Ultram

[Sjoggie]

I was wondering if the same receptors are affected with Ultram as with codeine or vicodin.

No, I have no intention of taking it but my doctor, who knows I am having problems with the the neurontin actually offered me Ultram today.  I said no that is addicting and a terror to get off of.

She said it wouldn't be hard like the oxys.  Yeah, right.  I asked her what the difference was between codeine or vicodin and she said the Ultram affects different receptors.  Is that correct?

My mind is not sharp and wasn't functioning too well at the apt. so I didn't really deal with things too well.

Anyway, if anyone knows the answer to this I would be grateful.

I really was so shocked she would offer me a drug like that when I haven't recovered from detox that it just shut me down.

Lizzy

[worried878]

Guess we are all different...but non-narcotics meds can help alot with pain...i did not respond to lyrica well as it made me loopy..neurontin helped me sleep and have been on it ten years..after a month or so it didnt really make me sleepy anymore but i do think it helps my pain...I can take it or not take it and have gone a week without it and had no wd from neurontin...nor interruption in sleep patterns..but did notice my pain does not do as well when I do not take it
Chronic pain and addiction r 2 tough things to be afflicted with...guess everyone builds a tolerence to narcotics..but perhaps some addicts do it quicker cos we tend to abuse them and a non-addict pain patient does not....course I was not an addict when i started taking pain meds...but realized a few yrs into it that I was.
I have multiple spine issues and for me, the pain meds didnt do much of nuttin for pain in the end.  when u gotta take so much to get releif and I realized i was taking them to function..perhaps they made me not "care" that i was hurting...but in reality pain meds do not have a direct effect on pain, they only interrupt the signals of pain to the brain...neurontin and lyrica interrupt nerve conduction, muscle relaxers n moderation also can lend releif if u have spasms which i do..heat (infrared rox) and ice, massage like bmd mentioned, anti-inflammatories, chiropractic works good for me as well, trigger point injections and blocks when pain is horrible, gentle stretching, exercise helps me too in moderation, yoga has been a life saver, inversion therapy also helps me

sounds like alot of work but for me, nuttin has relieved my pain forever, not the pills, not surgery, not prayers either.  Guess we either accept it or we dont, accepting pain as part of my life was not easy, but neither was addiction..  I try to appreciate the good spells and try hard not to get too down during the hard spells...and I still pray  (:

[Sjoggie]

Wouldn't I have worse side effects from the Lyrica?  I was thinking that was more potent than the rotten nuerontin.  I'm probably wrong.  I haven't even researched it at this point.

Focusing is a major problem for me right now.  I go in spurts.  Sometimes I am with it and sometimes I am out to lunch!

I will try to look it up today.

Thank you, much.

Lizzy

[Lisahhh]

I switched from neurontin to Lyrica for my nerve pain. For me, Lyrica is much more effective and I'm quite pleased with it. I am working to get off of all my narcotic pain meds, but will continue taking Lyrica. Like Neurontin, you do become physically dependent, which only means that you shouldn't abruptly stop it. However, I do not find that it causes any sort of high, nor do I have any urge to abuse it like you would an opiate. If Neurontin isn't working well, I highly recommend checking out Lyrica.

[Sjoggie]

Thanks for the info on the massage!  

It would be good to get these knots out and perhaps it would allow my back to relax enough to help it get back into order!

Considering I'm hurting anyway I don't think they could make it much worse.  Wow, does not doing anything for a few weeks really take you down.  I was so much more flexible before the rapid detox than I am now.  Now, it is a real challenge to do some of the exercises I have.

Although, I have been throughly warned that I will go slow and not overdo, which is my normal mode of operation.  If I have a good day, I will do too much and then pay dearly.
My Pt said I would not cause a set back this time and to only do as much as she recommended.  Not too much problem with that at this point since moving is a major chore.  I rather feel like my legs don't belong to me and are made of rubber.  It isn't as bad as before but it is a very strange feeling.

Good luck to you but you sound like things are going well and I'm so happy about that!

Lizzy

[bmdad]

In the past when I went through withdrawals I got a therapeutic massage. It made me feel so much better. You know how every muscle in your body seems to ache? The massage just relaxes your whole body. They get all the knots out and it just seems to leave you so limber. The only problem was hat the next day I was kinda sore. But during withdrawals every muscle seems to hurt anyways so it was a fair trade off and well worth it!!
Keep hanging in there. You will make it through this and be a better person because of it!!! I'm proud of you for what you have accomplished!

[Sjoggie]

Dear Worried,

The neurontin seems to make one pupil slighly larger than the other, thus seeing straight is a problem and while most people get sleepy it seems to hype me, but I am very weird with meds.  I will stay on the neurontin and see if I cannot get my back in alignment and then I may find the pain ends.  I really did something to cause rotation and who knows what I did.

It just wasn't making any sense on what my doctor was saying.  Why on earth would I ever, ever, want to be addicted to anything again!!!!!

I didn't realize the trams also affect serotonin levels.  I'm already on lexapro.  Well, I have been working my way down very slowly and am probably at around 2 mg at this point which my doc does not know.  Don't laugh.  I went off of prozac at under 4 mg and it darn near did me in.  I have NEVER experienced the depression or headaches I got from that withdrawal!

Brian, thanks, again I didn't realize it had anti depressant properties.

I'm so glad the withdrawals are not too bad for you!!!  I will hope you will feel much better soon!

I am slowly recovering.  That detox knocked the socks off of me.  I am getting out some and am seeing my PT who is putting my back in alignment.  I'm also going to try a massage as every muscle in my body is so incredibly tight.  I haven't ever really had a full massage so it should be interesting.

I think I am also going to try some water exercises as soon as I get some warm stuff to wear so I can handle the pool.  I'm naturally cold but I think that is because my thyroid is off but I'm changing no meds until I'm a bit more stable.

I'm still missing my brain.  Occasionally, it functions but more likely than not I cannot figure out things until later on.  I truly feel like I'm 108.  I move slowly, I can't remember anything.  I go into a room and have no idea why I am there.  

I am getting better but boy this is slow.  Much slower than I had anticipated.

Thank both of you for answering!!

Lizzy

[bmdad]

I can't really say for sure but would think it would hit some different receptors due to the fact that it also has antidepressant properties. So I would think it would hit the same receptors as vicodin but also other receptors that antidepressants hit.
I honestly have no idea but seems to make sense to me.
That's a interesting question.
So how have you been feeling Lizzy? Are you still on the neurontin? I started taking mine again for nerve pain since I quit with the hydrocodone New Year's Eve. It is helping me sleep a little bit at a time and so far the withdrawals have not been too horrible. They aren't fun, but manageable.
Hope you are feeling much better!!!!!

Brian

[worried878]

Neurontin is not habit forming..not physically...nor mentally as a rule..what type of issues r u having with it?  Lyrica is the new neurontin..more abused than neurontin but has not been cited as physically habit forming//much stronger with more of an urge to abuse it for some than neurontin//altho there r peeps who abuse nyquil
trams affect the MIU recptors same as narcotics do//they also affect seratonin levels making depression a big issue with wd from trams..trams are physically and mentally habit forming..beware//they must be tapered if u r on them at a heavy dose for a while

be safe and keep posting///for some it is best to steer clear of any mind altering pills or substances...we r all different///aftercare rox///have u read thru the health pages?