Feedback on Ultram Side Effects and Usage page 45
About Ultram
If you have used Ultram, please help others by sharing your experience with side effects. What would you tell your best friend about using this pain medication?
Feel guilty for needing Ultram
1/16/2013
I have been taking Ultram for ten years. I went off it very slowly 7 years ago to try and conceive a baby. I did. I have acute fibromyalgia, depression and chronic fatigue sydrome. I don’t know how its possible to survive without it. With it I am a normal happy mom of seven children. Without it, I hate my life, myself, I hurt, I am exhausted, nothing matters anymore. On it I am creative, productive, have energy that isnt nervous energy, my anxiety is like gone, I just feel guilty for needing it. I do get used to it and have to back off doses for a few days. I get very depressed on those days, my fibro pain is awful and I don’t want to get up. I take ultram an hour to 30 minutes before I get up. With it I am only mildly stiff and sore. Without it I can barely move and get out of bed.
I was given it and an antidepressant my last pregnancy. The obgyn didn’t know about the dangers I guess. My baby was born addicted. I never had a problem with the pregnancy before that on ultram. The hospital doctor told me it was the combo of ultram and and the antidepressant that were so toxic to my baby. Talk about hating yourself. My baby and I were in the hospital over a month. I was miserable and full of guilt. I still to this day don’t know what to do.
I am 41, have tmj, acute fibromyalgia, mvp, depression and anxiety. I used a variety of antidepressants for years. None worked like ultram. So what am i to do? I feel like a drug addict for needing it. Have ran out before and hell is better than the withdrawals. I literally bite my hands from the severe agitation. You know the feeling when you are so extremely fed up you are like “AAAHHH” going to kill somebody. That ultram withdrawal. So what do I do? Have a good quality of life yo-yoing the dose of ultram or go to hell on earth permanently with 7 children ages 16 down to 2 years old, severe stiffness, pain, exhaustion, anxiety and tears daily because I don’t want to be a druggie. Sucks.
I have a christian friend who has seen me both on and off it. She is in ministry to boot. She said in her opinion I should be grateful to have found a medication that brings some sort of good quality of life to me and my family that I definitely do not have when I am not on it. I am confused, full of guilt and relief at the same time that when I feel severely anxious it can be gone in 30 minutes. Its like a disease. It can’t be healed, you just have to learn to live with it.
My brother killed himself three years ago. If it werent for Ultram, I would have killed myself. Gotta give the devil his due I guess. For the record I spend years on different antidepressants, Zoloft, Paxil and Prozac. Paxil was awful, electric shock withdrawal on that stuff. Zoloft built a tolerance, Prozac built a tolerance. Refused to take valium and xanax. I am already tired enough. I tried Cymbalta, the famous fibromyalgia cure all – awful, shook like crazy, heart hurt and beat erratic on the lowest dose, and forget lovemaking. And DID nothing for my pain and anxiety. I don’t know what to do. If ultram stopped being available, I think I’d be in a rubber room. I would love to hear of some who loved it but found equivalent help with another less addictive medication.
Ellizabeth
AskDocWeb: Hi Ellizabeth. Sorry to hear about your situation. Unfortunately it appears that medical science has yet to agree on what to do for the people taking this medication.
I just flipped out!
Date: 2/25/2013
I was taking Ultram for lower back pain, I ran out and didn’t have a doctor where I moved to. Last Monday I tried to kill myself, ended up in a mental hospital for 4 days it was hell, I’ve had depression most of my life. But last Monday I just flipped out!
Susan
Effective for me
Date: 3/3/2013
I’ve been taking a low dose of Tramadol for about a year for neuropathy (25 – 50 mg/day and some days no Tramadol). It’s very effective and I haven’t experienced any serious adverse side effects. Of course, we are all different, and what may work for some can cause adverse reactions in others – one size doesn’t fit all.
Effective for me
Positive UAs for benzos
Date: 4/17/2006
I have had back injuries and chronic pain since 1993. Recently I went off opiates and morphine and was given tramadol. I have felt it works almost par with the narcotics, but upon trying to provide a u/a I was testing positive for benzodiazapines. I was told it may have been the gabapentin so stopped that and still had positive ua’s. Now I am told it may be the tramadol and to stop taking it.
I don’t feel the side effects as stated here in this blog, but my big worry is that the tramadol is the culprit for a false positive for the benzo. I hope that is the case and an answer comes though everything I have looked at says it shouldn’t be that way and if anything I would get a positive for other drugs but now a benzo. I also have notice a huge difference in the opinion of half life of this medication in the body. I wish there were something more definitive that could clear this up. I have not had an addiction problem or withdrawl with tramadol.
Cardell
AskDocWeb: The reason for the difference in opinion of half-life may result because there are different factors that influence this. The elimination half-life of tramadol following single and multiple dosing is 6 and 7 hours respectively. About 6% of the population has increased enzyme activity (CYP2D6), which results in increased metabolism and a shorter half-life for tramadol in those individuals. Those with decreased CYP2D6 activity experience a longer half-life for tramadol. Age is also a factor as more of the drug remains unmetabolised in the elderly, up to about 35%. In patients with impaired liver or kidney function the elimination of Tramadol may also be slightly prolonged.
Tramadol is not known to cause a false positive for benzos but there are many other possible causes.
Ultram experience
Date: 8/30/2013
Ultram has been a life saver for me. Yes, you can have withdrawal symptoms if you quit cold turkey, but for me, the benefits out weigh the risk. I have fibromyalgia and this is the only thing that makes my life livable. The pain without it was excruciating and unbearable. Worse than child birth!
With ultram, I am not completely pain free, but have quality of life. I take 2pills every 6 hrs and have for the last ten years. If I rapidly decrease this amount, I do get some of the side effects as described above. If you need to come off of ultram then just taper very very slowly.
People have a misconception about drug dependence. It is different than drug ABUSE. just because I have high blood pressure and my body is dependent on my blood pressure medication does not mean that I abuse that medication. Don’t worry about becoming addicted. You and your doctor just need to come up with a gradual plan to wean you from the drug when the time comes and you should have few problems. Hope this helps!
Lori
Ultram report – 39 – 40 – 41 – 42 – 43 – 44 – Page 45 – Last Page 46
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