Pregnant woman may be addicted to pain medication
DEAR AMY: My brother's wife is pregnant and I'm concerned for the health of the baby. She is addicted to Percocet. She has even gone as far as getting injections of more "pain" medication.
My fiance and I are worried about what can happen to the unborn child with all the drugs she is taking. My brother is very naive about the potency and side effects of taking this type of medication, especially during pregnancy.
She has him convinced that, at most, the baby will just be "cranky" after it is born. I don't think he realizes how dangerous and harmful it is to the unborn child, not to mention the withdrawals the baby will have to endure after it is born.
We don't know what to do as we are worried about this baby's health.
My fiance wants me to confront my brother and let him know how serious this is and that it shouldn't be taken lightly. I want to, but feel that it isn't my place to do so. I know that if I say anything to him he will tell his wife what I said and it will then create even more problems.
This is affecting the whole family, but no one wants to say anything. What should I do? -- Worried
DEAR WORRIED: Percocet is a pain medication with both Oxycodone (narcotic) and Acetaminophen. According to WebMD.com, both drugs carry potentially significant side effects, if abused. Percocet may be addictive.
It is hard to imagine a physician prescribing a narcotic to a pregnant woman who is dependent or addicted.
You don't mention what underlying health issues caused her to take this medication in the first place, but I agree with you that this is alarming. Your sister-in-law is acknowledging that she realizes this could affect her unborn child, so she obviously realizes this is possible.
You should talk to your brother about this. He should accompany her to an obstetrician appointment and ask the doctor about all of his wife's medication. This baby is his child and he has a duty to safeguard the child's health, even if his wife will not.
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