I started on
Ultram aprox. 6 years ago. I was told then that it was non-narcotic, non-addictive and basically a wonder drug that would manage my pain forever and we'd all live happily ever after. Well, I started with 50mg 4 times a day. I currently take 100mg. 4 times a day. I started pain management within the past year. At first, the pain management doc wanted to wean me off the ultram, but later decided to keep me on in addition to the 10mg.
lortabs, lidocaine patches and
vistaril he perscribed. He had warned me NOT to stop taking ultram abruptly because of seizures and withdrawals. Due to an emergency at my regular doctor and a mis-communication with the pain doc, I was out of ultram for 3 days, they were probably the 3 worst days of my life. I'm not a crybaby type, I've got 6 tattoos (large ones) my medical condition includes 4 herniated disks, degenerative disk/joint disease, bone spurs on my spine, in my shoulder joints, in my hips and in my pelvis, I have stenosis, arthritis etc. I work full time, carry heavy loads and lead a very busy life. My point? I'm not a crybaby, but let me tell you, those three days were HELL. My body ached, I couldn't stop shaking, every muscle in my body was tense every second of the day, I couldn't sleep, eat, sit still. Would pace all night long, it really sucked. But, I did learn one thing about ultram (which I now think of as my anti-seizure medication ;x ) it was definately doing something to relieve the pain as my back, hips and shoulder hurt terribly while I wasn't on it. (I mean, I was still on 10mg. lortabs,
advil and
aleve) I was going to just ride out the withdrawals, but a friend of mine who's a doc told me that it was going to get much worse before it got better and I still had a long way to go. Guess I'm an addict and will continue to be as I got the refill this morning. Hardly got in the car before popping two of those babies, felt MUCH better within an hour. I'm really looking forward to getting a decent night's sleep tonight. I think the docs and pharmacys need to be more upfront and informed about the addictive properties of this drug. I was an alcoholic and quitting drinking was easier than quitting this stuff :/
Never conjure anything larger than your head!