Recognizing the beginning symptoms of pregnancy can be difficult for anyone, especially in the early stages. The use of illicit drugs complicates the ability to recognizes symptoms of pregnancy because of the effects of many drugs on a woman’s body. Habitual drug users often miss the warning signs of early pregnancy simply because the drugs they use cause their body to lessen the symptoms and they often confuse the symptoms of pregnancy with symptoms from drug use.
Normal early detection signs that can signal a woman she might be pregnant include missing a menstruation cycle, frequent vomiting or nausea especially when first awakening, restlessness, insomnia, feeling lethargic or overly tired and loss of appetite or gain in appetite. All of these symptoms can also be caused by the habitual use of drugs such as marijuana, cocaine, barbiturates or other drugs. This is what makes it so difficult for women who use drugs on a regular basis to recognize the symptoms of pregnancy. In addition, many drug users also have deteriorated health. Loss of appetite, vomiting or even skipping a menstrual cycle or two is not an uncommon occurrence for women who use drugs. Many habitual drug users may also lead unhealthy lifestyles and engage in risky behaviors. The effects of drug use has been noted to cause the user to care less about their outward appearance and their overall physical health. If a woman who is a habitual drug user notices she suddenly has started becoming overly tired or feels lethargic or has bouts of nausea she may conclude this is simply an effect from the drugs she is using rather than being concerned she is pregnant. Women who use drugs habitually are also more likely to be less attuned to their bodies and may ignore symptoms of pregnancy.
One way for a woman who is a drug user that may be concerned she is pregnant or will become pregnant to recognize pregnancy symptoms is to look for the usual pregnancy warning signs. Unusual weight gain, especially with women who use appetite suppressing drugs or metabolism boosting drugs such as cocaine, crack cocaine or crystal meth, is a good sign that she may be pregnant. This is because these types of drugs are known for causing severe weight loss with habitual use. In addition, women who smoke marijuana might notice unusual amounts of vomiting or nausea as a symptom of pregnancy before anything else. This is because marijuana and similar drugs are known for suppressing nausea rather than causing it, one of the reasons marijuana is being looked at as a pain reducing drug for cancer therapy due to the overwhelming nausea experienced by those undergoing chemo therapy treatments.
A sudden loss or gain in appetite could be a easily recognizable sign of pregnancy for women who use drugs regularly. Women who use drugs that normally suppress the appetite would notice an increase in their appetite, while women who use drugs that are appetite inducers would notice the sudden decrease. Missing a regular menstruation cycle should also be a sign for a woman who uses any drug to watch for. This is because while some drugs may cause menstrual irregularity, they seldom cause the complete suppression of the menstrual cycle unless the addict is a severe user and even then, it is often rare that drug use will completely suppress the menstruation cycle without other cumulative circumstances such as occurs in women that are overly athletically active or in women that may also have other reproductive issues.
Tenderness and soreness in the breasts can also be a good sign to watch for to determine if a woman who is a perpetual drug user suspects she may be pregnant. There are no substantiated studies which show drug use causes this symptom, it is however a very common early pregnancy symptom.
Being overly tired can be one sign that will show up even with extensive drug use. If a woman who uses drugs who consistently notices she is unusually tired this may be a symptom of early pregnancy. Drug use is commonly known for causing the user to feel tired, especially when the user does not have the drug in their system, but tiredness due to pregnancy is often allot more exhaustive and occurs more often.The best way for a woman who habitually uses drugs to recognize the symptoms of pregnancy is to stop doing the drugs of choice prior to becoming pregnant, especially if planning the pregnancy in advance. Pregnancy syptoms are easier to detect if there are no other extenuating physical circumstances which can cause the syptoms to be overlooked as part of normal drug use.
