Beginning Hydrocodone: Been on Ultram(Tramadol) Suggestions?

[Suze_C45]

I posted this in another thread- realizing it was not really the proper place for it:

I am concerned because I am on 7.5 (I believe it is) Hydrocodone for severe arthritis in lower back- also added with Ultram 50 mg. try to do only 2-3 per day... the Hydrocodone is prescribed-am taking it as prescribed...
For 5 yrs. nothing for pain-then one dr. prescribed the ultram, not quite doing the trick- but took the edge off.
Percosets were given to me to help with the pain- since moving to a new state with rocky terrain,and uneven ground- walking is harder, and with arthritis basically from lower back down- So much relief of pain after 7 yrs. is definitely a bonus-
but I don't want to have an addiction to any of it.
I lay out the pills per day,one day a time- the others being locked up- with me having the only key- due to extenuating circumstances in my home.

Any suggestions? I even try to get by on less than the 3 per day. Is this good?

[mlegend]

Suze - My wife and I are currently getting off of the much stronger dose of Oxycontin at this time, which is the next step from Hydrocodones.I was taking Hydrocodone for 3 years before I moved up, but my largest dose was 7.5's.If I could turn my life around, I would have never touched these medications.They do help with pain, do not get me wrong, but the price you must pay for this freedom from pain is equivelent to signing an agreement with the devil.Remember, this is "my" opinion.I have also tried Ultram or Tramadol, and those will never equal the satisfaction of the Vicodin or Oxycontin.We have 5 wonderful children who haven't had a dad for 5 years.I am currently on Day 21 from Oxycontin and Day 7 off of Methedone.If you want, you can read my post from today, and then you will better know our story.The pain and suffering that we are going through now was never worth those 5 years.The only honest suggestions that I can think of would be to try excersising like crazy. It's the one thing that I could have done to avoid this whole thing.I do not have arthritis and don't know enough about it to suggest a remedy except for what I've seen on commercials. Have your tried any of those meds? Mind you. Now that you have started with the Hydrocodone, no matter what alternative Arthritis medication you try, it will feel nowhere near as good as the Vicodin.It will be hard to switch to something that doesn't make you feel the same.I didn't mean to scare you or anything of that nature.I told myself, that if I could tell one person who was begining the medications that I was getting off of to stop while they were starting, it would be the best thing that I have ever done.

[Suze_C45]

I am looking into alternatives now- was starting before I found this site- all the more evidence- I was without hydrocodone for 2 days- due to some mixup at the pharmacy- and my pain was worse again- how much relief I was getting from those hydro's... is kinda scary. For living with severe back pain (being the major pain- along with more arthritis, & fibromyalgia)- to have it dimished so much was a blessing- I just do not want it to turn into a curse.

[i hate lortabs]

I was addicted to Hydrocodone for abou a year and a half. I started out fine but before I knew it, I couldn't go without them. It just snuck up on me. It was like one day I wasn't addicted and the next I was. It is VERY easy to become addicted to Hydrocodone. The stuff was just too good to be true. And that year and a half of my life was one of the worst ever. If I were you, I would definately try an alternative method. Plus, when you do stop taking them (especially when addicted) the pain gets a lot werse because your body is used to having the meds stop the pain. Please try something else if possible and keep me posted...



-riki

[Suze_C45]

I can already tell the differences with taking the hydrocodone- there was a mixup with my insurance, and I was out for 2 days after taking them for a month- and you're right- it seemed to hurt more.

I am tapering them back- trying to take less than what is prescribed- depends on the demands of the day, plus activity level.

thanks for the posts`

[Ash_620]

I was on vicoden for over 6 years and i figured out a way off by myself... Not a dr. just advice. when you take the vicoden don't take as it says on the bottle... if it says take 2 take one and then take motrin to replace the other pill. once you do that for about three days you can start to replace the vicoden with the motrin only. it has a anti inflamatory in it that will help with arthritis plus pain reliever. if the pain is bad get into a hot bath. that will take away the pain. then only take 1 in the morning and 1 at night. then go from there. beleive me. the heat works, and you will get the runs take emodium ad (spelling). you will get off of it...

The problem is a lot of people like me tend to get phsyco samadic and tend to think there is pain but there is not. your brain is telling you there is pain but there is not. of course you will have pain from arthritis but not as bad as you think, but there is meds out there that are not norcotic for arthritis that will help.

I have lower lumbar disc deases on top of RA ( Rheumatoid Arthritis). 2 discs that are pressed agenst my spinal cord a 6th disc when you are only supossed to have 5 in your lower back. i have had 3 surgerys and syatica. If i can get off the meds then so can you.

trust me when i say you can do it.. I beleive that anyone can do it as long as they put thier mind to it. If you ever need any help let me know.

best wishes,
ash

[Suze_C45]

ash..thanks but nsaids do absolutely nothing for my pain- no matter what the dosage. I tried them for all the yrs. before I was even prescribed tramadol. I have so many health probs.,& stress aggravates every one of them.
I will do whatever I have to, to not have the degree of pain I have had for almost 7 yrs. now- short of selling my soul.I am in the process of getting neurotomies, which so far have not helped, but was told this could be a possible side effect until they did...
I just know... I don't want the pain any more... like anyone else.

[Ash_620]

I compleatly understand how you are feeling because I once felt the same way.....

sometimes the pain is depreation and you will feel pain because of it... have you thought of asking the doc for medication for that? i am not sure what is going on with you. but i will tell you this! stay away from VICODIN! stay on tramadol... tramadol has a less tendasy to not be addictive.... another thing have you thought of spinal blocks. they work great and you dont have to worrie about the pain for a month....

as a former user of 240 vics a month and soma 350 which is a tranc. and with all the problems i have beleive me the spinal block was a god sent ( not for everyone talk to your doc about it please). I dont want you to go down hill. I am hoping some of my story will help you.

I know it feels like the end and you cant get away from it and I know in your mind you need the meds to live.... but trust me after everything i have went through i beleive in anyone... you can get through it.... please ask the doc you can get through this.

I am here for you!

Ash

[fishmeal]

Vic, you stated that you loved the hydros and used 2 tabs every other day.  Yes this will work for you probably a very long time. Much longer then most.  My stint was for about 3 years on and off, after shoulder surgery.  However qute frankly you are experiencing as stated in your post (another thread that was closed), the euphoria that goes along with all of our "love" for Vicodin and there will come a time when 2 just won't get it! (your body becomes immune, my opinion, and "Sweating out the toxins in a sauna does not conteract the "love" for the drug that is physical in your brain)  The demon of the drug will talk you into 3... and maybe one during the off day.  The reason I know this is that I too had a healthy respect for the drug and found out the hard way.  I don't have the horror stories of 100 tabs a day but I'm in the process, as I write, of weaning myself off of the last... I'm at 2/3 the prescribed now and feel the call of the demon believe me.  My back hurts and the chiropractor tells me that it is a crime that these pills are even in existence and prescribed.

Suzie, interestingly my wife, with fibromyalgia, can take a 3 a day as prescribed and feels no euphoria... just the lack of pain.... I look at her with shock and awe cause she has no problem with the drug...except one thing that is starting to worry me, she is starting to say that it is not working as well as it used to.  She is nursing so her pain specialist want her to stay on that until she stops then they will try an alternative.  We have 7 children which the hydros helped me for a long time working a VERY physical job.

I'm saying goodbye to the hydros for one thing because of this site!  God Bless you all with your struggles and thanx for everyone telling it like it really is!  Gipsee (hope that's how you spelled it) a special thanx to you for your extreme honesty!

[Suze_C45]

the only euphoria I feel, is not so much pain. THAT is such a blessing to me- & the procedures that were suppose to help me, have caused (and hopefully temporarily) more pain than I had before them. Where the pain increased, so the hydrocodone is now 4 per day to cover it. I HAVE gotten the tramadol down to 1-2 per day- and at one time was taking 8 per day. I never went over 8 per day, but doc did not like me taking that many even. Today for some reason, I am not able to walk without severe pain to my left knee and foot- thinking perhaps a stress fracture in my foot, and arthritis just kicking in from excess colder damper weather.
I SO want to be responsible with these. This weekend marks the death of my friend's hubby, who was already on opiates, & he prescribed methadone,a month's worth at one time- he died in his sleep. She has filed a law suit against the dr. & pray some justice is done.
I don't WANT to be some kind of statistic- or have an addiction to something I cannot shake. I respect every one who has had a prob. with this stuff, & fighting it. I back every one of you who is fighting, & those who have made it.
Your posts help others... to look back and see how far one has come, or to be the help and say look...it CAN be done!

[crock1515]

If hydrocodone is helping you, then just be very smart how you use it. There is no reason not to take it if it is improving your overall quality of life. The main component that is bad for your health in vicodin is tylenol. If you start taking too many vicodin a day, you can start to damage your liver and kidneys. You have to see how much tylenol is currently in your prescribed dosage. Vicodin is not as addictive and bad as oxycodone or oxycontin. I know personally from past experience that when I took tramadol (ultram) with my vicodin, it lasted much longer and I didn't need to take near as much. I got by actually halfing the vicodin pills and only taking a max of 2 a day for quite a long time.

If you need to be on this medication long term you will want to try and switch to Norco. This is another type of vicodin with a smaller dose of tylenol and is safer on your kidneys and liver. If you are worried about dependency you can come off the medication by tampering your dosage then switching to ultram. Then tampering down off the ultram. Be carefull as well because you don't want ultracet (ultram with tylenol in it). You want to limit as much tylenol as you can while taking pain medication.

As far as the addiction end goes, it is different for everyone. You may develop a dependency on the drug but this is different then addiction. Addiction means you will constantly want more and more to feel better and will eventually end up taking more than you can count in a day. This can be deadly because overdosing on opiates can cause cardiac arrest. Dependency is when you take a stable dose of a drug for a long time then find it hard to come off of. This happens for more drugs then just opiates. If you are not in the addiction category, the doctors will be able to ween you off the medication correctly when the time comes.

Good luck and I wish you the best. No one should have to live in that kind of pain with the medicine and technology we have today.

[brad901]

I have taken pain killers for a very long time and, in my opinion tramadol is / was more addictive then the hydros. Could be I was taken too many tramodol, but I have also taken too many hydros. Umm if you take the hydros in moderation or only as needed you should be ok. And for me the withdrawls with both of these medications are between 1-3 days then after that everything is ok! thanks