# c-section mamas...did you have morphine in your anesthetics?



## cj'smommy (Aug 14, 2003)

I'm praying that this LO comes on his own before Wednesday so I can VBAC, or I'm having a repeat C-section. A friend of mine told me that if I have the c-section and they offer morphine along with my anesthetics to take it. Have you been offered it? What effects does it have on the baby?

I don't remember being offered it with my section, I had a spinal. Pain management was pretty good for me, I did take Norco while in the hospital but that was it.

I'm not planning on taking it if offered, in fact for me the less drugs the better (the baby has health issues that I really don't want to complicate with drugs) but I do know that I need to manage my pain.

I'm just curious about the Morphine because I'm a curious person....


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## Robinna (Aug 11, 2003)

I know it was in my drip, I was not consulted about it. The surgery was very hurried with the upside that the drugs had no noticable affect on my dd. I hated the itchiness of the morphine "wearing off" I could seriously have lived without that if there was an alternative.


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## BetsyS (Nov 8, 2004)

I did not have morphine during surgery, if that's what you're asking. I did have something called duramorph that they put into the epidural. It's a long lasting form of morphine; at my hospital they injected it into the epidural after the baby was born. The idea, I think, is to not block the epidural space with a long lasting drug when you need a shorter denser block for surgery. Once they felt sure the drugs were working for surgery, then they added the longer lasting duramorph. I know that they can also give the duramorph through a spinal, if you have that sort of anesthesia.

I don't think that it had any more effects on my ds than anything else I was getting through the epidural.


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## cj'smommy (Aug 14, 2003)

Thank you both! I'll have to ask her if it was done before or after the baby was born. I'll ask the anesthesiologist as well.

I also had the itchies after my section pretty bad. I wonder if I did have it? Hmm....Mine was hurried as well, not an emergency but a "we're going in 20 min whether your DH is here or not" kind of thing. Maybe I just don't remember because I was surprised at that point.


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## not now (Mar 12, 2007)

Morphine can cause some people to not pee. I usually end up having to put in a catheter because they just can't go. This is usually older people, though I had it happen once to a guy in his early 30's. I've never had a man ask me to put in a catheter before that.


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## minkajane (Jun 5, 2005)

I had morphine in mine. It made me crazy sick - I was puking the whole rest of the day. I could barely stay in the nursery long enough to see DS (he was under an Oxihood) because the warmer temps made me even more nauseated. It was NOT fun. Now, I tell health care providers I'm allergic to morphine so that in the event I need a strong painkiller for whatever reason, they'll give me something that hopefully won't make me puke my guts out.


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## liberal_chick (May 22, 2005)

No morphine for me. I had a spinal/epi combo and took percoset by mouth as needed after surgery.


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## turtlewomyn (Jun 5, 2005)

I am pretty certain they gave it to me, as I was very very sick that whole day, anytime I moved. They did not ask me if I wanted it, and I assumed that they often give it to patients without telling them. I thought they dumped it in after the baby was out (as I got really sleepy and funky just after DH and DD left the room and they were stitching me up). I also kept refusing their percoset, and they told me I would want it as soon as the stuff wore off (I never did, by the way). I think they call it "duramorph".


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## meredyth0315 (Aug 16, 2007)

No morphine with me either. There was something they put in they said would take the edge off, but I don't recall what it was. I never felt out of it or anything like that so I was happy. I was amazed at how the nurses kept telling me I wasn't a martyr and to just take the drugs. But I just didn't need them or want them... except for the stool softener


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## sbgrace (Sep 22, 2004)

No one told me what was in my drip (our section was unplanned and happened fast) but I know there was morphine because I began to itch like crazy. No effects on babies that I could tell but effects on me!


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## egoldber (Nov 18, 2002)

Duramorph (the long acting morphine bolus via your epidural or spinal) is standard at many, many hospitals. Even if they didn't tell you about it, most people with c-sections have it. Even if you get a scrip for something like Percocet, you probably also had Duramorph which lasts about 12-24 hours.

Before my third section I talked extensively with the anesthesiologist ahead of time. Morphine makes me practically rip my skin off (as I discovered with my first section). We decided to do a low dose Duramorph. I still had itching though.







Often they give you Benadryl for the itching, but I am extremely sensitive to Benadryl. As an alternative, they gave me Nubain which helped tremendously.

If you opt not to go the Duramorph route, they can give you a PCA with alternative meds or a somewhat stronger oral narcotic than Percocet for the first 24 hours. The donwside to that is more med is passed into your breastmilk than with the Duramorph which is one reason they prefer it.

The key is to ask specific, pointed questions of the anesthesiologist as to what is standard protocol.


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## kltroy (Sep 30, 2006)

No morphine for me. I had spinal anaesthesia and I know they gave me something (Duramorph?) that lasted maybe 6-8 hours after the surgery for pain, but after that I just took massive (oral) doses of ibuprofin.


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## egoldber (Nov 18, 2002)

Duramorph is morphine. Its a long acting, low dose morphine bolus. They give it through the same tube used to deliver meds for the spinal or epidural, not via IV. So its morphine that goes directly into the spine vs an oral or IV dose morphine. Its supposed to give the "best" pain relief for the 24 hours immediately following the surgery. It does not typically replace oral pain meds.

Another thing they often give immediately after the c-section is a sedative and/or an anti-anxiety med. This is typically given because the stitching up phase can take awhile and it kind of makes mom sleepy and drowsy and makes the time go faster for her. Also sometimes people do freak out a bit during this phase where the uterus is (sometimes) taken out to be sewn up and then put back. I felt totally loopy after my first section and realized later it was because of the anti-anxiety drug. With my last section, I specifically asked not to get anything like this and told them I wanted to be "awake and alert". I must have said awake and alert about 30 times LOL!


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## Llyra (Jan 16, 2005)

I didn't have duramorph. I don't know why-- if it's the standard thing, I'm surprised I wasn't given it. I had an epidural with the first section, and a spinal the second time, and I don't recall the names of the drugs although I have records of what they were and that wasn't it.

I had morphine as an IV drip, after both of my sections. I had a button I could push up to three times an hour, if I felt I needed it. I tried to refuse it the first time, but they were very persuasive so I agreed to let them give it to me on the condition that I would only get some if I pushed the button-- it wouldn't drip on its own. I wound up using it a bit, for about 8 hours after the surgery, and I'm glad I did, and I was glad to have it the second time.

I didn't want to spend the first few hours with my babies in pain. I wanted to be able to focus on bonding and nursing and getting to know them. Once the first eight hours or so were over, the pain was less intense and I didn't feel I needed anything anymore beyond Motrin for the afterpains.

I'm allergic to Percocet, so I was short on options, ya know?

Luckily I had no adverse side effects from the morphine. I never felt sick or anything like that, only drowsy and not unpleasantly so. On the contrary-- my guilty confession is that I LIKE morphine, and can completely understand how you could get addicted to it.


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## egoldber (Nov 18, 2002)

Every hospital has its own standard. Duramorph is very common, but not standard everywhere.

Quote:

I had morphine as an IV drip, after both of my sections. I had a button I could push up to three times an hour, if I felt I needed it.
You had a PCA (patient controlled anesthesia) unit. Thats what I had with my second section,which was an emergency done under GA, so no epidural or spinal to give the Duramorph. I asked for something other than morphine in the PCA and I was given Dilaudid. Which is a morphine cousin, but did not have the itching side effects for me.


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## not now (Mar 12, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *egoldber* 
I asked for something other than morphine in the PCA and I was given Dilaudid. Which is a morphine cousin, but did not have the itching side effects for me.

It's something like 4 times stronger than morphine, I can never remember now that morphine has pretty much been pushed out of the way in favor of dilaudid. Good stuff, I've had grown men say to me "I'm gonna need more than that..my pain is a 10..." when I walk in the room with a tiny syringe. A few minutes later they can't feel anything.


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## Sheal (Apr 19, 2007)

With my spinal, yes then they transferred to IV. I didn't want it personally but they did not give me the choice either. My first c-s was general not a spinal (both were emergency c-s).

I don't like pain meds, even with the scoliosis and the new DX on fibro - I don't bother until it is pretty much too late and it doesn't cut even the edge of the pain off. I hate taking meds and the only one I'm faithful with is the anti-d's.


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## HypnoMama (Jun 12, 2007)

I had an interthecal epidural, he used literally 2 drops of duramorph. It was totally bizarre to me since they opened up a rather large ampule in comparison to the drops that were used. It was almost just dipping the tip of the syringe in the duramorph.

I took ibuprofen after for the pain as well as colace, that's it.

I had a really great recovery though.


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## cj'smommy (Aug 14, 2003)

Thanks for the help everyone! I really appreciate you sharing your stories! I did get some info from my OB on anesthesia, I just have to read it. Hopefully it will give me some answers.

I'm also going to do some research on how it affects the baby as that is my biggest concern. He has been diagnosed with a brain tumor and I don't want drugs affecting his system or masking and/or making more problems.

Thanks again.


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