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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 11 of 11. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Colleen D. on June 25, 2006, at 19:54:58
This is the main analgesic I'm using for back pain and nerve pain. Vicodin doesn't help, nor does Tylenol #3 with codiene. I don't know vicodin and codiene affect neurotransmissions, but I just read that tramadol is an opioid(mu) agonist, NE reuptake inhibitor and a SSRI. Does this mean that tramadol works for pain for me because my pain is interrelated to my mental issues? When I hear people telling me how well vicodin and Ty. #3 works so well for pain, I just don't get it!
Colleen
Posted by highone on June 25, 2006, at 20:15:41
In reply to Tramadol/Ultram - a psych drug too?, posted by Colleen D. on June 25, 2006, at 19:54:58
I take Tramadol for back pain too and they have me on it for its anti-depressant qualities also. I take 4 tablets a day whether I am in pain or not just so I don't crash emotionally and keep me feeling good about life.
Posted by Maxime on June 25, 2006, at 21:05:20
In reply to Re: Tramadol/Ultram - a psych drug too?, posted by highone on June 25, 2006, at 20:15:41
DRUG ABUSE AND DEPENDENCE
ULTRAM may induce psychic and physical dependence of the morphine-type (µ-opioid).(See WARNINGS.) Dependence and abuse, including drug-seeking behavior and taking illicit actions to obtain the drug are not limited to those patients with prior history of opioid dependence. The risk in patients with substance abuse has been observed to be higher. ULTRAM is associated with craving and tolerance development. Withdrawal symptoms may occur if ULTRAM is discontinued abruptly. These symptoms may include:anxiety,sweating,insomnia,rigors,pain,nausea,tremors,diarrhea,upper respiratory symptoms, piloerection, and rarely hallucinations. Clinical experience suggests that withdrawal symptoms may be relieved by reinstitution of opioid therapy followed by a gradual, tapered dose reduction of the medication combined with symptomatic support.
Posted by highone on June 25, 2006, at 21:36:55
In reply to Re: Tramadol/Ultram - a psych drug too? » highone, posted by Maxime on June 25, 2006, at 21:05:20
Thanks for the info and warnings. However all the meds I take have scary warnings and withdrawals. I trust my doctors and what they have me on works for me.
Posted by Maxime on June 26, 2006, at 23:18:41
In reply to Re: Tramadol/Ultram - a psych drug too?, posted by highone on June 25, 2006, at 21:36:55
> Thanks for the info and warnings. However all the meds I take have scary warnings and withdrawals. I trust my doctors and what they have me on works for me.
Hey, wasn't trying to scare you with the warning or anything BTW. Just took the info off a site.
Maxie
Posted by fairywings on June 27, 2006, at 15:03:25
In reply to Tramadol/Ultram - a psych drug too?, posted by Colleen D. on June 25, 2006, at 19:54:58
If you've had the pain for any length of time, or it interferes with your functioning, then chances are you'll have at least some depression. So in that sense yeah, it's a psych drug, but it's not given to you because the pain is all in your head.
My understanding is that Tramadol/Ultram is less likely to cause the kind of psychological addiction problems you might have with narcotics or opiates because of a high - I could be wrong about that. Maybe it can cause psychological or physical addiction because of the pain relief, or maybe it's like a lot of the psych drugs - they're really hard to get off of.
I'm going to ask my pdoc about Cymbalta for pain, but it's supposed to have a bad withdrawl syndrome like Effexor. Lyrica and Neurontin are used for pain, but I don't know about the withdrawl.
Hope the Ultram continues to help you.
fw
Posted by curtm on June 27, 2006, at 15:47:15
In reply to Re: Tramadol/Ultram - a psych drug too? » highone, posted by Maxime on June 25, 2006, at 21:05:20
Hi Ultram!
Remember me? You were on of the meds I was supplementing my meth addiction with. It was good to have you around when the other wasn't. I wonder why you satisfied the physical cravings. There must be some connection, some similarity, between what the two of you do to my brain chemistry. Well M/A's gone and so are you, but my disorder that obviously needs stimulant treatment isn't.
Posted by fairywings on June 27, 2006, at 23:40:28
In reply to HiUltram!, posted by curtm on June 27, 2006, at 15:47:15
Oops, guess I was wrong! Goes to show you can't believe everything you read. Sorry!
fw
Posted by Donna Louise on July 2, 2006, at 7:18:53
In reply to Tramadol/Ultram - a psych drug too?, posted by Colleen D. on June 25, 2006, at 19:54:58
> This is the main analgesic I'm using for back pain and nerve pain. Vicodin doesn't help, nor does Tylenol #3 with codiene. I don't know vicodin and codiene affect neurotransmissions, but I just read that tramadol is an opioid(mu) agonist, NE reuptake inhibitor and a SSRI. Does this mean that tramadol works for pain for me because my pain is interrelated to my mental issues? When I hear people telling me how well vicodin and Ty. #3 works so well for pain, I just don't get it!
>
> Colleen
Serotonin is involved in pain modulation too. The triptans for migraines all involve reducing pain signals along serotonin pathways.donna
Posted by Chairman_MAO on July 3, 2006, at 21:36:29
In reply to Tramadol/Ultram - a psych drug too?, posted by Colleen D. on June 25, 2006, at 19:54:58
Tramadol's potency at blocking NE/SE uptake is something like 1/10th that of imipramine, maybe even a lot weaker. The only significant action is that of one of its metabolites which is a weak mu-opioid agonist.
Buprenorphine is where it's at--unless you need more than ~30mg methadone can provide.
Posted by Baba66 on July 13, 2010, at 16:44:02
In reply to Re: Tramadol/Ultram - a psych drug too? » Colleen D., posted by Chairman_MAO on July 3, 2006, at 21:36:29
> Tramadol's potency at blocking NE/SE uptake is something like 1/10th that of imipramine, maybe even a lot weaker. The only significant action is that of one of its metabolites which is a weak mu-opioid agonist.
>
> Buprenorphine is where it's at--unless you need more than ~30mg methadone can provide.Hi All is this a proven fact regarding the 1/10th potency thing. Is their any evidence I can look at anybody? Best wishes. baba66
This is the end of the thread.
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