[jenidarlin]

I'm confused. I take vicodin every day for fibromyalgia and OA pain. I also take Cymbalta. My doctor said I can't take tramadol in place of the vicodin because you can't take it with an SSRI. I was looking up tramadol and it sounds like a very strong drug but it's not a narcotic. So does it work as well as vicodin, is it addictive like a narcotic, is it even considered a narcotic? I'm so confused. I was just trying to find another drug to take every day in place of the vicodin so I won't get so dependent on the vicodin but if I can't take tramadol, and the NSAIDS don't work that well for me, then what else can i take? I guess I'm stuck with vicodin for now.

[mpvt]

Tramadol has the pain killing strength of Tylenol#3 and even though it's not classified as an opiate it does effect some of the same receptors as an opiate. Tramadol can cause seizures especially when taken with ssri's.If you want my advice I would stay away from it as it's a terrible drug to withdrawl from.I have heard that it's going to be rescheduled late this year.This drug came proclaiming to have the strength of an opiate without being one.Well suddenly all these poor patiuents go into withdrawls when they stopped taking it.Bad Drug......Dave

[jenidarlin]

So is vicodin a better drug to stick with for chronic pain like fibromyalgia if nothing else seems to work? Thanks.

[mpvt]

Vicoden is a poor drug to take long term.If you have chronic pain then you should be on a sustain release drug like ms contin or oxycontin.There is also the duragesic patch that provides 3 days worth of fentanyl.Vicoden should really only be used for break thru pain.I don't know how long you have been taking vicoden but you will build a tolerance to it quite quickly actually all the fast acting opiates act this way and that's why they really are only used for short term pain.....Dave

[runt07]

I have used tramadol when I have severe RLS (restless leg syndrome) days. It takes the 'jitters' out of my legs great, but I found that it keeps me awake at night. So keep that in mind. I have read that the withdrawls are horrible.

[venusekt]

Hi...I have fibromyalgia and juvenile rheumatoid arthritis and I've taken a lot of the drugs you've listed. Have you seen a rheumatologist? I'm sorry to have jumped in to the middle of your story, but I hope maybe I can help. I agree with those who say that vicodin is a poor choice for long-term pain control. I had to try a number of NSAIDS before I got the right one. In addition...maybe fibro isn't what's wrong. There are over a hundred types of arthritis and fibro is very similar in symptoms to several others. A rheumatologist, especially one at a university hospital or teaching clinic is your best bet.

[circa9870]

Well some people do consider tramadol an opiod but it acts on some different receptors than the normals opioids in addition to the usual ones opioids act on. It CAN cause dependence, and it CAN be addictive for some people. I believe that when combined with SSRIs it can cause seretonin syndrome, which is a very bad thing to get and can even kill you. Tramadol by itself can cause seizures as someone above posted. It is a very weak narcotic, even though people tote it to be non-narcotic, I would say it is narcotic, it has the typical effects of an opioid, in addition to some others that are caused by its unique method of action. All in all, it frequently does little for pain, makes a lot of people have bad side effects, and can cause seizures, and in your case should be taken becasue you are taking an SSRI and it will cause an increased risk of Serotonin Syndrome.

To answer your other question, yes vicodin is better for chronic pain, and it is a much stronger pain reliever, but all in all it is not very good for chronic pain at all, as the others have said. This is because of a few reasons. #1 it only lasts 4-6 hours so you have to take it a few times a day to get all day relief. and #2, the biggie, it has tylenol in it, which if taken in large quantities (and if you have to take it a few times a day every day to get all day relief) every day can cause severe liver damage. In fact even one large dose significantly over the daily maximum limit of 4g can cause hospitalize a person or even kill them (though the cases I have read were ussualy around 10g to kill , I believe, but I would not take anything larger than 4g myself in day). These are reasons that you want to switch to talk to your doctor about switching to a long acting med like the others have said. It will give you better relief and it is better for your liver. Some examples of these are [brand name (generic name/medical name)] MS-contin (Morphine Sulfate Extended Release ), Oxycontin (Oxycodone Extended Release), Methadone (Dolophine),Opana (Oxymorphone Extended Release), and Duragesic Patches ( Fentanyl Patches). There are probably more, but these are the main ones. All of these meds last 8-12 hours, except for the Duragesic, it lasts 72 hours I believe and then you switch the patch, which is very nice because there are no pills to take for it (Duragesic). You may still need a short acting med like Vicodin, Percocet (oxycodone w/ tylenol), or Dilaudid (hydromorphone) to be act as your 'breakthrough' med, that is, a short acting med to take when your pain 'breaks through' your long acting pain med. If you do not do this at least see if your doc will switch you to med without tylenol in it, it is much safer for you.

I hope that you get your pain under control and that you can get past it and continue on with your life.

Good luck and I hope that everyone has a pain-free night.
Circa