Report on Ultram Side Effects and Usage by AskDocWeb

About Ultram

   

What is Ultram?

Ultram is the brand name of the generic drug Tramadol (TRA-ma-doll). Ultram is an analgesic used to treat or prevent pain. Ultram is not a non steroidal anti inflammatory drug, nor is it listed as a narcotic.

How does Ultram work?

Ultram binds to certain opioid pain receptors in the body. By blocking the reuptake of the neuro chemicals norepinephrine and serotonin, it modifies the pain message resulting in pain relief.

What side effects do users of Ultram report?

Side effects that may go away during treatment include dizziness, nausea, drowsiness, dry mouth, constipation, headache, or sweating. If they continue or are bothersome, check with your doctor.

What are the symptoms of overdose or something gone wrong?

Check with your doctor as soon as possible if you experience skin rash, itching, seizures, or hallucinations. If you notice other effects not listed above, contact your doctor, nurse, or pharmacist.

If you experience difficulty breathing or tightness of chest; swelling of eyelids, face, or lips; or develop a rash or hives, tell your doctor immediately.

If you miss a dose of Ultram

If you miss a dose of this medicine, take it as soon as possible. If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing schedule. Do not take 2 doses at once.

Conditions you should tell your Doctor about before taking Ultram:

Depression
Emotional disorders
Mood disorders
History of seizures

Inform your doctor of any other medical conditions or allergies. Contact your doctor or pharmacist if you have any questions or concerns about using this medicine.

Please note:If you are subject to drug tests, Ultram may cause a false positive phencyclidine screens (PCP). In high concentration, it may also cause a false positive on a methadone screen. Fortunately a confirmation test will rule out these types of false positives.

For women: if you plan on becoming pregnant, talk to your doctor about the benefits and risks of using this medicine during pregnancy. This medicine is excreted in breast milk. Do not breast-feed while taking this medicine.

Tell Your Doctor if you’re taking any of the following medicines:

Bupropion
Cyclobenzaprine
Narcotic analgesics

Some medicines or medical conditions may interact with this medicine. Inform your doctor or pharmacist of all prescription and over-the-counter medicine that you are taking.

Special Note: Ultram can affect a chemical in the brain called serotonin. Taking Ultram along with SAM-e might cause too much serotonin in the brain, which could result in serious side effects including heart problems, confusion, shivering, stiff muscles, and other side effects.

Storing Ultram

Store this medicine at room temperature, away from heat, light and children.

General Notes

Do not drive, operated machinery, or do anything else that could be dangerous until you know how you react to this medicine. Using this medicine alone, with other medicines, or with alcohol may lessen your ability to drive or to perform other potentially dangerous tasks.

Follow the directions for using this medicine provided by your doctor.

Avoid alcohol while you are using this medicine. This medicine will add to the effects of alcohol and other depressants.

Do not exceed the recommended dose or take this medicine for longer than prescribed.

Do not take any more of this medicine unless your doctor tells you to do so.

Ultram has been used in Europe since the 1970’s, but it was just recently approved here in the USA.

Common Misspellings for Ultram

Ultram is often misspelled as many people hear the word verbally, write it down and spell it incorrectly. Here are a few of the most common misspellings for Ultram: Ultrem, Altram, Eltram, Ultran, and Ultrams. Tramadol is sometimes misspelled as taramadol.

Ultram Feedback

If you’ve used Ultram, please help others by sharing your experience with side effects. What would you tell your best friend about this product? Please remember that we do not give medical advice. That is for your local health care provider, who is familiar with your medical history. You can use the form below to add your comments,
feedback or Ultram review.

Subj: Depressoin
Date: 1/7/2003

I’ve been taking ultram for 6 months – 6 pills a day. I recently stopped taking them (two days ago). I feel depressed to the point of suicide. I cry sparadically. I wish I would sleep and not wake up.

I have no history of depression or suicidal tendencies. I know something is wrong and am desparate to know if this is a side effect of stopping Ultram.

I too have had flu like symtoms while taking Ultram. Joint pain, runny nose cough, ect.

I will say that with Ultram I was pain free. But now I need to know at what price.

Teresa

Subj: ultram
Date: 2/9/2003

I have been taking ultram now for about 4 years and am up to 8 pills a day. Six month’s ago I blacked out at work for no reason and was rushed to the ER. Later was told it was a faiting spell. Well six month’s later I have the same thing happen again except this time I WAS DRIVING I totaled my car by hiting a pole and have no recall of this thank god the four cars coming my way missed me.

So now I am told it was the ULTRAM and to quit taking it. Now I have all the withdrawls of a drug addict and on top of this now I am charged with dwi because of the pill bottle in my purse. This is what ultram has done for my life TOTAL HELL but I still think I need it. So please take all this into thought before you start taking ultram.

D

Subj: Ultram side effects

Hi, on occasion I take ultram for lower back pain. However, the following day, on every occasion I have experienced cold like symptoms–coughing, scratchy throat, running nose and hoarseness.

lee

Subj: Ultram withdrawal symptoms

I have been taking Ultram for the last 8 months or so for my endometriosis pain. I take about 4 pills a day, with the first dose beginning at 3pm. In the last month or so, I’ve started noticing that before I take my initial dose in the afternoon, I start to have flu-like symptoms. At first I thought it WAS the flu, however, I never got the flu or even got sick. After reading some Ultram withdrawal symptoms other people have experienced, I think it may be my body’s way of telling me that it’s “running low” on Ultram.

I wanted to know if there would be any benefit to taking a week off from Ultram to let my body have a break from the drug. I’m eventually going to have to start taking it again for the pain, but would a week off REALLY provide any benefit given that I will resume Ultram in a week? It took several months of taking Ultram before the aches appeared, so I am hoping that after my Ultram hiatus, it will take several months before the pain resurfaces. Basically, the longer I take the drug, the more my body becomes used to it. I was hoping that taking a week off every couple of months would lessen the chances of withdrawal symptoms.

J Fowler

Subj: Positive comment

I have had severe neck and upper back pain for several years. I have scoliosis and have had several accidents that have only worsend my condition. I have been prescribed narcotics, but they only seemed to temporarely take the pain away. My Dr. prescribed Ultram a month ago and I have never felt better. I still have pain, but for the first time, it is controlled enough to were I can function. I am afraid of addiction, of course like everyone, but to me it has been a lifesaver. I usually take about 200mg a day, and some days I don’t take any, but it sure has helped. I am very thankful to have something to take that doesn’t have the side effects of the narcotics…

Stephanie

Subj: controlling Ultram, not vice versa
Date: 3/17/2003

I know beyond any doubt that Ultram is addictive. I know also that quitting it “cold turkey” is horrible: absolute sleeplessness, anxiety, irritability to the point of rage, pain much worse than it was pre-Ultram, and depression.

I also know that Ultram works VERY well on chronic pain; it helps enormously without causing the side effects that narcotics do.

I decided to use it when necessary but not to let it take over. This isn’t easy, but it can be done WITHOUT going through hell.

I quit it slowly. I took a whole month to go from 8 pills per day to none. Doing it this way, I did not suffer the terrible withdrawal symptoms. When I got down to zero, I stayed Ultram-free (deliberately) for two weeks.

Now I use it, but I don’t allow myself to have it every day. This is relatively easy to do; it isn’t like deciding to limit heroin use!

So life isn’t perfect; I have to go three days a week without the drug that works by far the best. On the other hand, I have it for four days a week, I’m not building up a tolerance, and I don’t feel rotten on the days “off,” I think because my body isn’t accustomed now to having it all the time.

So good luck — I do know that even if you decide not to risk using it once you’ve kicked it, you CAN kick it without going through hell. Be gentle on your body!

Subj: ultram withdrawal symptoms

Date: 3/31/2003

I am a 69 year old woman, and have had problems with my back all my life. I have congenital kyphosis of the spine.

I began taking Ultram nearly two years ago, after a bout with back pain caused by stenosis of the spine. I combined it with Relafen. I was taking only 2 tablets of Ultram a day. I had already stopped the Relafen more than a month or so earlier. The relafen was for relieving inflammation of the nerves in my back.

I began having problems with excruciating pain in my back where my kidneys are located.

Then I began having problems with my bladder. I did some research on the internet about side effects of taking Ultram. I found that in people over 65 that the kidneys sometimes have difficulty in processing the Ultram.

I decided to stop taking it, and found to my dismay that there were side effects to the cessation of this medication. My side effects of withdrawal were: spasms in the esophagus, shudders across the back (shoulders and between shoulder blades), sleeplessness, headaches, extreme hunger, and nervousness.

It has now been one month since I stopped taking it (cold turkey); and I can once again sleep at night, and am not having the other side effects. I have however, seemed to develop a chronic cough.

My back seems to be doing fairly well, now, also. The back is a problem I have dealt with most of my life, anyway. The Ultram did help me through the period when I was having extreme pain with it.

Subj: 6 weeks pregnant and taking Ultram
Date: 5/5/2003

Please let me know what if any side effects are associated with taking Ultram while pregnant. I’ve been taking it for 2 years and am afraid If I stop the withdrawals will be even worse on the baby. Please help

AskDocWeb: Suggest you see your doctor about this as soon as possible. Birth defects and miscarriage have been reported in animal studies of this medication during pregnancy. You should talk to your doctor about risks/benefits of taking Ultram if you are pregnant, or planning to become pregnant. Also, it is inadvisable to use Ultram while breastfeeding, as it could pass through to the infant.

Subj: Ultram withdrawal
Date: 7/28/2003

I have been taking Ultram for 2 years due to 2 torn disks in my lower back. A while ago, I would notice that if I was having a good day and didn’t take my pills I would have a horrible nights sleep! It would start out with just some tossing and turning, which I do anyway. But then it intensified to hot and cold sweats, flip flopping around in the bed, and uncomfortable pain all over, especially in my back. I would then take a pill, and poof, all that stuff went away! I immediately chalked it up to withdrawals.

The funny thing is that these doctors tell you it is not addictive. I just recently went to a Pain Management Specialist who put me on Percocet. (That’s scary). Well, it hasn’t even been a couple days and I wasn’t sleeping again, flip flopping around in bed, hot and cold. I called my Pain Specialist and he told me to experiment with my meds over the weekend and to call him today. Well, I only slept if I had Ultram in my system. Needless to say I had three consecutive nights of no sleep! So I called him today, of course, he wasn’t in the office! I spoke with his Medical Assistant and told him I thought it was withdrawals from the Ultram to which he responded, “Ultram doesn’t give you withdrawals”. I almost flipped. I don’t need a medical degree and 110k a year to tell me that, yes, Ultram gives you withdrawals, horrible withdrawals. I haven’t been able to see just how many days it takes to get it out of your system because of course, I have to go to work and try to make a living in my Work Comp hell. I didn’t know any of this when I signed on, otherwise I would have probably tried to find another way. Please, be careful, this is two years in the making and I don’t know what my next move is.

Thank you,

Sarah

Subj: Ultram feedback
Date: 8/29/2003

One 50-mg dose made me nauseous and woozy all day. I’d rather have the pain!

Doris, age 78

Subj: Ultram
Date: 9/12/2003

I have taken Ultram for 2 years now for headaches, at first I thought I have found a miracle, I have never felt better, no more headaches. It gave me great energy and I felt like I could do anything until I decided I was spending to much money taking these. I have tried to quit on numerous occasions with not any luck, the side effects are terrible. Depression, insomnia, lack of energy, flu like symptoms. Now I am 8 weeks pregnant and terrified! I have cut way back but the withdrawals are so terrible I wonder if that could be hurting the baby, I confided in my doctor and she says to stop but that is a lot easier said than done. I am scared about the amounts I was taking while I was pregnant and I didn’t know I was pregnant. My advise is Don’t start Ultram.

Subj: Blessing
Date: 10/12/2003

Having had Fibromyalgia for 13 years, I can only say this drug has been a blessing, and I have no side effects, other than it perks me up and gives me energy.

Julie

Subj: Ultram while nursing?
Date: 10/25/2003

I have been on Ultram for years now for Fibromyalgia. It’s the only thing that helps me get out of bed in the morning and keeps me moving. I now have a newborn and I cut back on my dosage while pregnant but continued to take it. Baby is fine…now I am nursing and the pamphlet says DO NOT TAKE WHILE NURSING…….Can you tell me why it’s so much more dangerous during nursing than while pregnant?? It just says consult your doctor if pregnant.

Lori

AskDocWeb: If you take Ultram while breast feeding, it is passed on to the baby through your breast milk. Please talk to your doctor about the risks involved.

Read more feedback about Ultram

Most recent post: May 19, 2015

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