QuestionHi. 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.
AnswerDear 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
