A couple tramadol questions...

[Snake_Eyes]

I have an appointment to see my psychiatrist in about 3 weeks and I'm considering asking him about being put on ultracet/ultram for my back. If using just 1-2 pills once a day or every other day how would this affect my tolerance to hydro/oxycodone which I use a couple times a month. I have a pretty low tolerance and would like to keep it that way for as long as possible.

Also I'm getting some mixed info in regards to tramadol with my current antidepressant mirtazapine, drugs.com shows a major drug interaction between the two because of possible serotonin syndrome however I've asked 3 different pharmacists and they said they would be fine together. I'm sure my doc wouldn't prescribe the two together if there is a problem but you never know with doctors these days.

If tramadol isn't an option is there anything that would be as effective? I've tried OTC pain relievers, chiropractic and currently in physical therapy but without insurance I just can't afford to go more than a couple times a month so I'm mainly just doing home exercises.

 

[yongbaek]

When I was hooked on oxycodone I ran out, I had a full bottle of tramadol so I took like 10 of them to help with my withdrawals.. They barely helped and just made me sleepy.. Tramadol is not a narcotic. Tramadol is a centrally acting analgesic It produces similar effects to narcotics but with fewer side effects.

 

[ErgicMergic]

The opioid activity of Tramadol is dependent on the level of CYP2D6 enzymes your liver contains, and thus, how much O-Des it converts tram in to.

I didn't know that psychiatrists were allowed to treat pain, hmmm...

 

[Snake_Eyes]

I was just thinking that since tramadol is a pain med and a SNRI antidepressant it would be something that he could prescribe.

 

[laCster]

lol you are going to a psychiatrist for pain meds? it would look weird on his part because the FDA regulates who prescribes what.

do you not have a primary physician to go to? tramadol is sketchy, i had a seizure on it so maybe im biased, but it's not worth it. i'd rather try to get hydrocodone, if you can't try codeine. id take codeine over tramadol any day.

if not, you could ask your psychiatrist to prescribe gabapentin and amitriptyline which are both helpful for pain.

 

[ErgicMergic]

Yeah, you'll be hard pressed asking a pdoc to prescribe tramadol offlabel to you as a psych drug, LOL. It's basically Effexor but with added abuse potential (O-Des conversion) thrown in, he's much more likely to give you Effexor if you like the SNRI properties so much. I have heard of some open minded pdocs treating treatment resistant depression off-label with tramadol and hydrocodone, though.

Lyrica or Neurontin, like laCster mentioned, are far more likely to be prescribed to you, since they can be prescribed on label as psych drugs with an added offlabel benefit for pain. I would just hit up a primary or an ortho for the tramadol, they don't really give a shit about giving it out since it is unscheduled, plus they are used to writing CIII (hydrocodone)/CIV(benzos, carisoprodol) all day, so they'll be happy to give you tramadol.

 

[PeacePipeChief]

I used a drug interaction app on my iPod and it says ur all good , but im not 100% trusting of it .

I would suggest codeine , get panefen plus and if u need to take too many tablets so ur ingesting too much paracetamol/ibuprofen , then do a CWE , if u don't kno what this is check out the codeine & CWE megathread .

 

[laCster]

^ this

codeine is much more effective for treating pain. it converts the most effective painkiller there is, morphine.

 

[doxie9999]

I was on mirtapizine and was prescribed tramadol for arthritic pain. I developed serotonin syndrome with a few hours and ended up in the ER. Not good. Just depends on your individual body though. It was rough... heart palpitations, twitchy muscles... Overall just really scary.
Like mentioned above Lyrica and gabapentin are really wonderful for pain. They can be prescribed for pysch issues because they are good for anxiety and sometimes can even regulate mood disorders.
Oddly enough, I continued on the mirtapizine and then was prescribed Lyrica for my arthritis and magically my anxiety/depression, and mood swings were gone. Lyrica has been a blessing for me. I've never tolerated anti-depressants and now I've been off them HAPPILY AND HEALTHILY for over a year.
Good luck and I hope you find a medication balance that get's you back into the swing of things.
Ciao

 

[laCster]

lyrica is just too damn expensive without fucking insurance

 

[Snake_Eyes]

@lacster: I'm going to my psychiatrist to get a refill on my mirtazapine but I figured since I was already there I'd ask about the tramadol but it sounds like it's a no go with my current meds.

I have no idea what SNRI and SSRI meds feel like nor was I trying to get on tramadol for any sort of recreational use. I was hoping to get something stronger than OTC because I'm tired of taking handfuls of advil and tylenol on a daily basis. Without and MRI getting true opiates even weak ones like codeine is not an option here. My primary doctor will not prescribe me anything, not even prescription NSAIDs, he simply told me to go to physical therapy and walked out of the office.

 

[TheLostBoys]

@lacster: I'm going to my psychiatrist to get a refill on my mirtazapine but I figured since I was already there I'd ask about the tramadol but it sounds like it's a no go with my current meds.

I have no idea what SNRI and SSRI meds feel like nor was I trying to get on tramadol for any sort of recreational use. I was hoping to get something stronger than OTC because I'm tired of taking handfuls of advil and tylenol on a daily basis. Without and MRI getting true opiates even weak ones like codeine is not an option here. My primary doctor will not prescribe me anything, not even prescription NSAIDs, he simply told me to go to physical therapy and walked out of the office.

When doctors tell you to go to physical therapy, you should punch them in the face........haha, j/k but I feel that way. They're a joke when thats all they say & dont prescribe you anything for pain. Physical therapy for me made my pain worse & I quit after 6 weeks with the doctors approval of course.

 

[DayNod]

I was put on tram and citalopram. once I citalopram and tramadol lower the seizure threshold my new neuro took me off it right away. Never got serotonin syndrome BC I'd let off my dose when I started sweating like a motherfucker. I was taking 200mg and it was a notch above taking a few Tylenol and ibuprofin. didn't give me any opoate tolerae but did have minor w/d. Also never smokedANYTHING when I had to take thT much for pain cuz it can trigger seizures..also no alcohol whatsoever. Def do lot of research on your other meds.

Stay safe cuz everyone is different, these were jus my experiences.
Good luck hope your pain gets taken are of.
- nod

 

[ErgicMergic]

My primary doctor will not prescribe me anything, not even prescription NSAIDs, he simply told me to go to physical therapy and walked out of the office.

You need to go to an orthopedic doctor. Not only will they better diagnose what's going on in your joints, but they are also more educated in treating pain properly and more likely to give you a prescription for pain medications.

 

[tokenname]

You need to go to an orthopedic doctor. Not only will they better diagnose what's going on in your joints, but they are also more educated in treating pain properly and more likely to give you a prescription for pain medications.

Exactly^^^

Let them know what meds you're on..they'll know (hopefully)
what can be rx'd safely along w/your other meds.
This is your best bet for relief.

Good luck!
~token

 

[Patty77]

For pain I take tramadol and gabapentin, works wonders and it's fun. Plus the gabapentin helps with the sezuier aspect of tramadol.