ULTRAM/ULTRACET/TRAMADOL: The Truth about this 'non narcotic' please

[percsnomas]

Hey Goldie, this new thread is for you!!!

There is a great deal of confusion with respect to this drug.

Why is it, that if this a non narcotic and non addicting med., i continue to read(or hear) about, horror story after horror story getting off of it???????

Seems many would say the withdrawal from tramadol is far worse than many opiates.

A wise friend of mine even mentioned a front page article in their local newspaper(recently), siting what a great "alternative" Ultam is, in that it is "non-addicting".

Any help would be appreciated.

percs

[mystere]

Ortho-McNeil (drug co, that makes Ultram) was hitting the othopedists with the old Ultram hard-sell when it first came out. Trying to give them an alternative from prescribing Vicodin, Lortab, Ect. They brought in samples everywhere and like you I didn't think of it much in the begininng and then when i doubled my dose I got that semi-warm cozy hydro feeling! and as they say it was off to the races--Another reason they heavily promoted this drug was the fact it is VERY EXPENSIVE!--compared to other pain killers.  My advice to anyone on this forum with a hx of drug abuse please stay away from Ultram!--Just my humble opinion--Peace/Prayers Mystere/AKA N.O. Lady

[percsnomas]

Thanks for all your comments.  They will definately help people make better informed decisions regarding this drug.

Chezz, i must point out, that you've been here almost the entire time with me.....so back at ya(thanks). I trust things are still progressing on all fronts for you.  Take Care Friend.

Goldie, i told you i wouldn't know what to say, in the event i "got through"...........but seems it doesn't matter, as people are filling in just fine.

[gracie97]

Can anyone pleeeaaaaaassssseee tell me how much longer the ups and downs will be after tampering off tabs to my first tab free day? I am going crazy now, the first six hours today were fine, I was honestly happy but now I am down again. Wed. I took 3/4 no. 10 , then Thurs. took 1/2 no. 10 and now 26 hours and 8 minutes later I feel nuts!

I am sorry for changing the subject.....

[percsnomas]

Hello Gracie!!

I'm not sure how long or how much hydro you were on; but as you've tapered off gradually(extrapolating from two day regime you reported??), it probably doesn't matter.

I'd say that the first 2-3 days, AFTER zero,are the roughest, and that things should stabilize and improve steadily after that.
You are getting VERY close to coming out the other side, SO JUST HANG IN THERE!!!! You are soooooo close.

Great job on the taper by the way.

[AmberHunter]

yes, you are almost there! no matter how much we taper our meds there is going to be about a 48-72 hour feel like **** stage...

depending on how gradual i can come down the less severe the w/d's are...

but it sounds like you have tapered about as much as you can taper! so there might be some discomfort but it won't last forever!!!!

look into that thomas recipe that keeps getting posted! other than that hold onto your ass and just know it will be over soon!!

amber

[grappler]

I am a world class athlete (wresler/ultimate fighter. If anyone has seen the HBO special "The Smashing Machine" that is almost my exact story just that I was led to dependence by an accident. I was in a serious accident I ruptured some discs and had some fractures in my spine and had some nerve damage that extended into my stomach and made my stomach very sensitive to the touch and that almost took my life and was forced into retirement and my "olympic" and "fighting" career was put on hold or held off indefinetley. Well, anyway I was given many medicines including a large number of opiates for back and nerve damage and pain that was incurred from my accident. I must admit that I had withdrawl symptoms from Morphine when I was discharged from the hospital but overcame them in a few days. Later I went to see a doctor and he perscribed me some Ultram or as generic is known "Tramadol" it took some time to get used to,because at first its not a pain reliever it feels like a sedative or something, but once I did it did ease the pain and ease the symptoms especially the ones I have the most trouble with which are the damage to a nerve that extends to my stomach, in fact one of my stomach muscles was collapsed which looked kind of deformed for about a year. I started to run out of the perscription before it was time for a refill and this happend time and time again I felt extremely dependent I never felt like this even with the vicodine or whatever else I took. I have a tremendous amount of will and I told myself I am getting off of this **** no matter what. It was so tough but I did it and the withdrawls continued for two-weeks I have never encountered anything so mentally challenging and difficult to beat.  I'll tell you I have fasted for a couple of days no food no water while still training like a madman to get down to weight for competitions and I thought that was mentally challenging for the normal human. Over the course of my two-week withdrawl I developed sores in my mouth like blisters probably because of the fever and chills I got, but man, I thought,"this is heavy duty" I can't believe how rough this is. I would not advise the use of this medicine to anyone and the doctor said "don't worry about it it's not a narcotic medine" Well it might not be narcotic but it sure has some allout more than narcotic effects. I have since stopped taking it and am now taking some other medicine that does'nt totally take my pain away(ibuprophen) but I don't care I will probably have to live with it for the rest of my life it's nagging but tolerable. I can still workout and strengthen my muscle tissue and train hard but not to where I'll injure myself it seems that it helps with the pain. I still take some vicodin every once in a while but only when I can't stand it. Also, if there is someone with a similar problem with nerve damage that extends to their stomach and still bothers them please, please email me with any suggestions on treatment.  I invite anyone or any other person with a similar story to email me. But to recap please Say No To ULTRAM!