Use this section to discuss your experiences with prescription drugs, iron injections, and other medical interventions that involve the introduction of a drug or medicine into the body. Discuss side effects, successes, failures, published research, information about drug trials, and information about new medications being developed.
Important: Posts and information in this section are based on personal experiences and recommendations; they should not be considered a substitute for the advice of a healthcare provider.
I have been taking Tramadol for 5 years, for post polio pain.(5 @ 50) It seems to help the pain, and allow me to sleep & allowing me to function during the day.
For restless leg I have progresses from Zanaflex, thru trazadone (50) to requip (2) & Now Nurenton (900) in addition to Tramadol. Requip & Gabapentine were a significent help over Trazadone.
My post polio is weakening my muscles, increasing my Restless leg, arm, head etc. So far it is managable, but there ae days---------.
I have not had problems with Tramadol, BUT I had major problems with tylanol . Caused me to loose sleep, fuzzy thinking, & other bad news. Be cautious with over the counter medicins, as with all medicines.
A friend of mine commented recently that she had heard Ultram/Tramadol should not be taken with Lortab. The combination I am on to treat RLS.
I just got this info in a newsletter from immunesupport.com... and thought I'd post it for others to keep in mind - Hazel
The maximum dose of Ultram for an average healthy adult is 100 mg per dose, every 4 to 6 hours, up to 400 mg per day. People over 75 years of age should not take more than 300 mg per day. People with liver or kidney disease may need lower daily doses.
Seizures have been reported in patients receiving tramadol. The risk of seizure is increased with doses of tramadol above the recommended range and in patients taking certain medications such as tricyclic antidepressants, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors or opioids.
Administration of tramadol may enhance the seizure risk in patients taking MAO inhibitors, neuroleptics, other drugs that reduce the seizure threshold, or in patients with epilepsy, those with a history of seizures, or in patients with a recognized risk for seizure (such as head trauma, metabolic disorders, alcohol and drug withdrawal, CNS infections).
• Ultram may increase the risk of seizures especially in patients who have epilepsy or another seizure disorder. Also, Ultram may increase the risk of seizures if you are taking any of the following drugs:
• a tricyclic antidepressant such as amitriptyline (Elavil), nortriptyline (Pamelor), doxepin (Sinequan), imipramine (Tofranil), clomipramine (Anafranil), and others;
• a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI) such as isocarboxazid (Marplan), phenelzine (Nardil), or tranylcypromine (Parnate);
• an antipsychotic medication such as chlorpromazine (Thorazine), fluphenazine (Prolixin), haloperidol (Haldol), loxapine (Loxitane), mesoridazine (Serentil), perphenazine (Trilafon), thioridazine (Mellaril), thiothixene (Navane), and others;
• a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) such as fluoxetine (Prozac), fluvoxamine (Luvox), paroxetine (Paxil), sertraline (Zoloft), or citalopram (Celexa);
• a narcotic pain reliever such as codeine, fentanyl (Duragesic), hydromorphone (Dilaudid), meperidine (Demerol), hydrocodone (Vicodin, Lorcet, Lortab, others), morphine (MS Contin, MSIR, RMS, Roxanol, others), oxycodone (Roxicodone, Percocet, Percodan, others), propoxyphene (Darvon, Darvocet, others), and others;
• promethazine (Phenergan) or prochlorperazine (Compazine);
• bupropion (Wellbutrin, Zyban); or
• cyclobenzaprine (Flexeril).
• Do not take Ultram without first talking to your doctor if you are taking any of the medicines listed above.
• Before taking Ultram, tell your doctor if you are taking any of the following medicines:
• You may not be able to take Ultram, or you may require a dosage adjustment or special monitoring during treatment if you are taking any of the medicines listed above.
• Ultram may increase the effects of other drugs that cause drowsiness, including antidepressants, alcohol, antihistamines, sedatives (used to treat insomnia), other pain relievers, anxiety medicines, and muscle relaxants. Tell your doctor about all medicines that you are taking, and do not take any other prescription or over-the-counter medicines, including herbal products, without first talking to your doctor during treatment with Ultram.
Opinions presented by Discussion Board Moderators are personal in nature and do not, in any way, represent the opinion of the RLS Foundation.
Music can be made anywhere, is invisible and does not smell. --W H Auden
I guess tramadol and anything else that could make you sleepy might work for some people in some cases. However, taking anything that made me sleepy including Ultram, Tramadol, Ambien. . . . . the list is long, only made things worse. I would end up sleepy, doped up and still walking, or rather staggering around the house until the wee hours.
The only drug that has ever helped me is Mirapex. I consider it my miracle drug. It was prescribed after a visit to Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Mn. I have to take it at least two hours before I normally go to bed at night. Some nights I need to take it a little earlier. One Dr. at University of Texas Southwestern in Dallas also prescribed Requip, but that didn't seem to work as well as Mirapex. Since trying Requip I notice it has now officially been flagged as a Pharm treatment for RLS.
Finally after 10 years of 3 to 5 years of sleep at night I am usually able to manage 6 to 7 hours.
I am so happy for you! Yes Requip is the first medication to be labeled for RLS treatment. We need to hear what works for one another... as we all are searching for relief.
Wish they would have worked for me! Just the opposite, insomnia, plus other side affects from Mirpex and Requip.
Tramadol, Ultram, do not make me sleepy, but do quiet the rls pain and sensations so I can function during the day ... and the loratab at night allows me to get to sleep.
Ambien, didn't even phase me! hahahaha Nor Ativan. One doctor told me the dose of Ativan I was taking at that time, would have him in a coma. We are all so different as to what works for us, as well the underlying causes of our RLS may be just as varied.
Thank you for sharing as I know others will be glad to know that Mirapex may be helpful to them.
Hazel
Opinions presented by Discussion Board Moderators are personal in nature and do not, in any way, represent the opinion of the RLS Foundation.
Music can be made anywhere, is invisible and does not smell. --W H Auden
how Ultram works. This drug is a weak opioid itself and it breaks down into a metabolite that has stronger opioid action. However, the analgesic properties do not rest entirely on its activity as an opioid. It also inhibits the re-uptake of serotonin and norepinephrine in the central nervous system (increasing their concentrations). These transmitters help filter out some of the pain signals coming down from the brain that would otherwise generate the sensation of pain in the tissues. So Ultram has the dual action of both an opioid and an antidepressant such as Elavil.
Ann mentioned reading about augmentation and Ultram/Tramadol use, so I thought I'd check around and post what I could find...
1999 Ltr to Dr B states May, 1999 issue of the NightWalkers, an article on page 7 by Dr. Earley at John Hopkins about cases of augmentation and severe rebound of RLS symptoms when Ultram was discontinued.
1) I have never seen a case of augmentation or rebound from withdrawing Ultram. I do use a lot of Ultram (probably several hundred patients) but have not yet seen anything even close to the report by Dr. Early (which certainly does not mean that this does not happen). One reason for this may be due to my insistence that my patients use the lowest dose possible to relieve their RLS symptoms and that they take regular drug holidays. In addition, most of my RLS patients are alternating Ultram with a narcotic. I still have a significant number of patients on Ultram who never use narcotics (as they like Ultram better), but have still not seen this newly described problem.
April 17, 2006 ltr to Dr B.
Augmentation has been documented so far only with the dopamine agonists. However, a few RLS specialists suspect that it might happen with the synthetic painkiller, Ultram (tramadol). It seems as if this may be your problem. If you take only one dose of Vicodin per day (likely even 2 doses), there is almost no chance of developing tolerance or dependence on this drug. Therefore, you do not really need any drug holidays (the use of drug holidays is quite speculative anyway) and can use just the Vicodin and hold the Ultram for now.
Hazel
Opinions presented by Discussion Board Moderators are personal in nature and do not, in any way, represent the opinion of the RLS Foundation.
Music can be made anywhere, is invisible and does not smell. --W H Auden
This is my experience in using Tramadol/Ultram, others do not find it helpful.
For me it works immediately. My doctor writes the script 1-2 50mg 4x a day... my rls was 24/7, I took it faithfully ie 6am 10:30am 3pm... and it kept the RLS at bay.
I have had days when one pill just wasn't enough so I was able to take a second one (never more than 100mg at a time in a four hour period) if I experienced *breakthrough*.
There have been times when I have been busy and realize that I did not take my scheduled med usually the mid morning one... and I am not experiencing any RLS so I will wait to see how I do... and if it is a good day I will not have to take one till 3pm...
At bedtime I take one Lortab 5/hydrocodone APA/Vicodin. Taking the Ultram/Tramadol during the day I normally do not experience any RLS sensations in the early evening ... I normally go to bed around 10pm during the week. I usually take the Lortab 5 at 9:30. This script is written so I can take 1-2 4x a day... The majority of the time 1 is enough. However, occasionally I may have to take a second one if later I find the RLS breaking through usually around 10-10:30 or rarely I will wake up during the night with RLS and take one.
I have been using this since last November and it works very well for me.
As with any type of pain medication, it will slow down your body's systems, such a breathing, bowels. So some do experience consitpation taking this medication. Ann has suggested taking White Bean extract to help in this. I do daily Tai Chi which helps me.
Hope this helps.
************Positive Energy*************
Hazel
Opinions presented by Discussion Board Moderators are personal in nature and do not, in any way, represent the opinion of the RLS Foundation.
Music can be made anywhere, is invisible and does not smell. --W H Auden
For me it works after about 45 minutes and I get an energy boost. Now that I am on Ytamadol Retard it is different. It works after 3 hours, which is a long time when you have 24/7 RLS, but it lasts much longer. By and large I think I prefer the Retard, but I miss this energy boost.
I've been using Ultram for at least 7 years with great success--mostly. At first (at least a year) I was able to do half a tablet (25 mg) right around dinner time (between 6 and 7) and I wouldn't have any symptoms at all. Eventually, though, 25 mg wasn't doing the job and after some experimentation (taking the second half a little later than the first half--maybe half an hour before bed), I finally moved into just taking the whole pill each night with dinner. After about 4 years, the same thing started to happen and I had to up my dosage to 100 mg each night. I'm now just beginning to take a third pill each night. I'm also experiencing RLS during the day lately--my shoulders being the main target in this case.
I have found that as long as I take the Ultram within my window (no later than 8 at night), given that I'm at the right dose, my symptoms are quashed. If I don't take it in time, or if there are extenuating circumstances--excess stress, illness (cold, flu), fatigue (unrelated loss of sleep), alcohol (big time exacerbator), additional Ultram either doesn't help or takes so long to help that I've taken other measures, e.g., Soma, Darvocet or something to just knock me out.
Also, one strange thing for me with Ultram: When I take it at my normal time, I don't feel like I've taken anything at all. But, if I take even half of one during the day, it wastes me--I get woozy and uncoordinated. Very strange, but that's me.
Good luck and I hope you find something that works for you.
Have been taking Ultram about 45 minutes before bedtime regularly for about a week. 50 mg seems too little but does blunt symptoms. 100 mg seems to be working well in terms of feeling sleepy and significantly reducing the "electrical" shocks. Seems to last about 6 hours or so and even remember having dreams. I do not feel particularly groggy in the morning. I do seem to experience a bit of a tummy ache but nothing major. I will try taking it with some food to see if that helps. Based on other comments I may try taking a 50 mg earlier in the hopes that a second tab will not be needed.
the ultram did nothing for me unless i took 3 50mg tabs 3 times a day, so doc changed me to something stronger, because i am in the pain group of rls and its 24/7. as for the bathroom thing, doc said to take 1/4 tso of milk of magnesia every nite and you can take a stool softener also.
dee
I feel like a science project!!!
“The syndrome is so common that it should be known to every physician.”
Dr Karl Ekbom, 1945
. Caused me to loose sleep, fuzzy thinking, & other bad news. Be cautious with over the counter medicins, as with all medicines.