Can You Take Hydrocodone While Pregnant?

Generally, opioids are not prescribed during pregnancy due to potential risks. Any opioid misuse during pregnancy can cause serious issues, including neural tube defects, miscarriage, preterm delivery, and neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS).[1]

Hydrocodone’s potential harm for fetal development means that careful consideration must be taken regarding its use as a pain relief option during pregnancy. Due to its ability to pass into developing fetuses and cause respiratory depression or withdrawal symptoms in newborns, it is often not recommended during pregnancy. 

In some cases, the benefits of taking hydrocodone during pregnancy may outweigh the risks. Discuss all possible factors with your healthcare provider. 

Is Hydrocodone Prescribed During Pregnancy?

While opioids like hydrocodone can be effective in managing pain, they are generally not recommended for pregnant people due to the risk of harm to the developing fetus.[2] 

Expectant mothers who consume opioids risk serious complications both for themselves and their babies, as these drugs are known to cross the placenta, leading to potentially life-threatening respiratory depression in severe cases. Consistent use of hydrocodone during pregnancy can also lead to neonatal abstinence syndrome, which causes withdrawal symptoms in babies after birth.[3] 

Despite this reality, severe pain sometimes requires opioid prescriptions for pregnant women, as no other medication or treatment options offer needed relief. In this case, physicians weigh all factors carefully before deciding whether an opioid prescription is necessary. If it is, they prescribe the lowest effective dose of opioids possible over as short a duration as possible. Close monitoring is necessary, so that even minute chances of adverse outcomes are minimized. 

While the administration of opioids during pregnancy should generally be avoided if possible, in some rare instances, they might be indispensable for pain management. Like many things in medicine, prescribing opioids to pregnant women is done by weighing the benefits of the medication versus its risks and drawbacks.

In such situations, it’s important for expectant women to engage in open and honest communication with their healthcare provider concerning any medication-related concerns. If you’re already on regular opioid prescriptions or using opioids illicitly before getting pregnant, promptly seek medical counsel from your doctor to devise a healthy pregnancy plan.

What Are the Risks of Taking Hydrocodone While Pregnant?

Here are some of the risks associated with taking hydrocodone while pregnant, which will also be similar if one takes other opioids while pregnant:

Fetal Harm

Hydrocodone can cross the placenta and affect the developing fetus.[4] Opioid use could raise the likelihood of the fetus developing ailments like neural tube or heart defects after delivery. 

As mentioned earlier, exposing fetuses regularly to addictive substances can result in neonatal abstinence syndrome, which is characterized by short-term withdrawal symptoms after birth.[5] In essence, a fetus becomes dependent on opioids, much like any other user who is repeatedly exposed to them can be. Once born, the baby is no longer receiving doses of any opioids, and their body needs to readjust to drug abstinence. 

NAS can be incredibly painful for babies. Symptoms include premature birth, low birth weight, poor feeding, diarrhea, vomiting, dehydration, and failure to thrive.[6]

Respiratory Depression

Hydrocodone can cause respiratory depression in both the parent and the fetus. This is a property of all opioids, as they can weaken the breathing of a user. 

In severe cases, opioid use can cause such significant respiratory depression that a body cannot draw in enough oxygen to support its needs. This can be a serious issue for a pregnant woman, as part of their oxygen intake is going toward supporting their fetus.

Preterm Labor

Opioid use during pregnancy, can increase the risk of preterm labor and premature birth.[7] This can lead to complications for the baby, such as developmental delays and respiratory distress syndrome.

Addiction & Overdose Risk

Hydrocodone is a highly addictive drug and especially dangerous if misused. If a pregnant woman engages in hydrocodone misuse and starts to compulsively misuse the drug, or even if they don’t get addicted but still engage in heavy drug misuse, they can endanger themselves and, by extension, their baby. 

Impaired Cognitive Function

Exposure to opioids during pregnancy, especially in the third trimester, can affect the developing brain of the fetus, leading to impaired cognitive function and developmental delays.[8]

Can Quitting Opioids While Pregnant Impact the Pregnancy?

Opioid fluctuations during pregnancy may harm placenta functionality through repeated episodes of withdrawal.[9] As such, it’s crucial for pregnant women who are experiencing difficulties related to their drug use or who become pregnant while taking opioids to consult with medical professionals as soon as possible. 

Discontinuing opioid use suddenly puts fetuses at risk of danger should the patient later relapse.[10]

Alternatives to Hydrocodone While Pregnant

Non-opioid pain relievers are medications that can be used to manage pain without the risk of addiction or other side effects associated with opioids.[11] These are often good alternatives for standard pain relief needs while pregnant. 

Some common non-opioid pain relievers include the following:

• Acetaminophen (Tylenol): This over-the-counter pain reliever is used to treat mild to moderate pain, such as headaches, toothaches, and menstrual cramps. It is also effective in reducing fever.
• Topical analgesics: Topical analgesics, such as lidocaine patches, are applied directly to the skin to relieve pain in specific areas of the body. They are often used to treat chronic pain conditions, such as arthritis.

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen (Advil) and naproxen (Aleve), are used to treat a wide range of pain types, including headaches, menstrual cramps, and muscle aches.[12] They are also effective in reducing inflammation and fever. However, they are not recommended starting around week 20 of pregnancy.[13] 

It is important to talk to a healthcare provider before taking any new medication, as some non-opioid pain relievers can interact with other medications or have side effects. Your doctor may recommend other forms of pain management, such as physical therapy, massage, yoga, water therapy, or acupuncture.[14] 

Don’t take any medication in pregnancy without first consulting your doctor.