Feedback on Ultram Side Effects and Usage page 36
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: I’m a mess
Date: 1/19/2010
I promise you that it is addictive. I have two herniated discs, endometriosis and PCOS. I took it because I was turning down narcotics out of fear of addiction. Now if I don’t take Ultram I have phlegm in my throat, sneezing, sweats, and my body is off temperature. I can’t sleep and I’m a mess. I’m having an operation in 12 days and I’m going to take the narcotics afterwards and at the end of it I’m going to take the last week off of work to get the Ultram out of my system. I know it’s going to be hard but I would rather do it while I’m out of work for the surgery and get my life back. Ultram is great for my pain but they lie when they say it isn’t addictive it is very addictive. I wish someone told me..I refused narcotics to get a pill that does the same thing they do when you stop taking them. Too good to be true.
Jessica
Subj: Hopelessly addicted
Date: 1/31/2010
I have been taking ultram for only six weeks and am already hopelessly addicted. I decided yesterday to not take any and had flu like symptoms and the worst RLS in my legs and arms all night. I could not get to sleep for even five minutes. I finally decided to take one pill at eight in the morning and was able to sleep for about an hour. I will try not to ween myself off over the next couple of weeks. Please be careful of this “wonder drug”, my advice……don’t ever take it.
Brett
Subj: Ultram works
Date: 2/1/2010
Seems there have been no recent updates on this post. So, here is mine. I had a bulging disc at L5 – S1, 11mm. It caused a lot of pain, after a year of dealing with it during which I tried conservative treatment, I finally opted for surgery. After it was done, I felt great for a month. Then the pain returned. As bad as before. I tried Ultram when my MD prescribed it. Prior to now I’ve tried a lot of other meds, including Narcotics. They just didn’t work. Ultram does. Sometimes it’s great, sometimes very very rarely it seems to take a vacation. Currently I’m on the highest daily dosage, but, Very little pain, and I can function. I can go to work, I can play with my kids, and even sometimes help my wife with yard work. Of course there will be long term effects. There is with everything. However for 3 years now, I’ve been able to function. I’ll stay with the Ultram, knowing all of the effects. If you have tried it all and it didn’t work, Ultram does.
Neal
Subj: Panic Attacks?
Date: 2/5/2010
I took Ultram about 15 years ago for some pain. After about 2 weeks a was having severe panic attacks. My doctor at that time told me the Ultram was a bad drug and had caused the Panic attacks. I have now been on Zoloft for 15 years and rarely have one. Now I’ve injured by back and I just picked up a script from my doctor of Ultram. I scared to take them. Is there any history of Ultram causing Panic Attacks?
Amy
AskDocWeb: Panic attacks are not listed as one of the possible side effects of Ultram but there are several posts from those who experienced them. Most of those posts were from people who were trying to get off the drug.
Subj: Don’t panic
Date: 2/7/2010
I can assure you that people are addicted to chocolate and just about anything which change the way they feel It is easy to come off all medications and drugs, just don’t panic and stop dead or you will get the screaming abdabs and want to jump out the window. Take it down slowly over a couple of weeks and you won’t even notice.
Beth
Subj: Coming down from Ultram
Date: 2/26/2010
I have been using Ultram er 300 for about 2yrs i have been trying to come off of it by coming down to 200 than 100 and than i just stopped! I have had chills, sweats, and terrible cramps along with severe diarhea every time i eat and all day. This is awful it makes you want to just go back to doing it! I think its been about 2 weeks since i been without anything at all i am wondering how long the withdrawls go on? About how long it takes for it to get out of your system? And if there are any other useful things to ease the symptoms? Thank you,
Wendy
AskDocWeb: You may want to talk to your doctor about Darvacet or something else to help with the withdrawal symptoms. A word of caution here; your doctor may or may not be aware that withdrawal symptoms are possible with Ultram. There are several reports that the worst of the withdrawal symptoms take place in the first 5 days but may continue for up to 2 weeks.
Subj: Tramadol drug test?
Date: 3/3/2010
does tramadol comes back positive in the urine sample.
Antoinette
AskDocWeb: No, Tramadol is an opioid, not an opiate. Opioids are synthetic products with chemical structures that are significantly different from that of opiates. It is highly unlikely that Tramadol would show up on a urine drug screen.
Subj: Bad diarrhea
Date: 3/10/2010
I have already been threw ultram withdraw for 6 dayz now. After a 5 month Addiction. Im feeling much better but i still have very bad diarrhea. I have a very important Court Date tomorrow and i Was wondering if i took half my regular dose not perscribed. 10.a day Would it make the diarrhea Go away or would it put me back in the Cycle of Withdraw all over again Plz comment
Conserned
AskDocWeb: There is no guarantee that the diarrhea would stop and it would likely extend the time it takes to get over the withdrawal symptoms. If you have an attorney, you may want to explain what you are coping with so that they can make allowances for your situation.
Subj: Flu like symptoms
Date: 3/17/2010
I agree with all the addicts. Flu like symptoms, muscles twitching, toss and turn, poor sleep. general mailease until 1 hour after taking a dose. Majic ! all better. Time to wean off it!
Paula
Subj: Coming off Ultram
Date: 3/29/2010
I am coming off of Ultram and I have had hot and cold fits for over 3 days and I thought I had the flu because I followed the doctor’s instructions on how to take it for my leg pains after I asked him for some pain pills. I ran out of it and thought I could stop after 4 months. I am miserable and have had huge bouts of depression, too and crying fits. My advice is don’t take it. I never will again. I have a pain in my side that won’t quit and I don’t know what that means.
Judy
Subj: Decent quality of life
Date: 4/3/2010
I have been taking ultram for over a year now. It has made it possible for me to continue to work and have decent quality of life. I have 6 herniated discs with stenosis and arthritis all over my body. However, I have noticed that if I don’t take ultram at least once a day now, I feel like I got hit by a truck and yes flu like symptoms. I also can’t keep my legs still and have rebound pain that is absolutely awful. I have deliberately backed off of use but take it once a day at bedtime so I can sleep without pain. I use motrin in the morning now instead. It is only partly helpful of course but I don’t want to be taking ultram for the wrong reasons. It’s a good drug but only take the minimum dose you possible can.
Rebecca
Subj: How to Quit Ultram
Date: 4/6/2010
I took Ultram up to 20 pills a day at one time. I tried several times to quit cold turkey but failed miserably. I then did a LOT of research and here is how I killed the drug out of my system without going to rehab and still remained fairly comfortable: Start a tapering plan (obviously). I decided to come off them fairly quickly. I went from 20 a day, to 8 per day within a day. I took that dose for 3 days and then went down to 4. I know that sounds like a lot, but make sure to spread them out EVENLY over a 24hour period, instead of when you are just awake – it makes it much more bearable.
I took 3-4 50mg per day for about a week and a half and once I got down to 2 – I would split them in half and take 4 halves throughout a 24 hour period (increase the time between doses every day). Within 2 weeks, I was down to taking 25mg per day – splitting the med into 1/4’s. When you can take 1/4 and wait 12 hours before the next dose without feeling horrible, then it’s time to throw the rest away. This was my tapering plan, and it worked very well.
DURING THE TAPERING PERIOD – take double multivitamin, your omega’s, 5-HTP, L-tyrosine, Kava Kava / Valerian – and drink plenty of water/ eat healthy. You are preparing your body to quit and giving it the nutrients and building blocks it needs to repair the damage ultram did. You can get any of these supplements at your grocery store (walmart, or favorite health food store). I believe the 5-HTP boosts your serum seratonin levels, making those severe drops more bearable. L-Tyrosine helps immensly with the severe fatigue. Take Kava when you get the severe anxiety (especially when your done w/ the pills), I was taking it 5x per day during the worst and it worked wonders, and made the “heebie-jeebies” a lot more bearable.
For sleep, you can take a lot of melatonin without adverse affects, so take 1-2mg every hour or so until you fall asleep, making sure to lay in the dark, as it only activates in the dark. Unisom and/or Benadryl can supplement this to help fall asleep faster. You can get up to 4-5 hours of uninterrupted sleep even at the worst periods with this method. If you do this right, once you take your last pill, you will feel yourself again in less than 72hours afterwords (your mileage may vary, everyone is different). And you will be much more comfortable during that time. This worked well for me, I don’t believe going into a rehab center would have made it any more comfortable. Try it.
How to Quit Ultram
Subj: How long can you take Ultram?
Date: 4/14/2010
After taking ultram 100mg 2x daily for two years I want to stop taking them and cant. Twice I have tried to wean down and each time, I get severe sweating. I mean dripping onto my grandson sweating, severe myalgia (muscle pain) severe joint pain, serious irritability and bad insomnia. I have tried weaning down to 50mg am and 50mg PM, doesnt work. I have severe curvature of the spine, two subsequent back surgeries one at 21 one at 48 and ultram gave the best relief of all the pills I tried and hated such as darvocet, lortab, percocet. All these made me itch and feel dizzy, but ultram was different, I want off of them though and dont understand why these withdrawal symptoms are so bad. How long can one stay on ultram anyway? I think I might try one of the other users suggestion and use four days a week and off three…I am just tired of taking meds, the back pain is here for life.
Leainnella
AskDocWeb: According to the 2010 Physician’s Desk Reference, Ultram may be used for “an extended period of time” but it does not set a specific limit. Also a note of caution here about using herbal remedies. Many herbs have drug-herb interactions that may be cause for concern if you are on medication.
Subj: COPD
Date: 4/15/2010
My mother was taking Ultram for a few years for arthritis pain. Then she started having to go to the hospital for COPD because she couldn’t breathe. She was in and out every couple of months until she decided on her own to stop taking the Ultram, because she said it didn’t help her arthritis any more. Since then, it’s been a year that she hasn’t been back to the hospital. She also had stopped showing emotions and lost interest in food. Her appetite and feelings have come back now. Her doctor never should have prescribed a synthetic opioid like Ultram because it depresses the respiratory system. Also be aware that suddenly stopping taking it will throw you into withdrawals and anxiety — they had to give her a limited amount of Xanax when she was withdrawing. I suggest decreasing the dosage gradually. Anyone saying it has “perked” them up after 13 years of taking it is probably a pharma rep. It’s like any legal or street drug — great & uplifting at first, until the side effects start taking away your life. There’s only problems ahead if you keep taking it.
Blakmira
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