Chronic Pain Support Group
Physicians and professionalsdefine pain as chronic if it lasts longer than three to six months and is persistent. It's distinct from acute pain that is a direct result of injury or trauma. This support group is dedicated to those suffering from chronic pain. Discuss treatments that have worked for you, find advice for your specific experience, and find support. You're not...
I hope to get a lot of input on this issue as I have been struggling greatly with going back on opiods. Because of the opioid dependency/addiction rampage, the scare tactics on this issue are quite irritating and disconcerting. I weaned myself off of oxycodone after my gallbladder surgery this year. One, because I was so sick I couldn't get to the pain doc and Two, because one of the ER docs was so snipey to me about taking them for "non descript" pain. My pain is not non descript. I have a giant cyst laying on the nerve branch to my upper body, low back sacroilitis / spondyliosis and in my neck and mid back. I'm basically a mess.
I am saying all this, because I am frustrated and in pain 24/7. I had a life while on 3-4 oxycodone a day at 10mg. It was the only thing that worked for me. I recently heard Dr. Drew state that narcotic pain pain medicine should not be used past 2 weeks. Gee, doc, have you been in 4 major accidents in your life? I don't understand that statement.
Please, somebody, anybody, help me understand that I am not alone in thinking that long term maintenance on opioids does not always lead to addiction?
To the original poster - I ve been on narcotics and adjunct therapies for 7 years. Pain control is the only reason I am able to maintain full time employment and I even finished my Bachelor’s degree.
I always worry about addiction, but I don’t “crave” narcotics. I want pain relief enough not to be agitated.
If you had addiction behaviors in the past, then I would worry about it.
Aronia, not to argue...but...go visit an Addiction and Withdrawal support site, many, many people have issues with Tramadol. Detoxing from Tramadol is compared to detoxing from Heroin commonly. I personally in "real life" know dozens of people, because I formerly worked in a Hospital System, who had and have problems with Tramadol.
Tramadol is one of the Most Addicting Opioids (and yes it is now finally classified as a Opioid) and one of the most Difficult to detox off of.
The other issue with Tramadol is that it has a built in SNRI Anti-Depressant, which many M.D.'s forget to mention, if they even know about it. If you're taking any kind of Psych meds for Mental Illness that affect your Serotonin Levels, then Serotonin Storm or Serotonin Syndrome are very real and very dangerous possibilities.
I have a Ph.D in Clinical Psychology....I'm very good at Research, have access to Medical Journals that you don't get off the Net and I don't just make this stuff up, sorry.
When I started using Tramadol (Ultram) it was a brand new Pain Management med that Dr.'s didn't understand enough about. The max daily amount was too high, I was RX'd 600mg a day at one point. I am also BiPolar and was on a 6 med Cocktail of 800mg LIthium, 1200mg Seroquel, 1mg Klonopin, 10mg Ambien, 50mg Vistaril, 30mg Lexapro.
I developed Serotonin Storm very rapidly, spent a month in the Hospital at times fighting for my life and then when I turned the corner fighting to get back to the person I was. I should never been prescribed Tramadol, but Dr.'s then did not understand the Anti-depressant that it had and how it worked. It was not marketed it that way, it was not explained by Drug Reps that way, it was not explained by it's Manufacturer that way, it was simply the new great advance in Pain Relief.
The max daily dose of Tramadol per the FDA for Adults with Chronic Pain is 300mg.
The max daily dose of Tramadol per the FDA for Adults with Terminal Maintenance Pain is 400mg.
And yes I've met many people who suffered Serotonin Storm/Serotonin Syndrome from Tramadol, 2 others from DS alone, and many from my work in Real Life.
I don't get heavily addicted to drugs or any substance. I was on Heavy Narcotics for 10 years, daily. Oxycontin for 3 years, then Fentanyl for 2 years then Morphine for 5 years with Oxycodone for break thru pain daily. I detoxed myself off of a 120mg Morphine/60mg Oxycodone daily, over a course of 3 months on a Taper Schedule. I worked the whole time, lived my life, never got so sick I was in bed or couldn't function. I had to do it slowly because of Cardiac, Neurologic and Pulmonary Illnesses I have.
I have no genetic predisposition to addiction, if anything I'm the exact opposite. I've never smoked, never done a "recreational drug" don't drink caffeine, never drank alcohol. Even when on the daily LA Opioids I took a Pain Med Holiday every 2 years to let my brain re-set, that was 2 weeks with no Narcotics....and I was fine, if I forgot to take my meds or forgot to take them on a trip, I was fine, besides being in mega pain but I never went into withdrawals on those meds. Same with Benzo's, I don't take my Benzo's daily, I take them on an alternating schedule throughout the month for a Sleep Disorder, I take them for 7 days, then don't, on and so on, I never get withdrawals.
The only drug I've ever had ass-kicking, life-stopping, wish I was dead, withdrawals from was Tramadol. And I take 20 - 22 medications a day, so I know a bit about medication and how they work on the brain and body.
My experience with Tramadol was not about me....it was about the Tramadol and Dr.'s who did not completely understand the chemical makeup of the Drug and how powerful it is.
So yes patients do have very bad experiences with Tramadol. It is not a drug to be taken lightly and it does carry significant risks. We've had studies here at Duke about this drug and it's rarely prescribed in our State in any great quantity. My son went for a 3 week post-op surgical check when he had a steel plate and pins put in his crushed metacarpal bones of his dominant right hand....they gave him a RX for 6 Tramadol.