Tramadol issues

[timo2]

ARRP reports on TramadolBy age, the greatest increase in ER visits because of tramadol-related misuse or abuse occurred among patients 55 or older, SAMHSA reported. This group experienced a 480 percent jump, from just 900 visits in 2005 to more than 5,000 in 2011. Patients ages 45 to 54 also saw a big increase — of 389 percent, researchers said in a statement.
In addition, patients ages 65 or older accounted for the largest number — 35 percent — of tramadol-related ER visits involving adverse reactions, according to the report, and half of them ended up being hospitalized.
The high number of older adults “is not really surprising,” said Peter Delany, director of SAMHSA’s center for behavioral-health statistics, which produced the reports.
“Tramadol is important for people with moderate to severe chronic pain, but older adults who end up in the ER are often on additional medications that can interact with tramadol, especially antidepressant medication,” he said in an interview.

Tramadol Prescription Pain Medication Spike Emergency Room Visits – AARP

But I recall my older relatives having a lot of problems with medications as they got older, many of them from not remembering who took what meds when. I can see if this happened with Tramadol, that would cause some of the issues.

 

[GrayHare]

The incident increase likely parallels the rx rate increase. As natural opiates have been more frowned upon, synthetic ones have taken their place.

 

[utrecht]

I'm taking Tramadol right now and I don't see how you could get addicted to it. Its non narcotic. Some people must be very desperate.

 

[MRG]

Utrecht,
You're talking it as directed. Many that abuse it, take high doses that provides a "high" to an addict.

Like opiates and benzos many accidentally or on purpose mix these meds together with bad endings.

 

[utrecht]

Utrecht,
You're talking it as directed. Many that abuse it, take high doses that provides a "high" to an addict.

Like opiates and benzos many accidentally or on purpose mix these meds together with bad endings.

Yes, buts its much harder to get addicted to something like Tramadol thats non-narcotic. My guess is that the number are up mainly because the prescriptions for it are way up and its also easier to get than Oxycotin or Hydrocodone.

 

[Slow But Steady]

My neck doc and my company's doc both consider tramadol to be in the narcotic class. My neck doc says the risk of habituation is far, far less then the hydrcodone I had been taking.

Still, at work, I'm not allowed to climb a ladder for 24 hours after taking it.

 

[growerVon]

I was first introduced to Tramodol when it was prescribed for my dog after his surgeries. He's now on it maintenance mode as he's quite stiff and sore in his advanced years. Big Jones gets a faraway look and DW and I know that he's "riding the Tram." Always thought it was an animal-only med, but have since learned its common for humans, too.

 

[Derslickmeister]

I would think the spike is directly related to the latest restrictions on Hydrocodone prescriptions. Folks that have been on Hydrocodone for a while and are switched to Tramadol could easily take too much chasing that old familiar Hydrocodone high...

 

[utrecht]

My neck doc and my company's doc both consider tramadol to be in the narcotic class. My neck doc says the risk of habituation is far, far less then the hydrcodone I had been taking.

Still, at work, I'm not allowed to climb a ladder for 24 hours after taking it.

They might consider it to be a narcotic but its not one. The penalties are different for abusing / selling the two drugs. You also need to have a paper prescription from your doctor to get a narcotic. A non narcotic drug can be called into the pharmacy by the doctor.

 

[jim584672]

Tramadol plus Antidepressants could cause serotonin syndrome. Also Tramadol is known to cause seizures in some people.

It never used to be scheduled, but it was placed into schedule IV recently.

I was precribed it an it made me queasy and "off", not particularly pleasant. Don't see how this could be recreational since it is so lame.

 

[MRG]

Here is a pretty good write up including information on why the FDA has now made tramadol a controlled substance. There is much more information on it's addiction potential elsewhere on the net.

http://www.medpagetoday.com/PainManagement/PainManagement/43554

 

[timo2]

Tramadol plus Antidepressants could cause serotonin syndrome. Also Tramadol is known to cause seizures in some people.

It never used to be scheduled, but it was placed into schedule IV recently.

I was precribed it an it made me queasy and "off", not particularly pleasant. Don't see how this could be recreational since it is so lame.

I had not considered the recreational uses. Initially I was just thinking that lots of people foul up their medicine schedules, and wondering if Tramadol was particularly unforgiving of that.

 

[LinCella]

I believe Tramadol is addicting. I had taken it for a compressed nerve and have some left and anytime I feel any discomfort I pop one. Feel great. Scared not to have it in the house. That's an addiction when it isn't needed. (worked for my horrible pain wonderfully, which is why I find it addicting). Never had any mobility issues with it.

 

[Going Sailing]

My son suffered a fairly severe psychosis withdrawing from Tramadol. Quite scary to watch. It is not a benign drug.

 

[utrecht]

I believe Tramadol is addicting. I had taken it for a compressed nerve and have some left and anytime I feel any discomfort I pop one. Feel great. Scared not to have it in the house. That's an addiction when it isn't needed. (worked for my horrible pain wonderfully, which is why I find it addicting). Never had any mobility issues with it.

If you only take one when you feel discomfort, you aren't addicted. If you were addicted you would be taking it (and not just one) every day, no matter how you felt. I bet when you run out, you don't go back to your doctor and lie about being in pain so you can get more.

 

[ohyes]

Wow. I am interested. I was prescribed Tramadol after total knee replacement. While not as helpful as the initial meds, it helped a lot. The nurse cut me off after a couple weeks. And, I was very despondent to lose it - because there was still much pain. At my six week check up, I mentioned this to the surgeon. He said that should have never happened because it was non-narcotic. He offered to prescribe me more. At six weeks, I no longer needed it-- as I had a few weeks earlier. So, I declined.


I have vowed to make certain I can get Tramadol (or another equally effective pain reliever) for at least four weeks when the other knee is replaced. Fear of losing the Tramadol is a major fear of mine. It made such a huge difference. When that mean nurse cut me off, ouch.


It was prescribed every four hours.....until (have I mentioned the nurse who cut me off?) I took a couple naps a day, and it sure made a difference.


Very interesting.

 

[Tadpole]

Anything can be psychologically addicting. I have been given tramadol and I like it. I still have a few left over from a surgery a couple of years ago. I have never touched them since I decided I could do without them. It's good medication as an alternative to narcotics. I hate to see doctors become afraid to prescribe them because some people develop a psychological addiction. A person with arthritis might develop a preference for using OTC medication to alleviate pain as opposed to the grinding, exhausting pain. Is that an addiction to OTC arthritis medication.

 

[MRG]

[QUOTWhen E=Tadpole;1598683]Anything can be psychologically addicting. I have been given tramadol and I like it. I still have a few left over from a surgery a couple of years ago. I have never touched them since I decided I could do without them. It's good medication as an alternative to narcotics. I hate to see doctors become afraid to prescribe them because some people develop a psychological addiction. A person with arthritis might develop a preference for using OTC medication to alleviate pain as opposed to the grinding, exhausting pain. Is that an addiction to OTC arthritis medication.[/QUOTE]

+1
There's a difference.

I've been given tramadol it's good medication for moderate pain. I had been on high dose (8 daily) of Percocet for a few months, as my old PCP was "practicing medicine", hope he eventually figured it out!

When I finally got to a pain management DR. I was given a cervical epidural, I was fine and quit taking any. That experiment failed miserably!Talking with the pain management DR. he wasn't surprised that I had physical withdrawal, it felt like a severe panic attack. His advice was cut back ~25% every 5 days, that worked well. Big difference between feeling a little too good and needing to take something because of physical withdrawal.

That said there is an epidemic of over medication expecially opiods. I'm glad the medical community takes it seriously.

 

[LinCella]

I was in so much pain I fell in love with the Tramadol. I took several a day even before I was in pain to head it off at the pass. I became worried when I wanted to take it even after the pain was gone. My doctor told me to go to one a day then every other day. If I wanted to take it even though I didn't need it, it's addicting in my book.

 

[Bamaman]

My rottweiler just got a prescription for Tramadol for pain--he has cancer.

At least Hank won't have any drugs in his system that reacts with the Tramadol.

 

[LinCella]

Bamaman,

I'm so sorry. Good luck.