Feedback on Ultram Side Effects and Usage page 16
About Ultram
If you have used Ultram, please help others by adding your feedback. What would you tell your best friend about using this pain medication?
Subj: Ultram withdrawal
Date: 12/20/2006
I have used ultram for 8 years for what I thought was arthritis. My grandmother had arthritis after menopause. Because I got arthritis at age 50 I was resigned not to suffer from this genetic disease. I sought a good med. Doctor prescribed ultram. One in the morning, one at night. Amazingly took away the deep ache. However, I began wondering if the arthritis was not due to aging and inherited tendency, but rather due to the premarin I started taking at age 50. I asked my doctor if premarin cause arthritis symptoms. He said no, so I continued to take Premarin. However two months ago, after 8 years on Premarin, I decided to go off of it, especially since I was reading that hormone replacement therapy could actually cause heart problems, and I was experiencing heart palpitations and high blood pressure. I went off Premarin, against my doctor’s recommendation. Yes, hot flashes started. But my arthritis symptoms immediately went away, and so did my heart palpitations! I feel wonderful! I feel young again, after 8 years of feeling like I was 90 years old. Now, the ultram is not needed for arthritis pain. It was such a wonderful drug, and allowed me to work, through the “arthritis pain.” I have thanked God for ultram for 8 years. I have always felt it was a wonder drug.
I have read many of these comments, and feel they are very valuable. I agree that ultram is highly addictive. But, because pain is so debilitating, I had to have a way to reduce the pain so I could continue to make a living. Without ultram, I would have had to stop working. As a teacher, I cannot afford to suffer any symptoms of ultram withdrawal. I am going to wait until summer, when I don’t work, to begin withdrawal. I will withdraw gradually, and pamper myself as I do. I am NOT going to suffer with cold turkey symptoms. I’m wondering if during withdrawal should I continue my exercise program? I do 500 sit-ups a day. Will withdrawal from ultram cause any heart or blood pressure symptoms that might be exascerbated by withdrawal plus exercise? What might help withdrawal? Drinking water? I will try the chamomile tea, but what else can reduce symptoms?
Carol
AskDocWeb: Your doctor may be able to prescribe something to help with your symptoms.
Subj: Doctor doesn’t want to listen
Date: 1/3/2007
My wife has been using ultram for chronic back pain for the last 5 years. She was being given 240 pills to last her thirty days and she got to the point where she would run out of Ultram as much as 10 days before she could refill. Each time she was hospitalized because she believed she was suffering from a bowel obstruction. Once hospitalized and getting demerol by IV (bowel obstruction means nothing by mouth until you have a BM regularly) she would get “better” in about 10 days when she could refill her ultram. I have tried to talk to our doctor about her addiction and withdrawals but he doesn’t seem to want to listen. Does anyone know a good malpractice lawyer in Oregon?
Joe
AskDocWeb: You might want to see another doctor, one that cares.
Subj: Ultram Nightmare
Date: 1/7/2007
Over the last two weeks of Christmas vacation, I have tried to slowly go off of Ultram, sanding the pills at daily intervals right down to nothing two days ago. It is in the middle of the night and I have been completely off the last smidgen of ultram. I have had restless leg all night long for the past two nights with no let up. I am now two nights without any sleep at all. I can’t stand it. I am NOT going back on, but I wonder how many more nights I can take. How long can this go on? I am SOOOOO SLEEPY. My legs and arms wiggle around all over the place when I am in bed. It is driving me CRAZY.
Eight years ago, here’s how I started on Ultram: At age 50, my dr. talked me into going on Premarin to stop hot flashes and bone loss. After two months I got fybromyalgia and arthritis and very high blood pressure. Dr. said they were inherited, and only coincidental that I got them two months after starting Premarin. Dr. prescribed blood pressure and water meds and ultram for pain.
After 8 years, I decided against DR’s wishes to go off Premarin. Magically high blood pressure and pain disappeared COMPLETELY. So, against my doctor’s wishes, I have been weaning myself off blood pressure and water meds and Ultram. Are doctors getting kickbacks from prescribing meds? If I hadn’t been prescribed Premarin, I wouldn’t be in this pickle. Can’t wait to be on the other side of this nightmare. Just wish I knew how many nights I am to suffer from restless leg. Nightmare.
Carol
AskDocWeb: This sounds pretty bad. It could take up to 3 weeks but we can hope that it doesn’t last that long.
Subj: Withdrawal symptoms are terrible
Date: 1/8/2007
I have been on ultram for the past 10 years with excellent success for neck pain due to a car accident. The worst side effects for me was the severe constipation that would cause daily flu like symptoms. For the past few months with daily exercise my doctor felt that there was no need to been on it anymore. I starting reducing my intake from 2 a day done to one a day. The withdrawal symptoms are terrible. Stated Jan 6 with no medication in my system (starting reducing over a 2 weeks period) the hot and cold sweat are horrible flipping in bed all night. Maybe 2-3 hours of sleeps for the past 4 days. Flu like system, zero energy, no appetite, dizziness, and depression. I would strongly advise working with your doctor on plan on reducing and stopping your medication.
Mike
Subj: Quitting Ultram
Date: 1/9/2007
I have been taking Ultram for about 5 years now and am taking the plunge to get off this drug. I do love Ultram but I know that I am an addict and that the time has come to stop. The lying, money involved, and total preoccupation as to how many pills I have and how far they will get me to my next script has overwhelmed my life. I have read many of the comments on this site and I have not found any that have told me approx. how many days the withdrawal symptoms will last. So, I am going to add a comment every 24 hours until I feel I can function. I have made it two whole days before (bad flu, restless legs, no sleep), but not more than that. It has been 24 hours since my last dose. That dose was 5 50mg pills. My daily dose was up to 4 to 41/2 pills twice a day. I am feeling sweaty and really not myself but not too bad yet. I know that will follow. I should be able to sleep tonight, if not I will stay up and read for as long as it takes. Someone wrote that it helps to keep your mind occupied instead of zoning or tossing and turning in bed, I will try that tonight. I was good today, I didn’t call in for my online prescription although I could have and had it delivered tomorrow.
Renee
Subj: Ultram withdrawals are horrible
Date: 1/15/2007
Just stopped ultram after 6 months 3/day. Withdrawals are horrible. The stuff sticks to the nerve receptors and also inhibits serotonin reuptake so the brain doesn’t make normal amounts. Brain seizures can result and it takes awhile for serotonin levels to normalize depression results. Notice how the doctor only responded to the pregnancy question. That’s the epitome of drugs and doctors. Doctors need more education on pharma so they don’t appear incompetent.
Dave
Subj: Depression is true!
Date: 1/19/2007
YES!!! TERESA! Depression is true! I have been taking ultram for almost three years now, and it seems that I am up all day long happy as a jay bird singing. A couple of times I had to refrain taking the drug because of the itchy side effects that I got from it, and I began to get flu symptoms, I was in bed all day long, cold, just very sick, and sad. I was so sick that I couldn’t even get up for the door. I told myself, what could it be, what is different? I knew then to take just ONE pill to see, or prove myself wrong or right. I took that one pill, and my whole demeanor changed, I got up, did laundry, went to work, played with the kids, and had more energy to burn, THIS DRUG IS CRAZY!
Edna
Subj: Ultram IS an addictive drug
Date: 1/22/2007
Ultram was great for pain relief and the over all feeling of wellbeing that it gave me. I loved it! I used just one a day. I started to notice that I needed two a day to be pain free and then about a month later I could not get out of the bed without taking one. I only took at most 2 per day the whole six months that I was on it. I stopped cold turkey and went through a week of misery. For me the worst part of the withdrawal was the deep depression. Its been 7 days since I have been off of it and I finally feel my own energy again and the depression has lifted. I will never ever use this drug again! Find a different way to deal with the pain, really, I had a herniated disk that was very painful and still have every reason to keep taking the ultram. But I won’t ever take it again because it really is an addictive drug.
Mary
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