Need help Getting off of Ultram

kim32 · 07-07-2004, 07:07 PM

Hi, I have been on ultram for my chronic nerve pain that
I got from having gallbladder surgery almost 2 years ago.
I have been on Ultram now for a little over a year.
My pain level has gone down so I want to stop taking the
Ultram. I was taking before 3 to 4 pills a day, to now
I'm taking 1/4 of a pill in the morning and another 1/4 at
night. I have been doing this for a couple of weeks now,
and I have tried just completly stop taking it, but then
the withdrawals are horrible that I end up taking a 1/4 of
the pill again, UGH!!
My physcatrist spelling?? has me taking Amitriptyline
10mg 3 times right before I go to bed every night.
I have been on this for 2 weeks now, she told me that it would
take awhile before it would start to work.
She told me that this would help with my nerve pain and
the depression that I have from being in chronic pain.
I talked to my primary doctor yesterday about that I need help in
stopping the ultram because of the withdrawals, I told
him about taking Valium to help with the withdrawals,
I read somewhere that someone used that to help with the
withdrawals. well my doctor didn't give me anything, he told
me to try to get off of the ultram on my own and if I can't
seem to do it then he would prescribe me the valium.
Well duh I have been trying to get off of ultram for over a month
now and he knows that!!!
he told me that he doesn't think that a person can go thru withdrawals
while trying to stop taking ultram, how dumb is he huh??
He knows that ultram is a narcotic.
He thinks that it's just all in my head, YEAH RIGHT!!
I don't want to end up going to a rehab, I want to do it as
a outpatient.
My doctor thinks that since I am on a low dose that I can just
easily quit, well let him be on a narcotic everyday for over a year
and see if he can just stop, I bet he couldn't.
I hate that this surgeron screwed up my life, he gave me nerve damage
and also now he made my body dependant on a pain med. UGH!!!
So do you think that just by taking valium that , that would help
me get off of ultram completly??
Any suggestions on what I should do??? Kim

injured betty · 07-07-2004, 07:16 PM

ISn't Ultram and Ultracet in the same family? The doctor and the pharmacist both told me that they are not a narcotic and that the only withdrawls are psychological. If this is true you don't want to start a drug like Valium that is physically addicting and hard to come off of. Stay away from the benzos if you can.

kim32 · 07-07-2004, 07:24 PM

injured betty,
Yes Ultram is a narcotic it's just not scheduled as such so
ofcourse doctors and pharmacies think that it isn't.
I heard that sometime soon the FDA will label it as a narcotic.
I have been on other message boards where other people
are on ultram and they are having a hard time getting off
because of the physcial withdrawals.
No I am not mentally addicted to ultram, I hate taking it
because it makes me sick, but I only stuck with it for a year
because it helped with my nerve pain.
But since my pain level has gone down I feel that there's no
need to be on ultram.
The physcial withdrawals of ultram are just like taking vicodin,etc..
they are horrible.
Kim

shal · 07-07-2004, 07:59 PM

Doctors can be very reluctant in prescribing benzos, not to mention that by starting to use Valium theres an excellent chance you'll become depedent on valium too. (I am Valium depedent and the withdrawls are a killer) - I'm slowly on a taper schedule to try and quit the drug completely. Valium is not a fun drug to be depedent on. WHY? Well, not only will you be in pain and withdrawing from your first meds, but you'll start living through anxiety and panic attack hell when coming off Valium.

A tablet is not always the answer to solving your problems.

If you require such drugs as Valium, you should consult a Psychiatrist. They will assess your situation, psychologically and then see if they believe that is the best treatment for you. Psychiatrists are more willing to prescribe Valium and other benzo treatments should they believe you require it, though, You wont find many doctors/Psychs who will prescribe you large, or long term amounts of these drugs. They are short term usage and certainly not a solution. Valium does not fix your problem, it bandaids it, and once you come off it, you then have another problem. It replaces one problem with another.

I had to see so many doctors when I left my egular doctor to find one that would prescribe me Valium. They are so very reluctant unless you need it in extreme circumstances.

Talk with a Psych. Have an evaluation, talk about the drug depedency issue and let them assess the best treat for you.

Goodluck.

Josh.

kim32 · 07-09-2004, 03:45 PM

Josh,
My doctor did prescribe me valium, he gave me 16 pills.
But I won't be taking anymore because they don't even help
at all with my withdrawal from ultram.
When I'm on valium, I don't feel any different at all,
it's like I'm not even taking it.
I guess that the ultram is way stronger then the valium
that's why it doesn't help with the withdrawal.
I am seeing a physcatrist for my chronic nerve pain, and trying
to get off of ultram.
I am currently taking Amitriptyline for my nerve pain and my pain
level has gone done so that's why I want off of ultram.
I will have to discuss with my doctor about going into a outpatient
rehab to see if they can help me because the withdrawals are horrible
and I just can't do it alone. Kim