I have been on this medicine for over a year for chronic neck and leg pain. My DR said I have a herniated disc but the neurologist said it looks very minor. I was addicted to Vicodin once and the withdrawal was terrible. I do not want to go through all of that again. I am on Tramadol 400mg daily. I am tempted to stop taking it after reading all these comments. Any advise on how to come off of this drug? How long does it take before you feel normal again? Any advise is greatly appreciated.
Responses (49)
phillip6103
kimmie119 Oct 2009
I am pretty sure tramadol is a generic form of ultram. Ultram is a non narcodic pain med. You should not be feeling withdrawl from that alone. Are you taking anything else with tramadol? It could be that you have taken it for so long that you might need something mild like tylenol or advil. Talk to your doctor he should know what you should or should not be feeling... Good luck...
fall queen
13 Apr 2010
Kimmie1 you are correct fallqueen
Sacosam
4 May 2010
HI kimmie 1... and Fall Queen;... RIGHT ON !
Might I post this question to you two. I am sure you will aggree that noone here is lying... therefore , do you think that the problem is/could be individual body makeup ? ? There's some bad feelings about this and that's not good. We have a lot of intelligent people here, as well as some people who stand out as being "right off the wall ! These people will post any thought that comes into thier mind ! I'm with them because I don't think intelligence will solve this... "hey, I was wrong once "! ! ! Lets have fun , solve the problem [without arguing!] and shake hands again. Sacosam - or a reasonable facsimilie thereof ? ?
oxyaaron
27 Aug 2010
vicodin is a worse come down than tramadol but tramado is not a angel you will feel VERY real withdraw systoms
Bubbagrang
18 Nov 2011
I have been taking tramadol for about 9 months but finally decided that it was a very bad drug.. About 8 days ago I quit cold turkey. My worst symptom has been extreme exhaustion. Has anyone else experienced this?
20 Oct 2009
Oh,I wanted to tell you YES I could function going off Tramadol. I can't help thinking, why isn't your doc treating the problem? "spinal decompression" is working wonders for your type of disorders. Hope you look into it. Keep us up to date on how things are going.
christineATU
13 May 2010
You were one of the lucky ones. Tramodol is addicting and it's only a matter of time before the FDA has it reclassified.
lcaldw7
23 Jul 2011
Would you mind elaborating a bit more on this "spinal decompression treatment" please.
Thank you!
mrspremo20 Oct 2009
Actually, tramadol is a synthetic version of a narcotic. You can become physically addicted to it. I had an addiction specialist talk to me about my extended use of this drug a while back, so I'd know the risks. Alot of doctors will tell you it is not addictive, because they themselves aren't clear on that fact. It is definitely addictive, it will definitely cause withdrawal if you stop taking it suddenly without gradually stepping down from it. If you want to stop taking it, consult your doctor, but whatever you do, do not stop cold turkey. Slowly reduce your dosage, until its small enough that you can quit altogether. I currently take 300 mg. a day, everyday. And if I were to quit right now, without tapering, even at 300 mg I would have terrible withdrawal from it. I did that before, and can tell you, it was awful. I will never stop cold turkey again. Best of luck to you! :-)
Sacosam
3 May 2010
Hi mrspremo; Sacosam here [and I promise to be clean spoken and gentle] I just wanted to say that as of 4/17/10 , I gave up on tramadol after 8 months. I had 50s and I went up the ladder to 600mg. ... nothing , absolutely nothing . I'll admit I was scared because of all the stuff i'd read, so I backed down the ladder to 400. Then , without going into detail , I just dropped off the Tramadol completely, and went back to Asprin. I take 4 or 5 Asprin with a 6oz. glass of whole milk [I love Milk] when I need it. To Me, the only difference between Asprin & Tramidol is that Asprin works.
21 Oct 2009
I can relate to your situation, I was taking Tramadol 400mg along with Oxycodone for almost 2 years while waiting for a hip replacement. I had surgery the beginning of July, and stopped taking the Tramadol on the day of surgery. I have not had one since! With the aftermath of the surgery it was hard to tell what was caused by coming off Tramadol and what was caused by the surgery, however, I have been off of both painkillers since getting out of the hospital a month later.
From what the research says they normally use Percocet to bring you down from Tramadol.
Good luck and let me know what you experience.
COPI
28 Oct 2009
DO NOT stop taking it cold turkey, UNLESS you have good support, drugs to counteract the withdrawal symptoms and are prepared for the side effects!
Beleive me, it is not good!
I have been taking for a year, gradually increasing my dose to 900mg daily. I am tapering now, trying to get off, and even lowering the dose is making me feel awful. I am very paranoid, i get mood swings, i feel pain which is most likely psycholological. I can't sleep, i have sweats, i can't socialise.
I'm not saying don't stop, you definately should! But look in to if rist and understand what you are doing and the best way to do it for you.
If you stop cold turkey, you will NEED time off work, because you won't be able to function properly. Although this sounds scary, its not as bad as continuing on them, you will be on a downward spiral. Please research this properly and i wish you the very best of luck!!
roo65
20 Nov 2009
ive just started tramadol for my fibro tried other meds with no long lasting help. what U describe sounds like coming off a narcotic like vicodin ( years ago I was addicted and with the help of a dr and some dear friends I was able to get off them but not without experiencing what you just described!)I think i was self medicating, took 1 or up to 4 vic es per day for many years, this helped me function a normal life, did not know i had fibro, those years ago, just knew i had alot of troublewith pain, causing trouble with daily life. I've yet to find anything that has helped like the vicodin did, hoping the tramodol will,,, but if what you say is true, I guess i will have to be on it for the rest of my life.I have young child with special needs and cannot be laid up with pain because i have to be able to take care of child . I still have great difficulty with the challenges of caring for child and coping with my pain, hoping tamadol will help, so far it seems to make me tired, where vicodin did not, I hope as my body gets used to it I will not have the side effects .
Sacosam
14 Apr 2010
To All; I personally think that if one takes NSAID's at 700 to 1000mg for a long time, they too will become addicted... "at'sa lotta' mashoosh", "whoosh ! ! Sacosam
17 Nov 2009
Holy Cow! Yes, yes, yes Tramadol is addictive. I was on much higher doses than you for 6 years. I resulted to methods I never dreamed I would ever resort to to get it. I tried so many times to work down and failed. The doctor found out about my abuse and cut me off. I had enough to cut my dosage in half (16 to 8) in one day and half of that in one more day. Way, way too fast. I've now had 10 days of 0. It's been hell on earth. My sister saved me by bringing over some lortab and some xanax, (not a lot). I cut them each in 4ths and used about 1 1/2 pills of each a day. I don't know how wise that is, but I couldn't have survived without them. My husband has been a saint, and we are people of great faith and I know the Lord is the only way my pain could have been faced. But the central nervous, jerks and shaking is horrible. Xanax helped with that. Had no appetite for days and could only get 2 hours sleep a night.
Delila
17 Nov 2009
Hi, i'm tapering at the moment, hoping to come off completely in january. I know that seems like a long way off but it's the only time I will have support and somewhere to go and time off work. Only one friend knows about my addiction. You are so lucky to have your family support, i'm really happy for you.
I'm sure you know this, but xanax are also highly addictive. I take these also, to help relax me at night (although i don't sleep much!) and when i drop down my tablets, every or every other week.
Anyway i'm taking amitriptyline also, as well as nytol, and valerian (herbal), and i switch between these, taking different combinations so my body doesn't get too used to any of them. Well thats the plan!
I know this may not be the reply you are looking for as i'm still taking, but maybe it will help?
Lizzy'smom
18 Nov 2009
Thanks, best of luck on the tapering off. I would do well and then some life event would come along like a grandchild getting married I didn't want to miss and I'd take more to make it. It seemed like I didn't have a life without pain pills and something was always comeing along. I have had no strength for some time. My mother suffered terribly with that and I'd assumed I inherited that from her. I was diagnosed with fybromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrom (which they'd never heard about in my mothers day) but the migrains were what drove me to pain pills. But now I think I have been distroying my health and strength all theses years by the pain pill abuse. Your body becomes conditioned to any of these things after time, so pretty soon what worked before dosen't work now and you reach for more. That creates rebound pain and the cycle never ends.
Anonymous 17 Nov 2009
Tramadol is a synthetic opiod, therefore addictive. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tramadol.
400mg is A LOT! Try to drop off a little at a time if at all possible. I have mentioned to others, I have been taking Kratom for my drug cravings and such. It seems to be helping me pretty well. Contact me with questions. It is NOT a narcotic, but an herb, and legal. It has helped me cope with cravings very well.
20 Nov 2009
I am still shocked by the number of people who are misinformed about the risk of addiction to tramadol. When I made the unfortunate decision to quit cold turkey, I went through horrendous physical withdrawal. In fact, I was given clonidine and bentanyl to help with the physical symptoms. This drug can be abused in much the same way of other pain medications. The only difference is that tramadol is a synthetic opioid, while hydrocodone and oxycodone are not. I find that when I am taking my tramadol, I take 2 50MG tablets three times a day, that I have mental clarity, energy, decreased appetite, and I have no sense of depression the way I used to in the past. The tramadol has an anti-depressant quality that alot of doctors have no clue of.
Cathleen186
16 Jan 2011
thank you for explaining how Tramadol makes you feel when you take it. I was wondering. Euphoria? sense of wellbeing? or just that it takes pain away so well, people stay on it for long periods? I have Tramadol but since I'm taking norcos, haven't really tried them. Now after reading these posts, I'm not going to!!!
Anonymous 11 Jan 2010
I took tramadol (Ultram) for at least 2 years. You will experience withdrawal symptoms when you stop a medication like Ultram. I weaned myself off once and after a week without the med still felt strung out as well as continued to have pain. My doc renewed my prescription at my request and I stayed off of it until I was prescribed Percocet instead for my chronic fibromyalgia pain. I was able to switch from the ultram to the percocet without problem. I have trouble with the term addiction. An addict will do anything to get their drug. We are prescribed many medications by out doctors, and become dependent on them. Have you ever heard someone who takes insulin or blood pressure medicine refer to themselves as addicted? No, but they are dependent on the medications that they take. The same goes with all of the anti-depressants out there prescribed for pain. You cannot just stop them, without having serious effects.
pfcpremosgirl
11 Jan 2010
You are right, there is a definitive difference between addiction and dependence. But with a pain medication, over time it will stop working as well, and your body having become used to that dosage, will require different, higher dosing to give you the same pain relief. So while that does not make a person an addict, it does mean you are dependent and have developed a tolerance to the drug. The danger is when you yourself decide you need an increased dose, and begin to increase your medication without supervision. That is when problems begin to creep up. And dependence/tolerance can turn into addiction in that manner. Anyone on a long term pain management drug should be aware of the dangers involved. I have switched medication to reduce the likelihood of tolerance developing from any one medication. It works for me.
teal
12 Jan 2010
you are right about the tramadol,i went to look it up and then went back to rewrite,or correct what i had written and saw you had commented below my answer,right at the time i was going to correct it,lol,when i looked it up,i couldnt believe that it fell in the opiod section,addiction,et cetera,because my doctor told me those were ones i could just stop taking,see i am on percocets 10mg 6x a day,and they added tramadol because the percocets are no longer working and my pain is chronic,lots of surgeries coming up,i've been on them for almost 2 years now,and someone commented that they couldnt believe it worked that long for me,anyway,i took the tramadol for months and it just didnt help at all,so i went back to the doctors and handed her the bottle of pills i had left,she took them and said ok to me stopping them,didnt say anything about tappering,et cetera,and i didnt,thank god,go through any withdrawls,lucky i guess.
cheersrichard
teal11 Jan 2010
I've never heard of anyone going through any physical withdrawls,and personally i took that drug for a long time and it wasnt helping so i just stopped all together,because it's not a narcotic,and i didnt go through mental or physical withdrawls. it's a very very low pain killer,i mean,honestly i didnt notice a difference when i took it,for me it was like taking tylenol,i dont think your going to have anything to worry about,but if your that worried,then just ease off them slowly,take a little less every week or so until your off them. good luck
pfcpremosgirl
11 Jan 2010
Tramadol can produce horrible withdrawal. It can be a very dangerous drug, because so few people think of it as addictive. In some states, it is now a scheduled drug. And probably will continue to become so nationwide, as more doctors and providers realize the abuse potential of this drug. It is a synthetic opioid, and can in higher doses produce seizure, and can cause some very uncomfortable and downright miserable withdrawal symptoms. Having been told myself that it was "safe", I stopped cold turkey after three years, and suffered emmensely! After researching this very topic, I have found ALOT of other people who were deceived about this drug. It can be dangerous, and the withdrawal from it suddenly can be treacherous. Just be careful, anyone on this long term, or who plan on stopping. Please get some assistance from your physician if you are stopping this drug, especially if you have been on it a while, or use a higher dosage.
teal
11 Jan 2010
yes,actually i just got done looking it up and it did say it falls in the opioid class,and was just about to write that down to let the person know all about the drug and what i read. Im sorry for the mistake,i was just going by my personal experience and i just stopped cold turkey and didnt suffer anything,but we are all different. it's not funny at all,but funny that i was just about to write what i read up on,and then saw what you had said,which was close to what i was going to say. again im so sorry about that,i should have looked it up first rather than just given you my experience.
Anonymous 11 Jan 2010
Very tough withdrawl. Everyone is different. This is my second time, both for medical reasons. This time was a lot easier. I went from three hundred miligrams a day down to fifty milligrams a day over a two week period. I then went to 25 milligrams at night for three nights then off it. What helped so much this time is my Dr Rx'd Xanax for me. I only took 1mg at night around 8pm. It stopped the vibrating, jumping in my skin and horrific anxiety.
I took the Xanax once i got down to 50mg a day. It might work for you... it might not. Also, intense prayer and twelve step recovery were indispensable.
Good luck
pfcpremosgirl
11 Jan 2010
I had some medicinal help the second time I had to stop suddenly. I wasn't in a position to be able to taper off, unfortunately, but was prescribed Bentanyl and Clonidine to help me deal. So much better than nothing at all, let me tell ya!
mommieof3girls
10 May 2011
hi i have been taking ultram or tramadol for about a year now on and off.. and i am very fearful of going through withdrawls. i was once addicted to lortabs and i went through hell so what could possibly prepare me for the thing i was trying to avoid in the first place dr. said it was no addicted like many of you were told.. so now i am forcing myself to do this cold turkey i know myself and thats the only way i will do it.. so tomorrow will be my first day of no pain pills and i am scared.. if it's anything like the lortab withdrawls were than i'm in for hell for a week or so.. but anyways i am determined to get this done and behind me so i can reclaim my life back.. so wish me luck and send lots of prayers my way thanks everyone and to everyone that has done this and doing this i commend you and keep up the good work.. will update in a couple of days...
3 Feb 2010
Last year I came off tramadol after being on it for 3 months usually taking 8 tablets a day I did cold turkey and had side effects that lasted 3 days I swore I would never take them again but I have recently had a total knee replacement and when I was offered them post opperatively the pain was such that I jumped at the offer this time I managed to take 6 50mg tablets a day to start then 4 a day for a week then 2 a day for a week and I have been completely off them for 2 days now and touch wood have not had any withrawal symptoms this time I think managed correctly this is a wonderful drug it certainly helped me through a period of unmanageable pain it has now been 4 weeks after my operation and am now feeling great
johnpatcarl
9 Feb 2010
Update have now been off it 1week and so far so good no withdrawal symptoms feeling realy well and completely off pain killers total knee replacement 5 weeks ago tomorrow only used walking sticks for a couple of days after release from hospital for the first time in years have no pain in my knee
Anonymous 3 Feb 2010
Don't listen to the idiots telling you will have no withdrawls. The FDA has changed the classification of Tramadol to addictive and narcotic like. In fact, some states are considering putting it on the scheduled substance list. It is addictive physically and mentally. I just came off 400 mg a day and it was hell! I have never experienced the levels of anxiety and depression, futility, desperation like that. Good news. You don't have to go through that. I contacted a Psychiatrist and he helped me immensely. Don't go to a generanl practioner. The Psych put me on an anti depressent and informed me ti would take a couple weeks. In the meantime, he put me on very ver low doses of Xanax. I am a professional i the medical field and am working fine. I could go into the biochemistry of Tramadol and receptor sites in the brain but space does ot allow me.
fall queen
15 Apr 2010
ok I just want to stress this one more time. This is a chat room, not a place for people to get their blood pressure up as well. I am quite sure that everyone here has had both good and unpleasant go arounds with their meds. Just look at how many times we have to adjust meds or change them all together. There is no 100% absolute for any one person on any number of meds. Most of us just get by each day the best way we can, calling each other idiots!? Really just face it wouldn't you just love to have that one person who irritates the crap out of you right in front of you and you could just lay a can of whoop ass on them... but it won't solve a darn thing. I would rather go to bed than try to type really fast so I can jump into a dumb arguement, at least my mind will be clear. Also one more time sacosam, You found your support in the right place and I am sorry you must deal with pain. I really am. Like I said I am going to bed and you kids better play nice or no ice cream EVER again! Now that would be the ultimate withdrawal... for me! luv to all Fall Queen
fall queen
15 Apr 2010
Where are you christine Help!
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I am addicted to Tramadol. I have been off it for months now. When I started, it was classified as non narcotic, non addicting. That has since changed. Phillip6103 may consider researching a bit more. The drug binds to the same receptor sites as narcotics. It is a horrifically addicting drug... mentally and physically. I am a professional and was put on Tramadol before it was reclassified. My doctor told me... "No problem". I researched the drug before starting it and was pleased to see it was classified as non addicting. To make a long story short, I ended up in detox for five days. I beleive Tramadol will soon be classified as a controlled substance, much like oxycodon, oxycotin, demerol, morphine, etc. It may not be a Class II scheduled drug like demerol but will probably be a III or IV.
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To be sure... it is highly addictive for some people. I have known some people who had little trouble getting off it. Our chemistries are different. But for myself and others I have knows, withdrawl from Tramadol is a very real and horrific experience. Yes... it can be physically addictive.
One other question to phillip6103. Are you familiar that addiction and alcoholism are considered both a mental obsession combined with a physical compulsion... AND once the substance is put into your system, the physical compulsion kicks in. Any classification of addiction without both mental and physical is incomplete. Check it out.
In the meantime... your advice may be killing people if followed so please research your information before offering potentially fatal advice.
first of all i did my research and at the time it was considered an opiod-like not an actual narcotic. Second how on god's green earth is my answer to be considered fatal. Last but not least i used to to take the stuff and never had an addiction to what so ever. Also If you want to bag on someone why dont you talk to me directly rather than commenting on my answer. Thank you an have a wonderful navy day.
Please read the pamphlet that comes with the bottle or the drug information from the manufacture. It specifically states that tramadol has been found to be more addictive than other opiods in a segment of test subjects. Please do your research.
I am beginnng to believe these chat rooms are more dangerous than helpful. We have a lot of non professionals giving medical opinions as facts. For a chat room of this level, I would prefer people share their EXPERIENCES and if they give medical "opinions", that the opinions or facts be substantiated with research. Better yet, if you want to offer unfounded medical opinion or "researched" medical opinion, maybe it would be a good idea to state your credentials or go to a research oriented chat room. Best of luck to all of you and be careful of folks like phillip6103. If someone elaborates on medical or scientific issues, don't believe them without validation of your doctor or psychiatrist. Good luck to all of you. I am off this chat room. But consider the source... most of us are crazy... ha.
phillip6103, Ok, first of all this "chat room", is exactly that. I registered knowing that we are not doctors. We offer any material we have experienced. That does not mean anyone here is a specialst. Tramadol was handed out in massive doses, as many of the men coming back from the Vietnam war with some very serious herione habits. Another thing I know is that Tramadol is an antagonist, I am on Methadone for chronic pain, Tramadol would put me into serious and fast withdrawal. Now I do not know for sure but, I do not thimk it is addictive either. Alot of people would argue that Darvon is a manmade drug. It is used for mild to moderate pain. I will take it sometimes for a month and I had very minor and very brief withdrawals. Hang in there. At the risk of upsetting ant people that are not familiar with the phrase "This too shall pass" Best of Luck Fall Queen!
Hey anonymouse ! ! I take with extreme negativity, your paragraph on Alcoholism and addiction. You profess to be a professional ? ? professional what ! ? I'm [not proud!] a 40Yr. drunk. I got sober because I wanted to and because a friend thought it would be a good idea on 5/12/89. I enjoyed A.A. meetings for 9 yrs. then left for personal reasons. Even though i've got 21 yrs. sober , I cannot get Pain Meds, which I badly need, because there are "professional"? ? Idiots and Narow minded fools like you out and about, who make it a point to emphasize... never mind cases or circumstances , "give an Alcoholic or Addict ONE drink or drug, and he/she is off to see the wizard"! NOTHING , could be further from the truth.
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So ok clown, you shot your mouth off , now leave this sight ! Run like the scared little mouse that you are, because I will guarantee you that "you ain't got no friends here"! Ignorant , narrow minded fools, like you destroy the lives of good people who, unlike the Perfect Little Mouse that you are... have been given a rough path by the creator. We band together to help each other over the rough spots, and to make each other strong... Leave , Mouse! Sacosam
wrong answer.
not you, sacosam.
WRONG. It is an opiate derivative, and is highly and quicly adapted into the central nervous system. Withdrawl is hell At fifty-five I just xperienced my first, thanks to less than thirty days on Tramadol.
Being a certified substance abuse registered nurse MDs need more education perscribing ultram If a client for example with abcess tooth states he is in recovery from opiate addiction most untrained MDs think great tramadol good idea. NOT. Pt being honest has opiate tolernce and by undermedicating him he has put this client in a sure fire way to relapse. Addictive or not tramadol binds with opiate receptors it cant differiante MDs give vicodan and if pt states dog ate script ... red flag and open up honest dialoque
youre only kiddin yoursel fbuddy
Tramadol is an addictive drug causing physical dependency and profound withdrawal symptoms.
This is the closest I've been to a chat (with CHAT/SUPPORT being the keywords!) room/ support site in about 13 years. That was shortly after I quit drinking then found out I had Fibromyalgia. and shortly after that, diagnosed with herniated discs(cervical as well as lumbar) and Osteoarthritis.
I continue to work in a warehouse and take quite a cocktail of meds to manage. I've also tried acupuncture, Chiropractic(very bad idea for me!), Physical therapy, trigger-point and Pool therapy, massage and stretching. The last 4 work best for me but are NOT all covered by most insurance companies
Anyway, I was hoping I found a place where we can chat and support each other. How very sad this isn't what I hoped for.
Frankly, if I want to find out about the classification of drugs I would go to a professional site. Medscape and Medline.com were my choices!
Oh, by the way, I've been taking tramadol 100 mg 3x day even before it was a generic. it was Ultram.
Very funny. Please only post if you have some idea of what you are talking about.
It is not an opiate like vicodin, percocet, etc... but binds to your opiod receptors and acts as an opiate. Take it from someone who has been on Tramadol for four years. It is a bitch to get off of. In my opinion, for me at least, getting off of percocet for a shoulder injury I had a while back was MUCH easier than kicking Tramadol.
I don't know or care if I'm "addicted" to tramadol. I DO know I use it exactly as prescribed and it helps me remain active and functional along with my other meds. I'm addicted to "minimal pain!!! " My big problem is my liver enzymes. but that's another story. Good luck to all
That's not true
Tramadol and Ultram are very very addicting. They are now considered Controlled Substances and are absolutely horrific to come off of. The best way to do it, is ween yourself.
http://www.drugs.com/answers/115796/comment/?reply=96860
Tramadol is highly addictive. It does bind with opiate receptors. MD"s feel they are helping admitted addicts when prescribing tramadol but it sets off the craving therefore it is better to adequately treat the pain with a stronger med hence lessen the chance of relapse for a person in recovery. If a pt calls back after going thru 60 pills in 2 days then the MD and pt need to address problem. Good Luck
I just started Tramadol. I told my doctor, no narcotics or opiates, and she gave me Tramadol for myalgia. Then I read where it metabolizes as an opiate. I have gone thru' an menagerie of meds for pain of myalgia (Lyrica, Cymbalta, etc.) Some have SSRI and made me absolutely crazy!! Tramadol's own website say the drug may be addictive. I wish I knew more. I'm new here...
bonniecna, It seems to me you have only looked at this one question. Tramadol is highly misunderstood by many doctors, if a person says they had terrible withdrawal, I am sure they are speaking the truth. The very same goes for the folks that say they did not have a hard time coming off it. Everyone has a different tolerance for pain and I believe the same goes for withdrawal from anything. Each person is different and therefore has different experiences coming off medications. What bothers me is that you say this is not a chat/support room! I don't think I have ever seen so many people put thier time, effort, and unconditional caring for people they have come to know and love, just as they go out of thier way to try and help a person reaching out for the first tiime.
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it is obvious that you have not taken the time to go through all the wonderful answers and support from some very educated and/or caring folks on this site! This has been the most helpful and comforting place to be when you are hurting or just feel lke you are at the end of your rope, if you hate it so much find another place to get your "support" Fall Queen
Omg phillip6103! Ultram works different for every person, STOP TRYING TO PICK FIGHTS! THIS IS NOT ABOUT YOU! I am currently on Ultracet 37.5/325, I withdrawl severly mentally, but not physically. I relapsed on it the first prescription, ran out of 90# after 4 days. I got VERY suicidal. Now, phillip6103, all you have to keep in mind is this: Everybodies recepters work differently, for me, narcotics ar VERY weak compared to narcotic-like pain medications. The average person's liver converts around 10% of codeine into morphine, mine probabally converts around 60-75% of codeine into morphine. Though this is a VERY synthetic drug, it STILL works ( for me at least ) like a schedule 1 narcotic. I have had a MS Contin 30 before, and realized that it was WEAKER than Ultracet 37.5/325. I hope the best!
I really believe everyone s body responds differently for whatever reason, regardless of what the drug is. I have know people to take oxy or vicodine for extended periods of time and not become addicted. Unfortunately that was not my case. I have, however, known people to become addicted xanax and when i took it for extended time it didnt bother me to suddenly just stop. It can all be so confusing.
I would like to hear from the original poster of this question. I have been on Ultram ER 300mg daily for close to 4 years. I too was told it was non addictive, non narcotic, and I am extremely angry and very sick right now. I never even realized this, especially since it does not give me any euphoric or sedative effects at all, I think the ER works very differently than the regular does. I had back surgery 3 and half years ago and was put on percocets first then afterwards my family physician prescribed the Ultram ER 100, which I told him they weren't helping and he switched it to the Ultram ER 300mg right away, and it worked for me. Having spinal fusion and suggestions from the surgeon to have another surgery because of the "other" herniated disks in my back I opted to try to use medication to manage my pain because the surgery was a very bad experience for me.
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I did not take more than was prescribed and even skipped it once in a while when I felt like my back wasn't hurting, not thinking at the time that the immediate insomnia and leg cramps had anything to do with this.. Then, my insurance informed me that I had to use express scripts for this prescription and last month, unknowingly when my prescription was due to arrive, on it's auto renew, it didn't come. Well, at first I thought I was getting sick, then was depressed and realized my back was killing me and I needed my medication, I called them and here my credit card I had on file was one that had expired. I haven't taken any for about 14 days, I think, I don't even know exactly I wasn't counting, and I am sooo sick!! I read how it takes some people months to get back to normal, well, I don't have a normal, I have constant back pain and now I'm learning that I made myself, my pain receptors worse with this drug. I feel like I have been so mislead and it is so unfair. This company has a lot of nerve! I realize this medication is useful to some and that there is a place for it, but be honest, call a spade a spade, I think this company should have to send out a RED ALERT to everyone who is currently taking the medication because if you've been on a medication for years and they suddenly change the pamphlet it's not like your going to read it, you read it when you started taking it, the ALERT should be send separately, warning everyone to make sure they talk to their doctors before stopping, and include the withdrawal symptoms in it! I would like to hear from people who have been off of this, without taking a narcotic in its place, for a long time, and how long it took for them. I need a little hope here, my 90 day prescription for 300mg ER is going to come in the mail any day and I am scared to death. I can't sleep, I am in so much pain from my back, I have constant indigestion and heartburn that nothing helps, I am depressed, nervous, I am having brain zaps, mood swings, cravings, TERRIBLE LEG CRAMPS, where I have to be standing all night or moving, it's horrible!! I am 46 years old, I took this medication as prescribed, I was addicted to pain medication when I was young, morphine, and this is MUCH MUCH worse!!! Help!
I am so confused with comments on Tramadol. I am lead to believe there is an ongoing debate that this drug is to be considered a narcotic. I, for sure, was addicted and suffered coming off it. I wish it was never mentioned nor prescribed.
I have been on tramadole for 4 months and tried to take my self off because I started taking two a day and got up to seven a day. I went five days and the night sweets and restlessness was too much for me. I have a six month old and those five days were hell on me. I want a normal life again but don't know how to get there.