Pregnant heroin addicts can consider using Buprenex to stop the symptoms of heroin withdrawal, allowing the opportunity to stop heroin addiction and let your baby be born drug free.  Buprenex is an analgesic drug that is highly safe and of low abuse potential.  It has the ability to block opiate withdrawal symptoms and has been used for this purpose for several years in England and France.  Buprenex has other trade names elsewhere in the world and currently in the United States is called Buprenorphine.  Buprenorphine has been around for decades, as a controller of pain and is a substance that is even prescribed for pregnant women (not pregnant heroin addicts so far).  When the FDA approves it for the use to stop heroin withdrawal symptoms (this is supposed to be soon according to the company that will sell it, called Reckitt and Coleman), for this use it will be called Buprenex. 

Buprenex is usually needed for about 3-6 months of recovery.  The faster you regenerate your brain and body, the more rapid withdrawal symptoms fade away, and the sooner you can stop Buprenex.  Information and protocols for regenerating the body and brain are already posted in the heroin section of this web site.  This article is concerned about several ideas pregnant heroin addicts can consider in relation to improving their pregnancy. 

Dr. Bob is mentioned throughout this web site.  He was a MD of internal medicine, orthomolecular doctor, MD psychiatrist, chiropractor, and healer for 65 years.  He was a diabetic who lived to 108 years and had only 1 side effect 2 years before he passed away.  He started treating addicts in the 1930's and continued treating them into the 1990's.  He felt several ideas were essential for pregnant heroin addicts, to improve their health and aid the unborn child. 

The first priority he felt for pregnant heroin addicts was to improve digestion.  He felt that repeated heroin use disrupted digestion significantly.  The development of the fetus requires proper nutrition and the stress from heroin use depletes the body in many ways, including nutritionally.  Therefore digestion needs to be improved so the nutrient level of the pregnant addict can be improved.  Dr. Bob advised the following to aid digestion:  

1.      He advised taking pancreatic enzymes such as pepsin, aloe vera, papaya, etc. He said 2-3 capsules of digestive enzymes 30 minutes before meals. 

2.      He advised 2-3 capsules of digestive enzymes at the end of the meal. 

3.      He advised 1-4 capsules of digestive enzymes 45 minutes after you took your first bite. 

4.      Dr. Bob advised 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda (bicarbonate) mixed in liquid 45 minutes after you have started a meal.  Proper digestion requires an alkaline environment in the small intestine.  The stomach produces acid. When food enters the small intestine the acid from the stomach enters also.  The bicarb neutralizes the acid.  This can help digestive enzymes work properly (they cannot function optimally or may not function at all – when the small intestine is acidic, not alkaline).  

The stress of heroin usually results in nutrient depletion and a multi vitamin and mineral is insurance from nutrient depletion.  He advised using the multi called Maxilife.  This is a brand sold at health food stores.  Dr. Bob recommended it because it has the remarkable quality of providing doses that can cover almost all deficiencies and this is insurance all heroin addicts need.  Furthermore, many birth defects are now being linked to nutrient deficiency, in particular to vitamin B deficiencies.  So supplementation of a good quality multi can perhaps increase the chances of a normal birth free from side effects.  Remember that B vitamins need cofactors and this is why you take a multi with high amounts of B vitamins or take a multi along with B vitamin supplements. The multi provides nutrient cofactors necessary in digestion and therefore the multi needs to be included in every meal. 

Edema is often a problem in pregnant heroin addicts.  Dr. Bob said 100-200 mg of vitamin B6 a day in divided doses often will control the water problem.  In orthomolecular medicine, a system of medicine that Dr. Bob practiced, it is known that vitamin B6 controls the water balance in the arms and legs. 

Additionally Dr. Bob felt repeated heroin use depletes magnesium levels in the body.  He advised to supplement 100 mg a day above the doses in Maxilife.   

Dr. Bob advised iron supplements for pregnancy.  Everyone is different in their need for iron so it is recommended you ask your doctor for your optimal dose.  Usually 18 mg of iron is a minimum requirement for a pregnant woman. 

Dr. Bob also cautioned to stay away from heating baby formula.  He found heating baby formula often-caused problems with newborns, including seizures. 

He advised extra protein supplementation.  The baby growing inside is formed mainly from protein.  A heroin addict often does not have optimal digestion and therefore eating too many meat and diary proteins may cause problems, such as improper digested proteins leading to toxic levels of improper digested proteins in the bloodstream.  One idea is to supplement ion-exchange whey protein concentrate.  It is high quality protein that is pre-digested and therefore easy on the digestion. 

Another idea Dr. Bob advised for pregnant heroin addicts is exercise.  Exercise makes the delivery easier and this is why he recommended it. 

In conclusion, a pregnant heroin addict, whether they are still using heroin or are off it, should do certain ideas to optimize the chances of a healthy newborn.  Dr. Bob spent seven decades observing and treating pregnant addicts of all types.  The information contained in this article is the result of 65 years of observations and treatments, using a system of medicine called orthomolecular.  Orthomolecular is a method using natural substances (although Buprenorphine is not actually a orthomolecular substance, Dr. Bob said it was as close as you can get and the results are well worth the little possible toxicity), non-toxic, and safe in a wide range of dose.    A great deal of the success in pregnancy is the responsibility of the mother.  Whether you use heroin or do not, you can greatly affect the outcome of the pregnancy, and this is your duty to your unborn child.   

Dr. Bob often said, "good luck and may heaven's blessings be yours."

Note – In order for these anti-aging ideas to be successful, you must use supplements of the highest quality. Dr. Bob often said, "almost all supplement companies produce poor quality." You can consider the product page of this web site. Almost all the products met Dr. Bob’s approval. Since he passed away we have attempted to keep the same high standards.

WARNING:  DO NOT STOP ANY TREATMENT OR MEDICATION YOU CURRENTLY USE.  CONSULT WITH YOUR DOCTOR BEFORE STARTING THE USE OF SUPPLEMENTS. 

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Page Last Modified: 14JAN03