What is Ultram?

Ultram, also called Tramadol, is a good analgesic designed to treat moderate to severe pain. While it's not in the NSAID family (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug) it is also not a member of the narcotic pain reliever family. It's unique in that it offers the benefits of both drug types, without subjecting users to the negative aspects of either of them. People who are weary of the volatile effects of narcotic pain medications, like those associated with strong opiates (Vicodin, Oxycontin, Morphine, Demerol, etc) can enjoy the benefit of good pain relief without them.
On the other hand, Ultram also acts as a good anti-inflammatory without the risk of stomach damage or irritation associated with many of the NSAIDs. So it's no wonder that many physicians find it an ideal and appropriate treatment for a variety of pain issues with their patients.

Now the fact that Ultram is classified as non-narcotic can mislead both doctors and patients into thinking there's not a risk for addiction or dependency. Though, in the last few years, doctors have realized that many of their patients have become dependent on this medication. Many doctor's offices are now handling Ultram the same way they do narcotic prescriptions.
Yet there are still a number of physicians and patients who are unaware of its habit-forming potential. There have even been cases where patients attempted to inform their doctors that they were experiencing severe withdrawal symptoms from discontinued use, and were dismissed, doctors having cited that it was not possible to experience these types of symptoms with a non-narcotic drug.

We have learned in recent years that withdrawal can occur as a result of discontinuing any number of medications, namely anti-depressants like Paxil, Zoloft and Lexapro. The fact is that once the body is used to processing a substance for a period of time, it reacts strongly to its no longer being in the bloodstream. This reaction is almost always very unpleasant and uncomfortable for the one experiencing it.

What adds to the habit-forming nature of Ultram is that in addition to its effectiveness at relieving pain, it also acts as a great anti-depressant, as well as a healer of several other ailments. For many of those who have taken Ultram, it could be described as a wonder drug-as in one wonders why they can't just take this medication indefinitely. The reason of course, is that it's not been approved for such use.
Many patients wondered whether or not Ultram could follow the example of Wellbutrin. This drug was created to treat depression, but after it was widely reported by users to be helpful in quitting smoking, it became approved for this purpose as well, then marketed as Zyban to consumers seeking this type of product.
This will likely never happen with Ultram, much to the disappointment of the thousands of people who have been using it as an anti-depressant. This is partly thanks to the many who have not just used Ultram, but abused it.
There are many reports of people taking up to twenty 50 milligram tablets per day, while the maximum daily dosage allowed is eight of those tablets. People have also attempted forgery to gain access to it, and exhibited other drug seeking behaviors as part of the abuse of the drug.
Since Ultram is not a narcotic, it has never been necessary to misuse it in such a way. But people who are addicts by nature will misuse any medication or substance they come in contact with.

It is important to note that while Ultram does not produce a lot of heavy side effects, it is extremely habit forming just in the sense that it easily creates one of the harshest and most extreme withdrawal experiences of anything out there. Doctors need to be aware of this so they can advise their patients accordingly and the dosage tapered before it's stopped.
If you have been taking this medication for any length of time, do not stop suddenly. The symptoms you can experience as a result are: shaking, trouble breathing, extreme allergies and sneezing, restless limbs, diarrhea, severe agitation, lethargy, and rapid heart rate. Obviously the longer period of use, the more severe the symptoms will be, but it doesn't take long for it to become a habit for your body to process this medicine.

While Ultram is a great medication and works well for its intended purpose, use it carefully, even if your doctor sees no reason to proceed with caution.