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Re: Any insights on Ultram?

Posted by Elizabeth on May 2, 2001, at 4:42:23

In reply to Re: Any insights on Ultram?, posted by Gracie2 on April 17, 2001, at 16:34:58

> In my experience, doctors are reluctant to prescribe narcotics. I guess you know why...percocet and vicodin are very addicting. Ultram is another class of drugs altogether.

Sort of. It's a mu opioid receptor agonist, and this action is probably responsible for its observed clinical effects. (The manufacturer managed to prevent it from being federally controlled by playing down its opioidergic effects and playing up its monoamine reuptake inhibition effects, even though the latter are quite weak.)

Ultram does probably have some abuse potential, probably on the level of propoxyphene, another weak opioid. Ultram has the same sort of side effects and withdrawal syndrome as other opioids, although milder than most.

> You won't become dependent on it unless you are taking handfuls of it to get high, and even then it is psychologically rather than physically addicting.

I think that the former is much harder to overcome. A lot of the time, junkies can make it through the worst withdrawals (vomiting, diarrhea, shakes, gooseflesh, hot and cold flashes -- the works) only to relapse a few months later due to persistent drug cravings.

> However, I have heard that Ultram may cause seizures when taken with some antidepressants, so you might want to talk to your doctor about that if you're taking ADs.

As with many things, I think the seizure risk is exaggerated. However, Ultram has been known occasionally to induce the serotonin syndrome when used in combination with serotonergic ADs (especially MAOIs). (Demerol is much likelier to cause these reactions, but Ultram can as well.)


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Psycho-Babble Medication | Framed

poster:Elizabeth thread:59967
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20010424/msgs/61351.html