Ultram Addiction

[John P.]

I have been taking Ultram for the past 6 months and am up to 6 pills a day (300 mg a day) I have been taking Ultram for a herniated disc,after 2 mthsI started experiencing small side effects, sweating, nausea, headaches and I thought I had the flu. But these symtoms continued, I discovered these were side effects of Ultram. As the next few months continued, symtoms got worse, hallucinations started and I ended up in the emergency room one day.  They diagnosed me with Ultram addiction- up until that point no one believed Ultram was addicting. I was given Librium to relieve the withdrawal from ULtram.  My doctor prescribed Vicodin and I am going through "living hell". Should I have quit the Ultram cold turkey and gone right to Vicodin or should I first have phased out slowly the Ultram before going to the Vicodin.My body is so confused.It is my 4th day with no sleep, terrible cramps, stabbing pains in my stomach, feeling like a cat is clawing me inside and my body is being ripped to pieces, joints all hurting like the flu and I am taking the librium and valium. I realize I can get addicted to the Vicodin, so I have been trying to not take the full dosage.

[Colleen]

My boyfriend is now addicted to Vicodin.  He withdraws almost every three weeks.  A buddy of his gets it for him.  He feels it is the only thing that can "ease the pain" or "help him concentrate".  I'm afraid for him and what his life will be like without them.  When he is withdrawing, he becomes extremely rash and sweats with unbelievable headaches.  Ultram is no better.  He needs counseling in order to get off Vicodin for GOOD!

[Bobby]

i love vicodin...an i don't wanna stop.  I know it is bad and i don't think that i am too addicted because it is hard for me to get my hands on it.  But i am a little worried cause i never take it for pain.  I just take it to feel nice and relaxed.  It makes everything so fun.

[Joe S]

Ultram is considered less addicting then hydrocodone.{see PDR}
Vicodin is a far more tolerable drug then Ultram as it is semi-
synthetic, where as Ultram is a pure synthetic.  If you are going to use potent painkillers, the more natural the better.
I find it unusual that Vicodin is not helping you.  Could there be something more going on?

[Vicky]

You think you have it bad now!  I have been addicted to vicodin for ten years.  I also had a cocaine habit.  I would go thru the nightmare of cocain over and over had I neve touched a vicodin.  Imagine all the sweating and sickness you are feeling now.  Magnifiy it by 10(at least) and you get vicodin withdrawal.
  
And don't kid yourself that you can control your dosage.  The more you take, the more you need, once you have reached a certain level, your body will phsyically crave it.  You will find yourself running out of your prescription within 10 days, instead of 15 at first.  Then you will start counting your pills, and dividing days into pills.  Saying things like... If I take three a day, these can last 4 more days!  
Your on your way to hell.

[Juleigh]

I am, as of noon this day, 24 hours since my last slug of Vicodin.  I have recently had knee surgery, then complications arising from surgery and was diagnosed with Arthritic Sepsis.  I am an addict in every way, shape and form.  This sneaky disease has made my recovery from these surgeries in the past few months difficult to manage. I have been through Treatment before for Alcohol, only to relapse with another drug of choice. I alos suffer from debilitating migraine headaches in which my neurologist gives me Stadol NS, 3 vials per month.  Well, this morning, I went to pick up my Stadol and the Pharmacist had talked to the "other Pharmacist" where I had also been getting 40 Vicodin a week from my Ortho-Surgeon.  Needless to say, I was blown out of the water.  So, here I am, going through the beginning stages of RX Narcotic withdrawal..yippie!!  I know what I need to do, being active in AA and NA for 10 years off and on.  I am in a predicament because I truly am in pain from my knee surgeries and I DO get migraines.  My migraines, I am thinking, are more "rebound headaches" than anything, WHICH, can seem like true migraines and actually can be worse.  I am 38, married happily, mom of three beautiful children...but something is missing - has been for most of my life.  I am tired of chasing that elusive "high" from RX Narcotics and extremely weary of being afraid of this doc finding out about that doc. My husband is in this with me as we share medications.  He was also "found out" yesterday.  I know, in the end, when all the withdrawal is done and when I finally can feel alive minus some mood altering chemical, I will be a better person.  Until then, I am here, praying and hoping, talking and sharing, anxious as everything to just simply - feel! If anyone want's to share stories and give advice or visa versa..***@****  I'll write back :o)

[Colin]

Does anyone know why Ultram's giving me stomach pain (burning pain), and if there's anything you can do to ease the stomach discomfort while taking this drug?  I try taking it with milk to coat my stomach, but that doesn't seem to do a whole lot.

As a side note, I was taking 10 Vicodin ES a day for three years, and recently switched to Ultram on my own suggestion. Ultram is a much better alternative in my opinion, even though Ultram is basically a narcotic masquerading as a non-controlled substance.
Vicodin addiction and abuse is a long, dark road that takes a toll on your body, your friends, your significant other, your job, and your quality of life.  The fact that the medical community so freely administers this drug irrespective of the horrible potential for addiction concerns me.  I understand that the risk of addiction and abuse is sometimes prefferable to a life of mind-numbing pain, but clearly the medical community needs to push for a safer alternative from the pharmaceutical companies (reading these posts only reinforces my belief in this)
Take Care-