So, the verdict is in and it's a MUST that i take something for my back pain (herniated disks/sciatica).... I've been through hyrdrocodone withdrawal so I know what that's like. Doc will give me either the hydro or tramadol.... My question is this.. Which withdrawal is worse???? Hydro or Tramadol? Although the literature says that tramadol is non-addictive, i have read many scenarios of people having horrid withdrawals from it.... My point is, that I will HAVE to take one or the other but I would prefer the lesser of the two evils! Any advice would be greatly appreciated!!!
Welcome to the board and I hope you find the answer to your concern. I happened to withdraw from stronger opiates in my own journey. I, too, have read here how tough Tramadol can be to withdraw from, but, then again, vicodin (brand name for hydrocodone), seems to be tough also. In my opinion, it is six of one and half-a-dozen of another. Tramadol hits the same opiate receptors as other opiates, although not classified an opiate.
If it were me, and I had withdrawn successfully from hydocone in the past, AND it had helped sufficiently with the pain, then I would stick with what I knew. Boy, that must sound like the most on-the-fence ever answer! Chuckles. I wish I could be of more help. That old saying, if it ain't broke, don't fix it, runs through my mind as I read your post. The tried and true kind of thing.
There well may be other members here who have dealt with both drugs and can offer better insight. Whatever you decide, I wish you well.
reach
Thanks for the insight reach! Makes total sense to stick with the tried and true when u look at it that way!! One little thing that I didn't mention was that the hydro is a little harsh on my bladder!! Very irritating! However, the tramadol may be as well (just don't know yet). I just found out today that I will be seeing an anesthesiologist tomorrow for lumbar & sciatic injections. Hopefully, that might help!!! Thanks again for taking the time to answer my question!! Have a wonderful evening!
Tramadol, is hell when it comes to detoxing and withdrawal. Not only is it hell it to withdrawal from but it is also very very dangerous as is brings along nice little surprises such as Grand Mal Seizures to name one of the worst. The detox from Ultram is incredibly hard to get through and it takes a very long time to get over. The other problem with Ultram, since it contains an anti-depressant, you cannot use any kind of additional psych drug to help you get through the mental aspect of the withdrawals.
Of course which drug you choose is completely up to you, but having started out using this pill legitimately, then getting hooked on it and then detoxing off of it over a 6 month period, this nasty little pill took it's toll on me. And Ultram/Tramadol is the one med that I will NEVER take again for any reason.
Thanks Kaitlin! Do you have any past experience with hydro? This is really hell when your body forces you to dive into an unhealthy situation! Makes me wonder if its just worth feeling the pain and forgetting the meds! UGH!
I'm a chronic Pain Patient and have been for the last 26 years, i've been on just about every narcotic that there is. Hydro and Vicodin where back in my early days I was on them for years but never developed a dependency to them. Currently I take Morphine and Oxycodone....my body chemistry is a little weird in that I don't get dependent or addicted to many chemicals or drugs. So far Ultram/Tramadol has been the only one. I am actually allergic to alcohol and can't drink that at all. So, that's where I'm at. I take a total of 13 meds a day which include 2 injections, so i think that the combinations of the chemicals have something to do with the lack of dependency. (that's my theory anyway.)
Kaitlin, you are fortunate that you don't seem to develop addictions! I am quite the opposite and can take opiods for less than a week and become extremely ill when I stop taking them... And Im talking about very small doses! Chills, nausea, body aches, sweats... the whole nine yards! Thanks for sharing your story with me!
I would think the lesser of the two evils is using the medication that helps you the most. I'm not quite sure why which has an easier withdrawal would factor in your decision? Do you expect your pain will be going away soon? If so, why take any painkiller? If you don't expect your pain to go away soon, why worry about withdrawal?
I've been on every painkiller known to man (legal and illegal) for chronic back pain and two back surgeries and they are all basically opiate derivatives with the only difference being the strength of the medication. Therefore, the withdrawal from every opiate is about the same - some are just longer and more intense than others.
If you are taking painkillers legitimately and as prescribed then your withdrawal can be effectively managed by your physician. If you take more (or a lot more) than prescribed, like I did, the withdrawal will not be fun no matter if it is done at home by yourself or at a drug treatment facility.
In my experience, someone who is worried about withdrawal symptoms before they decide on an actual drug is someone who is worried about taking too many.
I would think the lesser of the two evils is using the medication that helps you the most. I'm not quite sure why which has an easier withdrawal would factor in your decision? Do you expect your pain will be going away soon? If so, why take any painkiller? If you don't expect your pain to go away soon, why worry about withdrawal?
I've been on every painkiller known to man (legal and illegal) for chronic back pain and two back surgeries and they are all basically opiate derivatives with the only difference being the strength of the medication. Therefore, the withdrawal from every opiate is about the same - some are just longer and more intense than others.
If you are taking painkillers legitimately and as prescribed then your withdrawal can be effectively managed by your physician. If you take more (or a lot more) than prescribed, like I did, the withdrawal will not be fun no matter if it is done at home by yourself or at a drug treatment facility.
In my experience, someone who is worried about withdrawal symptoms before they decide on an actual drug is someone who is worried about taking too many.
That is just my opinion and good luck.
Thanks for your opinion but you couldn't be more wrong! When I took the hydros, I NEVER took more than HALF of a 7.5 three times a day yet the withdrawal was still (IMO) horrendous! The reason for the question was that I have never taken tramadol but have read alot about the terrible withdrawal therefore, having experienced the withdrawal from hydro was trying to figure out my best bet IF I had to stop the meds again. And yes, I do anticipate that eventually, God willing, that my pain will go away! So again, thanks for your opinion but it was a bit judgemental!
