are ultram and methadone similar?

[lucyred68]

i'm really afraid to take this new prescription of tramadol (ultram) until i know if they are similar in action and addictive qualities.  someone out there please help me!!

Lucyred

[GoingToMakeIt]

OK lucy, it's time for our little talk. Read my beak. No more pills. You have come so far and Tramadol or Ultrams or most things a Dr will prescribe for pain are not going to be good for you. Ibuprofen, maybe and the Flexeril will be effective.
Trust us on this. You know that Trams were avis' DOC, right? She knows her stuff on this!

[elefrog42]

I was taking 2 in the AM and 2 in the PM....so, I guess thats 200mgs a day?  I have to agree with avis though.  If you know you have a tendency for addiction, just don't take it.  I'm still trying to shake the effects that tramadol did to my brain.  Flexeril was actually really good for the type of pain I had, but it made me really tired (like, I took 1, I think they were 10mgs, and I would fall fast asleep).  Actually, I'm not sure entirely what type of pain  your in, but the drug that worked best for me was amitriptline.  That's probably spelled wrong, but it's actually a mild antidepressant, but it has off label use for nerve and muscle pain.  Just don't go down the tramadol road for this....it's not worth it.   I would give anything to go back to the day that I first got it scripted and throw it in the trash.

[lucyred68]

thanks

[avisg]

lucy ,doesnt take much ......... I strongley suggest  you dont use it ...

[lucyred68]

how much did you take?

[elefrog42]

Hi Lucy
So, I had the same thing happen....I was given flexeril and tramadol for back/neck pain.  So, I might just be strange, but I got hooked on tramadol after 4 a day for a little over 2 weeks.  I wasn't mentally hooked, but when I stopped I thought I was going to die.  I actually went to the doctor because I was just convinced I had the flu.  It turns out it was wd from the tramadol.  But that's just me......just a warning to be careful!

[lucyred68]

could i get hooked in a weeks time?

[lucyred68]

thanks.  i will be very careful.  it would have been better if he had given me the norco, as i know how to taper off of it and have very few wd symptoms.

[LostM]

From me
I would say be careful as I have found Ultram was very easy to become addictive to and very quickly you start needing it to avoid  (bad) wd symptoms. Maybe just me w a addictive personality but i found it sucked me in and having a really hard time kicking it

[lucyred68]

this is a short term thing, just until i can see the specialist.  hoping to get the steroid injections as they have helped in the past, but i was without insurance for 12 years, and couldnt afford them till now.  have new dr.s since i have moved to another state and they are taking their own sweet time helping me.  i just reached a point where i couldn't take the pain without some help.  have lived with chronic pain for 20 yars now, and every once in a while i have to have a break from it or i'll lose my mind.

[avisg]

I found this ...

If you read the Tramadol
> abstract below you will see that the
> painkiller part of tramadol has a half life
> of 5.1 hours and the half life of the
> antidepressant activity is 9 hours. Five and
> nine equal FOURTEEN HOURS! The half life of
> methadone is 15 hours.

[avisg]

They are both synthetic  opeates

[worried878]

It is not similar to methadoone but more on the level of codeine...it is opiate like/synthetic...but habit forming...if you are scared...then you probably are aware that it could be risky

[worried878]

Tramadol use is not advised if you have ever been addicted to anything/alcohol or narcotics/before...It is addictive and has many anti-depressive qualities...it is difficult to WD from...It is not as strong as the other opiates but the potential for abuse is there...You need to make a decision about it for yourself/all I can say is it is not advised...Have you tried heat, ice, massage, chiro, yoga, anti-inflammatories etc?  Every 4 months I get trigger point injections...steroidal but not narcotic