How have you had your ruptured discs diagnosed?

How are you so sure that they are ruptured discs?

If you have this confirmed, then it would be best to see a spine specialist. A spine specialist can refer you for the proper physical therapy that may be able to relieve the pain for you or some of the pain.

Ruptured discs can heal on their own with physical therapy, but you would have to have the spine surgeon discus what exercises would be OK for you do do while you are still pregnant.

Fran

Yes I have had these diagoised 3 years ago (by X-ray) and I seen a PT while I was in the hospital overnight due to the pain and they had me stay so they could control the pain.The PT said they would not touch me while I am pregnant with a 10 foot pole because I have already dialted and I usually have my babies early (preterm). I went to a pain doctor today that my OBGYN referred me to and he put me on some meds one of which is a patch that I have never heard of which is called duragesic and the other 5mg percocet. I am scared to take these cause I am pregnant. But the doc said they are the safest while I am pregnant

Have you discussed these medications with your OB?

Duragesic transdermal patch is fentanyl, a very strong opiate that is usually not given unless the patient had built up a tolerance to opiate drugs.
It is also a drug that does pass through the placental barrier to your baby.

I am very shocked that a doctor would prescribe Duragesic to you while pregnant and also add perocet to the mix.

I believe that percocet would be OK to take, but would also check that with your OB and tell you OB that the doctor you where sent to prescribed Duragesic, which is not safe to use while pregnant.

You can google duragesic yourself and find many links to information about it and not recommended when pregnant.

X-rays will not show a ruptured disc, as they are made up of soft tissue and soft tissue does not show up on x-ray.
Are you sure that you just had x-rays done and not other tests? Something like an MRI?

If you have already started to dilate at 34 weeks and have a history of preterm delivery, then it is to risky for you to have any PT done now. You need to be very careful not to bring on labor any early than now.
It may be that you will have to grit your teeth and try and get through the pain until after your baby is born.

Once you have recovered from that, you will need to have a full evaluation with a spinal surgeon and have an MRI done to determine what is fully going on with your spine.
Until that is done, any tests that you had done 3 years ago, will not provide any relevant information now. they are far to old to have any value in diagnosing your spine problems now.

Please discuss the safety of these meds with your OB and if it where me, I would not touch the duragesic patch in any way, shape or form while I was pregnant.

Good luck and best wishes with the impending birth of your baby.

Let us know how you are doing

Fran