pain reliever side effect?

[nscrbug]

I was taking Ultram for about 9 months for lower back pain. I have a chronic low back condition called spondylolisthesis, which means that one of my vertebra has slipped forward off the vertebra below. My slippage is a grade 2, which is 50% or greater. I also have DDD and severe stenosis at the same level (L5/S1).

The Ultram did take the edge off my pain, but I experienced severe constipation while taking it. It is also extremely addictive. It is a synthetic opiate, so it's not classified in the same drug category as opiates such as vicodin and oxycontin. However, it does have many of the same properties that opiates have...including dependency and the constipation. When I decided to stop taking Ultram, I went through one of the worst cases of withdrawal I've ever experienced. I believe this was due to the fact, that Ultram also has some SSRI (anti-depressant) qualities in it, and it was this aspect of the drug that makes it very difficult to kick.

If you plan on getting off Ultram at any point, I highly encourage you to wean off of it very gradually (I didn't do this, as I was already taking a rather low dosage).

[kermit]

Colace (stool softener) was prescribed for my husband after his back surgery. He took everything from tylenol to morphine. The colace kept him regular without crazy cramps and runs to the bathroom.