Can Ultram (Tramadol) be used for Diabetic Neuropathy?

Answer 1

Tramadol is an opoid (narcotic) analgesic, or pain reliever. It is not the ideal choice to treat Diabetic Neuropathy, although this is something your doctor has to decide for you. To understand why I say this, let me give you a little background about Diabetic Neuropathy.

All neuropathies are basically caused by the 'short-circuiting' of a section of your nervous system - the system that carries signals throughout your body. If you have a neuropathy in your foot, for example, your foot feels as if it constantly is on pins-and-needles or in some cases, feels as if it is burning. This is because your nerve is stuck in the 'on' position, and just can't stop or control the activity passing through it. Your body sees this as pain.

Opiates like Tramadol work in your spinal cord and brain to decrease your body's sensitivity to pain, but are addictive and have many unwanted side effects - including constipation (especially if taken for a long time). Narcotic medications (and NSAIDs - ibuprofen, aspirin) often do not help.

The only FDA approved medication to treat neuropathy is duloxetine (Cymbalta). However, it was found that other drugs originally used to treat epilepsy - gabapentin (Neurontin) and pregabalin (Lyrica) are just as if not more effective in treatment and I have seen these used over and over successfully in treatment of neuropathy. These drugs work not by blocking pain, but by working inside the nerve cell.

Hope this helps!

Answer 2

1

Answer 3

2

Answer 4

3

Answer 5

4

Answer 6

i havent ever seen people receiving any opiods or non-opioids prescribed for diabetic neuropathy. tramadol is a non-opioid analgesic, which can work for certain pains, such as chronic mucle pain, back pain, sprains, etc...but not for neuropathy because it doesnt work specifically on the nerves. lyrica is the newest neuropathy medication out there - works REALLY well for all kinds of neuropathies, but the main drawback is that it is rather pricey. neurontin is also a good neuropathy medication, and can be taken 2-3 times a day if needed if the neuropathy is severe, and the good thing is that its not as pricey as lyrica. i see alot of patients take either of these drugs for neuropathy and they swear by them, especially the lyrica in those cases that are very severe and the neuropathy is super painful. you may want to talk to your doctor to see if lyrica is right for you, and wont interfere with any other meds you may be taking.

Answer 7

I am writing to tell you what an incredible impact these methods had on my life! I have had type 2 diabetes for 27 years. For me, the worst part of this horrible disease is the severe pain I constantly get in my feet. The pain is so bad that I avoid standing and walking as much as possible. I've got to tell you that within the first month, my feet stopped hurting altogether and I can now walk totally pain free.

Believe it or not, I even danced at my niece's wedding last month, something I have not done in a many years. I've been following the book for six months now and my blood sugar is well within normal range. I feel great!

I recommend you use the Type 2 Diabetes Destroyer to naturally reverse your diabetes.

Answer 8

I type medical reports all day long and I have seen that Neurontin or Lyrica is prescribed the most for this condition but here is some information on Ultram. I do not think I would want to be on an opioid as they can be addictive.

Also, I put a link for an interesting table regarding medications used for diabetic neuropathy. It is interesting to see all the interaction problems with Ultram.

Opioid analgesics, tramadol, and nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). The nature and chronicity of neuropathic pain complicate the use of opioid analgesics for diabetic sensorimotor neuropathy. There have been very few trials evaluating the long-term safety and efficacy of opioids in neuropathic pain, and it is generally accepted that these drugs provide only marginal relief at the risk of severe adverse effects and physical dependence.[41] In fact, no published studies have formally examined the treatment of diabetic neuropathy with an opioid. One eight-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover trial examined controlled-release oxycodone in the treatment of 38 patients with post-herpetic neuralgia.[62] Reductions in the intensity of steady pain, brief pain, and allodynia were statistically and clinically significant versus placebo. Despite the predictable occurrence of constipation, sedation, and nausea, the patients preferred oxycodone to placebo 67% to 11%. Of course, the introduction of opioids to a patient's drug regimen should be considered only on an individual basis. Periodic follow-up is necessary to adjust the dosage, ensure tolerance of adverse effects, and taper the dosage at the conclusion of treatment.

Tramadol has opioid analgesic and serotonergic properties that theoretically make it an attractive medication for neuropathic pain. There have been two key studies of the safety and efficacy of tramadol in the treatment of neuropathy. A randomized, double-blind study in 131 diabetes patients with neuropathy demonstrated a clinically and statistically significant reduction in pain intensity compared with placebo; the NNT was 3.1.[41,63,64] Nausea and constipation occurred in over 20% of patients, and headache and dyspepsia were also more common than in placebo recipients. The second double-blind study compared tramadol with placebo for the treatment of pain, paresthesia, and touch-evoked pain associated with polyneuropathies. Tramadol 200-400 mg/day proved to be more effective than placebo; however, although the difference was statistically significant, the clinical improvement was fairly modest, and the NNT for >50% pain relief was 4.3.[41,62] The major adverse effects -- tiredness, dizziness, and dry mouth -- were reported by roughly half of the patients during the tramadol phases, and constipation occurred in over 40%, versus 12% for placebo. Adverse effects were generally reported by patients as absent to mild.

In conclusion, tramadol is a safe and effective medication for diabetic sensorimotor neuropathy, and the dosage required for therapeutic effect is relatively high.

Answer 9

Shocking New Diabetes Research Revealed : http://Help.DiabetesGoGo.com

Answer 10

So..
This online resource about diabetes is very interesting http://www.goobypls.com/r/rd.asp?gid=549

It would be great if I could reverse my diabetes as they say. For now I just can say that I found many useful tips and information about my disease and that I feel better.