Posted by pinksharkmark on April 17, 1999 at 10:23:53:
In Reply to: Another New Drug; Ultram (tramadol HCL) posted by Dave S. on April 16, 1999 at 13:31:31:
I have tried it. I mentioned it in a post about six weeks ago. My understanding is that even though it is an opioid, and roughly equivalent to Demerol in pain relief, the FDA does not include it (yet) on their Schedule of Narcotics, so your Doc will feel less nervous about prescribing it.
I used it during my latest episode and found that if taken every 6 to 8 hours, it reduced and sometimes eliminated the need for Imitrex. The CHs did make it through several times, but were reduced to about a 3 to 5 out of ten severity. The only side effect I noticed other than light-headedness for the first few doses was the typical constipation that all opiates and synthetic opiates give. In my opinion this was a worthwhile tradeoff.
As always, just because it worked for me doesn't mean it will work for you. Hell, it might not even work for me in my next cycle. For me, it allowed me to reduce the huge amount of money I was spending on Imitrex and Zomig. Even when it didn't completely eliminate the pain, what pain remained seemed less bothersome, less important, somehow.
I would say any clusterhead should give this stuff a try. It is not expensive, and you will know within a day or two if it is going to work or not.