics such as vicoden have not been shown to be harmful to pregnancy. of course you would be worried and that is natural, normal. I would take it as needed, and stop as soon as you felt you could. I get worried about stuff like that too, but I actually feel fairly comfortable with narcotics, my husband who is a doctor, and a doctor who doesn't believe in giving drugs to fix people is comfortable with narcotics during pregnancy. Only as needed of course. good luck!!

I have a long time back problem and have survived cancer, I live in a small town, so my OB doctor also works as a family practice doctor and has been my doctor through my cancer and one completed pregnancy and this one on the way. He has reassured me over and over that very little of the vicodine actually goes to the baby and it is actually better for me to take it and not be in pain and stressing my body out, the baby feels the stresses of you too, so I take it when I need it. My back was injured in a car accident years ago, I took the vicodine while pregnant with my daughter (1 1/2) and she is fine. I finally believe that it's better for me and the baby for me to NOT be in pain and torturing myself. It took a long time to get to this point though as I too was worried about the effects it would or could have on my unborn baby.

Hi there. When I was about 6 months along, I also needed to take pain medication (not for a car accident thought). I took 2 vicodin every day until my son was born. I don't think that my doctor (or yours) would give you anything that could harm the baby in any way. My son is just fine :) I do know that it made me feel guilty like I was doing something bad, but you have to be healthy enough to take care of 2! kids and be preggers! So, I think you should take it for a little while until you are all healed up.

Hi E.,
I have a son who was in an accident when he was 18. He was taken to the hospital and basicly told the same things and then again by his reg. Dr. just use pain pills, he was all bent over and in so much pain, they said he would have to just learn to live with it. We were told about a Chiropractor in vancouver a Dr Tom Saeman the office is called Back to Health, We took our son with in about a week he was standing upringht again and the pain was completely gone!!! I know he adjusts preg. women too. I hope this helps
it was like a miricle!

Okay, this will be probably different than you've heard before. There is a Quantum Touch practitioner (also licensed in Massage Therapy) about 2 hours from you in Anacortes, WA. She's absolutely great, and I'd recommend contacting her to see if you could get in. You will most likely find it highly beneficial toward getting your body back to where it knows it needs to be. For information on QT, you can go to www.quantumtouch.com. This practitioner's information is:
Judy Hammer
LMP, COTA, RM, Certified Q-T Practitioner
PO Box 1478
Anacortes, Washington 98221 US
1-###-###-####
____@____.com
http://www.yourenergyworkpractice.com

I took a seminar from her before, and know that she comes very highly recommended.

Good luck!

Angel :)

As long as your are not abusing it, It is safe for you and baby!
My ob prescribed vicodin while prego with first son for 2-3 trimester for severe back pain.

Have you tried chiropractic and massage for your back pain? I've worked in a chirorpactic clinic and have been getting chiropractic care for years and have seen the wonders it can do. Especially in car and other accidents. It's actually recommended with pregnancies because of the added weight and strain on your back. I do know of a wonderful chiropractor in your area and they also have massage services there as well. If you'd like I can pass this information on to you.
I really hope you get to feeling better!

I was prescribed vicodin for headaches while pregnant because tylenol wasn't working. I researched it before taking it, only took it when I couldn't function or sleep, and my baby is fine. But you never want to simply mask symptoms, especially from a trauma. You're only dulling the pain, but the problems can last for years, especially if untreated!

I've been in two serious accidents and had to have knee surgery among other modalities for back pain and PTSD/depression as a result. Get to the chiropractor and massage therapist ASAP! PT will only help after some of the pain has subsided, it strengthens the muscles that surround the injured areas, which you don't want to do if your spine is in the improper position. None of these therapies will hurt the baby, and taking care of yourself is the best and most important thing to do for your kids!!

I know of a good chiropractor in Federal Way and even more downtown, and I work at an office in West Seattle, we also have massage there. Let me know if you need a recommendation!

I would check with the doctors and find out if an Xray is more risky, or Vicodin is more risky. Alot of these drugs have not been tested properly on pregnant women. If it were me, I would go with the Xray, get the knee fixed and avoid drugs. You don't know what it's doing to your baby's brain. Also, they use a lead shield for the part of the body NOT undergoing the Xray, so your baby will be shielded.

You could also try chiropractic then acupuncture. They are safe alternatives that will not hurt the baby in any way.

E.,
I recently had my fourth baby. While I was pregnant with her I had kidney stones and was in excruciating pain a lot of the time. The only pain medication they could give me was vicodin. They told me that in small amounts it would be fine while I was pregnant, but I also was uncomfortable with it. My OB assured me that it would not harm the baby. But for me, I only used it if I couldn't function because of the pain. I did everything I could to function without it. When I needed it I took it and didn't feel guilty. When deciding if you should take it I would suggest that you weigh how much pain you are in and how well you can take care of your other kids and yourself when you are in pain. Don't forget to take care of yourself. Good luck and I hope you feel better soon.

Vicodin is in a category C. If you can get away with not taking it the better. But if the benefits outweigh the risks....
www.safefetus.com is a good resource to see what drugs you can take.

Get well real soon Ny

Hi E., you might consider using a muscle rub on your knee/leg. That would help the pain at the site. If you are only taking the Vicodin at night I'm sure you will be ok. ALSO, make sure that if you take extra Tylenol that you stay within the safe amount. You don't want to do more harm. There is already Tylenol in the Vicodin. You can always ask your Pharmasist about what could happen taking it to long and what the proper amount of Tylenol at one time is and also within a 24 hour period. There are limits. They are full of knowledge about stuff like this. They might even suggest an alternative. I would also suggest ice pack alternating with a heating pad. That will help with the pain, too. I'm glad everything is ok with the baby. Many blessing to you!

Hi E.,
I am sorry to hear that you and your 3rd baby were in an accident. Please stop the vicoden. I am a massage therapist and I have healed from a severe accident too. You can take a homeopathic remedy for your back called ARNICA 200x. It's also available in an ointment form to rub on the specific places.
Ice pack really do help. The cold numbs the tissues.

First of all, PT may help you, but what it does not do is release the stress forces from your body and nervous system.
Because you are pregnant, I would highly recommend craniosacral therapy. It's gentle and able to help your body release the stress and align and it's a natural pain reliever.

For you the mom,this work also helps your pelvis de-stress and prepare for labor. For the baby, it will help the baby be in the best position possible for L&D.

We (health care providers) want you to find your way naturally and safely. There are ways to deal with the pain and start the healing. Good luck. I have more if you are interested.

Have you thought about naturopathic remedies such as acupuncture, chiropractic, PT, or massage?

With my first pregnany I was working for a chiropractor and received treatments all the time along with monthly massages and it was great! Just look for a chiro that practices "network spinal analysis" which is a softer touch than the "snap, crackle, pop" chiropractors.

With my second pregnancy I tripped and almost fell down and in the process of catching myself really wrenched my hip. After a few weeks I could barely walk and waddled like a penguin really badly. So, I tried the chiro, and he offered some relief, but I could still barely walk. So I went to a PT that my parinatologist (high-risk OB) recommended and after one visit I was walking normally! He also gave me stretches to do, while I was pregnant, in case my hip started hurting again, and gave me some stretches to do after I had the baby to help get my tummy back.

So, check your insurance benefit to see if this is an option then ask your OB for a referral.

Hope you feel better!
M.

I know a woman about to deliver twins who is also on vicodin for pain until she delivers. The only reason I can think that your doctor may be concerned is that vicodin tends to be highly addictive. Not good for you, in case you develop an addiction, and harder for the baby once it's delivered, because it will go through a slight drug withdrawal. What you have to ask yourself is whether going without the vicodin will cause so much discomfort or chance for falling and hurting yourself that it would endanger your pregnancy to NOT have painkiller. There are other safe painkillers for pregnancy, too, which are not as addictive, like oxycodone (NOT oxycontin, which IS addictive).

Hello,
Let me start off with saying I am not medically qualified to answer this question. But here is what I know for a fact. Doctor's don't know for sure if there will be any harm to your baby if you take it. Very possibly your baby will be born dependant on vicodin, or born with his/her respiratory system depressed. They question you need to ask yourself is if the benefits to your body at this moment in time outweigh the potential harm it causes your baby. Other then that I can't tell you what to do... just be careful and it sounds like you are already doing that. I hope you start feeling better soon.
A.

Hi. I don't have any advice on the vicodin. But I will say this: TAKE CARE OF YOUR BACK!!!!! Get into some physical therapy and make sure you work out the whiplash! I had a car accident 15 years ago and I still have terrible back pain. Once you have a little one again that you are sitting to breast feed, and / or laying down into a crib, you will be hurting even more! I CAN'T STRESS THIS ENOUGH! My back problems consume my life and I am paying a ton of money now with a personal trainer to get strong and try to repair some of it. It's just been so bad for so long that it's got "scarring" in there on the muscle, sort of.

I believe that if it was even slightly harmful to the baby they wouldnt let you take it. At this stage in your babies growth they are mostly just growing and getting stronger. The critical few months are past. I also strongly believe that your pain will affect the baby. They can sense our moods and get the same hormones we have running through our system. Stess hormones (as released when in pain) are also experianced by your baby. About the x-ray, I fell and broke my foot when I was 5 months pregnant. The CNP I went to said she didnt think it was broken but wouldnt xray it unless it was still hurting in a week. It was and it turns out I had 3 foot bones broke but luckaly was wearing the boot cast and didnt do any damage to them. ANYWAY, I had to see a high risk ob after and we were talking about my foot, and she said the xray risk is almost nonexistant because our xrays now are not the ones that we started using years ago and that one or 2 xrays are harmless especially on a limb with a shield on your belly. She got all worked up about how the medical comunity insists on holding onto this myth. Just thought I would share that info

I'm sorry to hear about your situation. Sounds like you've gotten a lot of advice. One thing to remember is that, even if the effect is minimal, everything you do, take and experience during pregnancy affects your baby. So, if you think that your baby needs the drugs, then go ahead and take them. I agree that you don't want to be dealing with all of this during delivery or in taking care of your new baby, so please, please, please look into some of the other options. Chiropractic, Physical Therapy, Acupuncture... Babies don't need Vicodin.

Totally off the track of your request BUT... You said the boys weren't in the accident but were their carseats? I have heard that you should notify your insurance if you are in accident if you had a carseat in the car. Reason being because regardless of if your child was in the seat it still sustains part of the impact. The person who told me this had two carseats in her car that her insurance company replaced as they didn't want to worry about future liability. Just a thought from outside the box. : )

Personally I think that anything stronger then Tylenol is too strong when you are pregnant or nursing. You should talk to your OB again and ask her what you can do about the pain. Your OB will know what is safe for your baby.

I would contact your OB and ask if there are any alternatives. Maybe a Massage therapist that specializes in Pregnant women. If you can handle the pain until your OB responds.

So sorry to hear about your accident...... I know several women who have used vicoden during pregnancy and babies have been just fine.... If you need it, I am sure it is safe to take if a doctor is prescribing... Sparingly!!!!! My nephew had withdrawls when he was born, because my sister in law had to take it often due to chronic back pain.... That was hard, sad really, but it sounds like your situation may be temporary.... Good Luck, I know it can be a hard decision to make! I tore a muscle in my back while I was pregnant and was faced with a hard decision..... I only had to take it a few times though..... You shouldn't be ashamed if it is necessary! Talk with your OB and see if there is another solution!

The only thing in vicodin that can cause health problems is the tylenol.Unfortunatly opiates are highly addictive even with small amounts so dont take it unless you absolutely have to.An addicted baby is very stressful.Believe me i know.I didnt think the small amount of vicodin I was taking was a big deal.By the time I had baby I was addicted and so was he.I was only taking one a day.Austin has cried nonstop since the day he was born a year ago.Is your pain that bad?Be soooooo careful.Someday Austin will be ok.But the guilt will eat at me forever.Good luck.and congradulations on your upcoming miracle. Moe

Hi E.- Sorry to hear about all your troubles! Have you tried iceing and hearting your knee? I take an old sock of my husbands that is missing its partner and fill it 3/4 full of rice then tie it closed. You can freeze or put it in the microwave for 2 to 3 minutes. I had lots of lower back pain due to a back injury while pregnet with my kids and these worked great! They are a lot cheeper than the "Bed Buddies" in the store and they work just as well. You could also call a naturalpath and find out if there is anything safe for you and then run it by your doctor to make sure. Hope this helps Shan

When I was about 4 months pregnant, I feel and broke my kneecap in 3 pieces. I was in a full length cast and on crutches for the next 4 months. It was excruciating, but I choose not to take the vicodin they offered. I decided that if you can't drink alcohol, I can't imagine that a heavy narcotic is healthy for your baby. I say you need to grin a bare it! I know it hurts, but you can do it. Good luck and stop taking the drugs!!!

E., I'm so sorry that you had a bad car accident & are in alot of pain especially being pregnant with two other little ones. I can't imagine how painful & difficult it must be for you. I hope that you can get alot of help from family & friends. Vicodin is a category C drug according to the FDA. It is not recommended for women who are pregnant to take it. It can cause breathing problems to infants at birth and can also give them addiction/withdrawal symptoms. I looked this information up on two internet sites. I do believe that you would be at higher risk if you were taking vicodin for a long period of time because it is very addictive drug for pain relief. I most certainly would talk to my OB & ask them what else you could take that would be safer & not habit forming as well as see about physical therapy or massage to help you get back on your feet since the car accident. Your safest bet is probably just Tylenol because it is safe during pregnancy but only take any medication if absolutely needed especially when you are pregnant. Here are those sites you can look them up & get informed. Good Luck!! God Bless, O. O.
www.thelaboroflove.com or www.drugs.com

Accupuncturists have great success with people in your situation. I work for one and we are seeing people daily who have been in car accidents with great success. Your insurance may not cover it but if you have a husband working full time as a lawyer you shouldn't need to worry about that and should probably quit thinking about him and how hard he works and think about you, your baby and 2 children.
Taked time off work, get off your feet and recover properly and then you won't need the pain pills. I would always listen to your ob before a regular doctor and there are lot's of great naturopaths out there that can help you with pain as well,but, I would start with the accupuncturist.

E.,

I don't know whether or not you should be taking the Vicadin but I would recommend that you talk to a naturepathic doctor. I would bet that they would recommend hot/cold therapy for the knee and the back. Also, I wonder if you would benefit from cranial sacral work or chiropractic work.

I like Beth Falanga in Renton. She is a naturepathic midwife.

when I was about six months preg. with my daughter I fell down some stairs and landed on my knee. it swelled a lot so I went to the doctor and let them xray me they covered me completely in lead vests they were extra careful because I was preg. and as few x rays as possible. I say let them do a couple xrays to make sure it is not too serious since the pain is worse than childbirth. it could make you labor harder if this is not fixed in time also the prescribed me vicoden that I really didn't want but what the nurse said really made sense she said that it is worse to get no sleep because you are in pain than to take a small amount of pain relief as a rule it is always better to check with you ob before taking any prescription drugs also maybe some crutches to help keep of your knee so it will heal faster good luck I really hope you feel better soon

Vicodin contains hydrocodone which is a narcotic, and therefore potentially addictive. Your baby is getting this drug through your placenta. If at all possible you should switch to Tylenol or whatever lighter pain reliever that your ob-gyn recommends. Log onto drugs.com and read the warning label for Vicodin. It says right on it that it can cause harm during pregancy. Is the doctor that recommended it an ob-gyn? If not, why trust his advice? Listen to your gut. Obviously you don't feel great about it or you wouldn't be asking. Trust yourself!
I don't know how active you were before the accident, but if you were somewhat active - some mild yoga and stretching might help your back. Again, consult a professional. Ice the knee every night (that's what top athlete do for their injuries). The ice takes the body temp below norm and in reaction the body rushes extra blood (containing oxygen) and heat to the injury speeding up healing.I was in a car accident when my son was 3 months old and injured my knee as well. It took a long time for it to quit hurting when I did normal things. Move it every day gently through it's full range of motion. Don't quit using it! Hope everything goes well for you.

you really need to get with ur ob and get her to give you a definite answer to this questions with other options for pain management. I'm quite sure there are other options out there, if she's not happy with the vicodin, but she's gotta speak up. I'm surprised that she didn't have the time. And I'm having a real hard time with the concept that ur docs are not working together. When I was pregnant and needed any other medications the 2 doctors would consult and come up with a plan that would work for both issues. Good luck to you. D.

First of all, I am so sorry about your car accident, they are never any fun but especially can't imagine the fear when you are pregnant.

Having been in a few car accidents and suffered through several injuries from sports ect, I would go to a Sports Med doctor or the very least get your doctor to send you to a physical therapist. Why - one because they are used to dealing with knee injuries specifically and two my experience has been that they find a solution to help you keep going. When I injured my knee after a car accident the doctors told me not to ride or compete with my horses until it felt better, that wasn't an option for me to do. The sports med clinic I went to instead was able to help me find other alternatives so that I could continue to compete but not do further damage to it and help it heal properly.

Last but not least -- acupunture would be a great alternative to the drugs and yes it really does work. Again, from personal experience of a different injury to my knee, it was the size of a large honeydew/small watermelon (normal is the size of an orange) and unable to bend at one point, went in from two treatments and it was no longer swollen or painful.

I know these all could be more costs and bills for you, but you want to get it taken care of so you can run around after the little one on the way and not have future problems a few years from now. Hope that helps! T.

Thank God you're ok. Vicodin is ok. I had a friend who had her ACL repaired (the tenden was completely torn apart in her knee). When she was operated on she was 6 months pregnant. They could only put her out in small doses while they were working on here. She would wake up a couple of time during the operation and then the doctors would put her out again. But anyway, my point is that she was on Vicodin after the surgery for the pain and such. She delivered a very healthy baby boy. Now if you were perscribed Percocet....I would be concerned. Vicodin is just fine.

So sorry to hear about your troubles and glad your kids are okay. I can't give you any medical advice, but speaking from my own experience, I would go more by what your ob or midwife says that the regular doc. I have had several experiences where the "regular" doctors don;t know nearly as much and sometimes have just plain wrong information about things like pregnancy and breastfeeding. So personally if it were me, I'd go with the ob's recommendations. But of course I'm not experiencing your pain, so maybe that's easy for me to say!
good luck!!

E.
You should try and get a pregnancy massage. It could help with your back pain. Make sure they do you side lying
Kimberly G

Hi E.,
I am no doctor, but I for sure am going to tell you my opinion since I've been pregnant before and feel very in tune with the answer of NO, WHAT ARE YOU THINKING!!!!!??????? You seem like a very busy woman with your two kids beside the one in your belly, and I can see that you probably would not be able to stay in bed even if you wanted to. So, why don't you listen to your body telling you to find someone to take care of you, to teach your kids that they can help you like you have them their whole lives. Inflamation happens for a reason, and that reason isn't telling you to take vicodin. Please, for your baby do not listen to your doctors and their pills. They are experimenting on humans with medications, not caring about the overall health of the individual but instant gratification of geting payed big bucks for prescribing medicine such as vicodin.

Have you tried using massasge therapy? Alot of times using massage can decrease the pain therefore decreasing your need for pain meds. Heat/ice on the problem areas can also be helpful. Since this injury is the result of a car accident any physical therapy or massage should be covered. (Depending on what state you are in).

H. H.

E.,

I'm so sorry about the accident and the injuries you are dealing with. I totally understand your concerns! I wonder if you have ever seen a chiropractor? I have been under chiropractic care for a couple of years now and it has done wonders for my back pain and overall health. Chiropractic is a very safe, non invasive way to treat many health concerns and is probably way safer than taking drugs while pregnant. It might be worth a try.

OMIGOSH!!!

Thank goodness your baby is OK first of all!! I also had to take vicodin while pregnant - twice. My last pregnancy it was for a kidney stone and this one (I am 6 1/2 months now) it was for a REALLY bad cough. I researched it online. I found out that there are no risks for birth defects. There are some risks however: If you become addicted to it, you baby will also and can have withdrawl symtoms after he is born, so don't get hooked. The other risk was that if you were to take it during labor, your baby could have respiratory distress during/after delivery, so be sure you are off it by about 37 weeks, just to be safe.

I found that taking it in combination with Tylenol increased it's effect and I was able to take lower doses. I would say take it if and when you need it, being careful not to become dependant on it. You need to take care of yourself and help yourself heal, especially with a new baby on the way, the last thing you need is to have this pain on top of labor pains and then be limping around on your leg with a brand new baby. Also, it goes into breast milk and can effect baby's appetite and make him sleepy so you need to be sure you don't need it anymore by the time he is here.

Hope you recover quickly!

I was in a bad car accident last June and I have had bad back pain and neck pain I was also healing from my second shoulder surgery. I took this drink called Monavie and all the pain went away. I now swear by it and sell it. Don't take pain killers they are horrible and you will get addicted with out even knowing it. Please try other alternatives. Research Monavie it has incredible anti oxidant properties that have changed my life. If you want more info please e-mail me.

GOOD LUCK!!!

E.,
Sorry to hear about your accident, and the ongoing knee and back pain. As someone who had an on the job injury that has led to knee surgery and over a year of recovery (so far) I can relate!

Vicodin is a combination of an opiate pain reliever and Tylenol. Both are very taxing on your liver--especially the Tylenol, and pregnancy, especially in the later stages, also puts the liver through a heavy load as it is the organ that cleans your blood and your blood volume is 50% more than usual in late pregnancy. ALL drugs cross the placental barrier as well, so your baby's developing liver is also getting a dose, though not as much as yours.

I tend to be very sensitive to such things, having been highly exposed to chemicals when I was younger, and I found that, while I was able to take Vicodin (and later switched to Vico-profen, which is combined with ibuprofen instead) after my first knee surgery, by the second one it literally made me very sick.

Not one person in the surgeon's office or hospital, nor my medical doctor, thought there was anything to it, but my midwifery studies taught me over many years and through many sources the information about the liver and Tylenol's effect on it.

I would strongly recommend that you follow the advice of many who have already responded and find someone who can help you with the cause of your pain--such as an acupuncturist, touch therapist, or chiropractor. All can be very helpful (and I've been using all three for my own knee). Probably the least damaging pain relief would be ice/heat in 15 minute intervals to reduce the inflammation, and maybe a good knee brace. Next, would be ibuprofen rather than tylenol based substances. Drink lots of water either way, and I would strongly recommend nettle tea as a way to keep your liver and kidneys supported. It's wonderful for pregnancy!