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i have been on narcotics for over 10 yrs due to major spinal problems and surgeries. i have been on oxycontin, vicodin, percocet and various other pain relievers over this time.., which i had no problem stopping. for about the last year, I have been on ultram 50mg 2 pills 4 times a day. This drug is supposedly non addictive and non narcotic, but when ever i try to stop taking it, i get major withdrawal symptoms, cold, hot, clammy, skin crawling, dry heaves, and the runs to name a few. I don’t want to be dependent on any drug, but i can’t afford to be sick like that for a few days and miss work…any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

You are indeed correct that Ultram is a non-narcotic drug and you should not have any symptoms of addiction but every persons system adjust and reacts differently to every medication. You need to contact the Dr. who is prescribing you this medication and there are medications that they can give you to help you "temporarily" while you get off the Ultram. Going through this alone is hard on your body and truthfully not good for your system…it is a shock to your system and that is why there are drugs that are made to "ease" they symptoms and to "fool" your body into thinking that it is not being "deprived" of the drug. I would assume you went to a "Pain Management" Dr or an anesthesiologist for your pain medication and you need to contact them immediately and tell them the symptoms you are experiencing and they will help you. It’s amazing that you are willing to for go and accept pain instead of being on narcotics….if a lot more people thought like this we would not have the problems with "prescription drug addiction" we do. Good luck.
Peace, Love & Happiness

For the past month and a half I have been taking Vicodin 5/500 about 6 times a day for extreme pain for a 5 MM kidney stone that was lodged in my left ureter. I had surgery last week to have it taken out, and am having the stent removed today. My question is this: After taking narcotics for roughly 6 weeks, what kind of withdrawal effects can I expect? How should I plan for this? Should I take the next week or so to slowly taper off? My doc warned me I would be in pain after the stent removal… I’m really nervous about this.

This is definitely a doctor question. I recommend asking the doctor because he’s obviously had to deal with this issue with other patients as well. He’ll have the best advice for you.

My pain medicine was stolen and because it it a narcotic my md will not prescribe any more. I spoke with the nurse this morning and she said she was going to ask the dr if she could prescribe something like ultram to get me by until my refill in 2 weeks.
Ive been on the lortab for almost 2 years due to a chronic illness so im really worried about the withdrawal symptoms. I ran out a few days early a few months ago and honestly the withdrawal wasnt horrid but it was still pretty yucky. Will ultram help me avoid them and is there anything else anyone can recommend to help me get through the next 2 weeks? Thanks everyone.

Actually, there is one place where i buy some men’s health medication, and they do not ask me about a prescription. They do carry Ultram, but i am not sure if they need prescription for it. http://www.pharmacynextdoor.com

My pain medicine was stolen and because it it a narcotic my md will not prescribe any more. I spoke with the nurse this morning and she said she was going to ask the dr if she could prescribe something like ultram to get me by until my refill in 2 weeks.
Ive been on the lortab for almost 2 years due to a chronic illness so im really worried about the withdrawal symptoms. I ran out a few days early a few months ago and honestly the withdrawal wasnt horrid but it was still pretty yucky. Will ultram help me avoid them and is there anything else anyone can recommend to help me get through the next 2 weeks? Thanks everyone.

Actually, there is one place where i buy some men’s health medication, and they do not ask me about a prescription. They do carry Ultram, but i am not sure if they need prescription for it. http://www.pharmacynextdoor.com

1. Tolerance can cause an overdose

A. True

B. False

2. Alcohol is

A. A Stimulant

B. A Depressant

C. Neither

3. If you hit a car from behind you are usually legally at fault

A. True

B. False

4. Narcotics are

A. Not addictive

B. Very addictive

C. Sometimes addictive

5. If an over-the-counter drug might affect your ability to drive, it will:

A. Be very expensive

B. Have a warning label on the package

C. Not be available over-the-counter

6. Which of the following is a narcotic

A. Marijuana

B. Heroin

C. Cocaine

7. Withdrawal is

A. When a user stops taking drugs and the body fails to function normally because it has compensated for the drug

B. When a user abuses drugs

C. When a user stops taking one drug and starts taking another drug

8. If your license has been suspended, you must do the following to reinstate your license:

A. Serve the period of suspension

B. Pay any service fee in addition to any fines ordered by the Court

C. All of the above

9. At 55 MPH

A. You can stop within 150 Feet

B. A box of Kleenex could kill you

C. Your vision blurs

10. At 60 mph the force of your car impacting a surface is about four times as great as 30 mph.

A. True

B. False

11. In order to reinstate your license, in addition to serving the period of suspension, you may have to:

A. Attend a driver improvement school

B. Show proof of insurance

C. All of the above

12. Every year ______ die from alcohol

A. 10,000

B. 100,000

C. 200,000

13. A driver is labeled a habitual traffic offender if they receive fifteen total traffic convictions within a five-year period.

A. True

B. False

14. Hallucinogens do not affect a person’s perception, thinking, emotions and self awareness

A. True

B. False

15. You may be cited for driving at the posted speed limit.

A. Never

B. If the posted speed is not safe at that time.

C. Only if you are driving a special vehicle like a truck.

16. Alcohol does not influence your choices

A. True

B. False

17. When stopped behind a school bus you cannot continue moving until:

A. You cannot see anymore children getting on or off the bus.

B. You access to a passing lane.

C. The bus stops flashing its red light and (if applicable) withdraws its stop sign.

18. Signs and road markings are an example of traffic controls.

A. True

B. False

19. The chance of being involved in a fatal crash is higher at night than during the day.

A. True

B. False

20. Which of the following is NOT a good tip for driving at night?

A. Beware of drowsiness

B. Keep your eyes locked on the road ahead of you.

C. Increase following distance.

21. The Medulla controls your involuntary actions

A. True

B. False

22. If you accumulate _____ points in 12 months your license will be suspended for 30 days.

A. 18

B. 12

C. 24

23. It will take approximately _____ for each consumed drink to leave your body:

A. 30 Minutes

B. One Hour

C. 15 Minutes if you eat food and drink coffee.

24. When crossing a street, pedestrians

A. should always use a crosswalk, if it is available

B. should wait for traffic to stop for them

C. all options

25. Your level of intoxication will be a lot higher if you have a bottle of beer rather than a glass of wine

A. True

B. False

26. Prescription drugs

A. Are always okay to take when driving as long as they are prescribed by a doctor.

B. May never be taken when driving.

C. May be illegal to take when driving.

27. Leaving the scene of a collision causing more than $50 in damage will result in:

A. Lower insurance premiums

B. Two points assessed against your record.

C. Six points assessed against your record.

28. If you accrue more than 12 points on your license within 12 months you will lose your license for:

A. 30 Days

B. 90 Days

C. One year

29. Passing a stopped school bus will result in ______ points on your license.

A. Three

B. Four

C. Six

30. If you are involved in a collision and you do not stop at the scene

A. You can always make a police report later.

B. You are breaking the law

C. You may proceed as long as there is no injury

31. You never have to stop more than once at a stop sign.

A. True

B. False

32. If you approach a railroad track where the gate has come down or lights are flashing, you should stop:

A. Before you are 50 feet from the track.

B. Between 15-50 feet from the track.

C. Within 6 feet of the track

33. Your driving record:

A. Is totally confidential

B. May be available to the public

C. Is available only to your employer with your authorization

34. Which of the following is not available to the publ

34 queasrtions ? read the Damn book.

I had surgery on my wrist and became dependant on them…. Now I dont want to do them anymore….. My body aches…. irritable…. hot/cold spells….. Is there anything that you can do to recover faster

Is there any way to speed the withdrawal process…..
Are there any non-narcotic meds a doctor can give to avoid rehab

Real responses please…..

You need to see your Doctor.
It’s the safest way.
The Doctor can prescribe some medications that help the symptoms of withdrawal.

Withdrawals suck.

Before you answer please take a second to read my story. I’m 34, expecting baby No 1 in December. I am an "emetophobic" (phobia of vomiting) which means I get into a terrible panic state if I even think I might be sick (last time I was sick I went into actual shock). I’m also terrified of hospitals!!

It would be easier for me to have a homebirth but thats not possible because I am taking anti-depressants (Paroxetine) which my doctor has advised me to continue throughout my pregnancy. I need to give birth in a hospital in case the baby has any withdrawal from the Paroxetine (I wanted to stop taking it but Dr advised me against that).

Because of my phobia I am terrifed of nausea/vomiting in labour and my Ob/Gyn Cons has advised me to therefore have a waterbirth and avoid having narcotics to avoid any sickness from the drugs. But all mothers I’ve asked seems to think that it isn’t possible to have a first baby unmedicated because of the pain and length of labour. Opinions?
momma2mingub –

Yeah sadly I know some women do vomit in labour for no reason or at transition. My Doctor says that if it really bothers me I could have a shot of antiemetic (thats the advantage of being in a hospital I guess) to prevent it. I had an antiemetic shot when I had to have a general anaesthetic last year for a laparoscopy and it seemed to work as I wan’t sick, so I will definitely ask for one in labour. If I do throw up and go into shock I guess it could harm the baby so its probably a good precaution to take. I always knew having a baby would be hard with my phobia but other emetophobics have bad babies and survived so I guess I will too . . .!

I’m trusting my Consultant that a first time birth is do-able in water with no narcotics!!
Belza –

Yes it is just me being/feeling sick that sends me into a panic. I can cope fine with babies/children throwing up or possetting (which is just milk so its OK) – I’ve babysat several sicky kids in the past. I don’t like adults doing it in front of me though which is another reason I hate hospitals – people puking up in the same ward/toilets or corridors or the smell of it freaks me out.

I hand’t decided on natural childbirth myself its my Ob/Gyn Cons who’s telling me to do it to lessen the risk of being sick from pethidine or gas n air. I’m planning to use a Birthing Centre so can’t have an epidural there.

My friend had her baby with gas and air only. you can use tens also…. it is definitly do able….you could always choose pethadine at the last moment or you could choose to have an epidural. Good luck

Question on morphine sulfate kadian and Hydromorphone. I was 38 when I hurt my back 2001 The doctor have given me Vicodone 10/660’s dose rate for 2 years then I finaly had back surgery 2003. The doctor who did my surgery placed a fixation screw 12mm to long, and never seen his mistake even after many visits and newer MRIs, this wrong doing which lead me to have more pain. Rating my pain scale a 5 to 10 and nothing less for just over a year. I was commited to a bed and couch for one year. During this year I have taken vicodone with hydromorpone on a steady bases. I thought my life was over and almost ended it. I could not take the pain anymore and I never felt normal with all the pain medication, antiflamatory medication and mussel relaxers. I really thought my life was over until I went ti the twin City Spine Center, They saw the long screw that was palced in my back from the first surgery Doctor right away. This lead to a second Life threating spine surgery 2004 with a 70% chance of dying. The surgery went well but I had severe nerve scaring due to bone growning around the bad screw and into my spinal nerve. Anyway this lead to a long life of pain medication until 2008. Since 2001 to 2008 I have been on many of the hard narcodic medication with Morphine Sulfate and hydromorphine the last type of medication I am on. I just had my third spine surgery March of 2008 and its a miracle that my Nuro spine surgeon has fixed some bad nerve compression and nerve scaring to a point that I dont need my medications anymore. I am trying to stop cold turkey and I am having major withdrawals I have every one mention. I landed in the emergency room 2 day in a row this week with major bloataion, and severe pain of the stomack. I am very nervous, and shakey, I cant sleep, My head is pounding, I have hot and cold sweats, and I cant sleep. I did not realize that my emergecy room visits was because of my quitting cold turkey. There are time at bedtime I am having such a hard with drawal symptom that I take 1/2 a pill but nothing works. I have went a week already but the symptoms are not stopping. What can I do to get over this severe Withdrawal symptoms. I know this was a long writting but it was to give you an Idea that I have been on my pain medications for 7 years until my back was finaly cured by a very good Doctor.

— You should NEVER attempt to quit cold turkey after taking that dosage of narcotic pain medication for that long. You need a physicians assistance to slowly withdrw yourself from the medicaiton over a long period of time and during this time they will give you other medicatins that will help you deal the any problems you might have. Attempting to go cold turkey can lead to serious problems and in some cases even death.
— You should already be going to a pain control center already if you have been taking the medication as you described. Federal law requires that taking pain meds after the healing period of an injury must be handled by a cerified pain control center/ doctor..
— Talk to you pain control doctor and tell him its time to stop, believe me, he will be happy to help you slowly wean off it. I am talking from experience, I take oxycontin40 and HYDROcodone 10/325 and I back off every few months with my doctors help just because i don’t like taking that much. I take the medication because I have to, not because I want to and I take full advantage of my doctor’s expertise. Trying to stop alone, cold turkey, no way!

Now I know what you’re all thinking, and I know there are people out there just looking to get high off drugs, but in my case, i actually have a bad Ulcer (diagnosed – after endoscopy findings) and a frequent migraine which means I’m basically in moderate to severe pain 5/7 days a week.
January 2008 the ER doctors starting giving me Vicodin as ‘take-home’ meds after IV Dilaudid, this routine basically occured like every month for the last year (until last week), and in different hospitals around a 20 mile radious. I believe there’s over 40-50 maybe ever 100 of them if you go a bit beyond a 40 mile radius, which I never did because with Dilaudid invariably the nurses are very strict about getting a ride home and not driving yourself, which in my case, i was so immune to the effects, they actually injected me with 2mg Dilaudid like 3 or 4 times before the pain was really gone. The Doctor said that any other patient with that amount of Dilaudid would need oxygen. anyways. yada yada yada it’s been a year and I stopped taking narcotics, and I’m seeing a pain management specialist.
This pain management dr is supplying me with a ton of Tramadol and wants me to take those often when I feel the withdrawal effects of being without the narcotics. I tell ya it’s brutal, no matter what meds you get to counter narcs it’s no help.
I talk a lot, but my real question is how much Tramadol does it take to get the same effects of one 5mg/500 Vicodin? And is Tramadol addictive like Vicodin? Please be serious with your answers guys, i’m going through a crisis here, and actually doing something good about it.

http://www.drugs.com/tramadol.html Tramadol is a narcotic-like pain reliever.but it is not classified as such in the controlled substance act-some people can get addicted to it because it is a narcotic
Tramadol is used to treat moderate to severe pain. Tramadol extended-release is used to treat moderate to severe chronic pain when treatment is needed around the clock.you are not going to get the same results as vicodin it’s a different chemical composition.my question is why is your pain management provider is supplying you tramadol for narcotic with drawls if you haven’t used in 1 year????? are you sure???- the withdrawl should be long gone -no tramadol is not quite as addictive as vicodin but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t work-try it for a l while give it a chance to work if not ask your provider for something else some people swear by it

I know that your advice won’t take my problem away. Only I can do that. I was just hoping you could shed some light on my situation if you had the time. Here goes…

I have endometriosis. Makes my menstrual cycle extremely painful. That’s how it started. But, I let it get out of hand. I just turned 23 this summer. About 3 years ago, I started taking percocets. Low doses at first, 5-10mg. Of course, my tolerance increased as did my addiction. I knew nothing about what was happening to me. I didn’t even connect the dots at first – I just knew I was extremely sick and uncomfortable if I didn’t take anything. On top of dealing with this, I worked full-time and was a full-time college student. I was embarrassed and I just wanted to get back to normal without being "outted," so to speak.
Someone told me about suboxone. I thought I was cured! I was buying them illegally for almost a year. Again, oblivious to the fact that I was using a band-aid for a wound that needed stitches. [Don't listen to anyone who tells you that Suboxone is the way to go - it is just jumping from one drug to another. TRUST ME THE WITHDRAWAL IS THE SAME!!!]
Anyway, when the connection I had fell through, I was forced to quit the Suboxone cold turkey. It was hell. The physical withdrawal was insane, not to mention the difficulty I experienced when attempting to control my negative thoughts. Oh, and on top of wanting to crawl out of my skin, I had to hide it from everyone around me. Somehow, I did it. I layed around for about a week and a half before deciding that I was going to control my thoughts and start thinking positively. I started getting out little by little – taking a drive, going to a lake – by myself at first. But by the beginning of the Fall Semester of 2008 (Aug. 31st!), I was back to work as a waitress and dealing with a grueling school schedule.
I stayed clean throughout the entire semester. I never felt better. Then, In January of this year, I got my monthly friend and was admitted into the hospital. I was given pain medicine to get me through it. This is where I screwed up. I let my head get to me and thought that, after only 2 weeks of being on pain medicine, I needed to take Suboxone to ween myself off. I just didn’t want to feel withdrawal ever again!!! Then, the Spring semester started…and I was already stuck. I took the Suboxone throughout the entire semester…I told myself I didn’t have a choice because I didn’t have time to go through withdrawal – I had 5 classes, an internship and a full-time job.
I got my Bachelor’s Degree in May. Actually, I graduated Magna Cum Laude and maintained a full academic scholarship throughout my college career. Unfortunately, getting clean wasn’t the very next thing I did. It is now September. I haven’t worked all summer. I hide inside and I’m TOTALLY depressed because I can’t get a grip on this. I even slipped further backwards and started taking narcotics this summer (about 40mg of opiates a day when I was at my worst).
Within the last 2 weeks, I have been trying different things to get through it…ultimately, slipping up and taking a percocet a few days ago. I am aware that Tramadol is just as dangerous. I certainly do not intend on switching to it. However, two days ago I took two 35mg pills and today I took one 35mg pill (they are hot pink and pretty big – I’m pretty sure they were 35 mg). It helps, as expected. If I only take a half of one tomorrow and then stop completely the next day, will this ease me through the withdrawal symptoms? Or am I just prolonging the inevitable?
I have no insurance and going to rehab isn’t an option. I have a family member who was an addict and I don’t want everyone going through that again. I cannot stress that enough. No matter how much you encourage it, I’m not going to go to a rehab facility. I would love to, but it’s not an option. Besides, I know I can do this. I already did it once. It should be easier this time considering a few close friends are now aware of my situation, including my boyfriend (who i live with). So I have the support. I don’t know why I can’t be stronger.
I’m struggling big time and I don’t know if I am wasting my time by taking Tramadol or if it is going to make this process bearable for me. Right now, it’s making it bearable and I don’t feel high – still feel pretty shitty, actually, but it’s tolerable. I just HATE being that uncomfortable. There is nothing like it. I start to freak out and get really upset (which, of course, only makes it worse). Once that happens, it can take me hours to get a grip and calm down. It is physical and mental agony. This time, however, I can’t go back. Period. So, I’m looking for a way to make it any easier. I think it might be wishful thinking. What’s surprising is that I have been an athlete for a long time – gymnastics, softball and soccer mainly. I have dealt with pain; I have dealt with difficult.

That is a very difficult situation. Just so you know (if you do not) Suboxone is typically the ideal choice. HOWEVER, it needs to be prescribed by a psychiatrist who can monitor you. For the vast majority of people Suboxone does work and can be stopped but it takes time and expertise. Drugs like Methadone and Suboxone are used to withdrawal patients and, in some cases, to maintain. Many people take methadone and live a fully functional life without withdrawal. They continue the dependence but stop the behavior and problems that come with addiction. My point is that cold turkey is never good and you have to see a doctor. A big issue is that you do actually have pain and at times might need pain control. A doctor can help control pain even in people with opioid dependency.

As for Tramadol. Yes, it can help with withdrawal. But often people do it on their own and do it badly. People commonly take large amount of Tramadol because normal doses do not relieve withdrawal or provide any high. Tramadol is at best 1/20th as powerful as oxycodone. And a high dose of Tramadol cause seizure AND the symptoms of opioid OD and it can not be fully reversed in a hospital like it can be with drugs like oxycodone or morphine. Even with the best intentions people can easily start using 200-700 mg of Tramadol at one time.

In the end you need help from a doctor.

You asked why you can’t stop- it is because your brain needs (and probably wants) opioids. Your brain chemistry, even genetics becomes altered after years of drug use. That is not to say your brain is "broken" it is not- but now it needs something. That is why detox exists, to give the body some time to adapt.