It's not exactly the same, but it's very similar.
Ultram has been marketed as a non-narcotic pain reliever, unlike vicodin. Both are opioid medications, which means that both can cause euphoria and both cause dependence over time. Many of the other side effects are also similar.
Ultram is somewhat different in that it also contains an anti-depressant, which effects serotonin and norephinephrine levels in the brain.
The thing for a patient and consumer like yourself to know is that Ultram has been marketed as a pain reliever that does not carry the same risk of addiction as drugs like vicodin...and that is FALSE. Unfortunately, many doctors are unaware of this fact, but there are more and more cases of people becoming hooked on Ultram, just as with any other opioid. There are a few threads on this board about people fighting Ultram (tramadol) addiction, and you'll see it's not a pretty picture. Some states and countries have now begun regulating
tramadol as a controlled substance.
So my advice is to stay alert to any signs of growing dependence, just as you would if you were taking vicodin. I am afraid I have abused both drugs, and in my opinion they are equally dangerous from an addiction standpoint.
I hope you don't have to be on pain meds for very long!
ultram vs vicodin 
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