[Aussie99]

I have been ok, but due to a family member having some health I have forgotten all about my neuropathy and have concentrated on getting them the help they need. This switch in focus has done me good in the sense that it has been a good diversion for me to stop thinking about my neuropathy for a while. Pn wise I have been doing quite well lately, not much pain.

But on Xmas I had an accident and threw my back out in astronomical proportions and was taken to emergency.I waited for 5 hours in agony,and asked my husband to take me home finally without being seen. The next day I went to see a local GP, as I could not drive 45 minutes to see my own GP. He gave me Ultram slow release. I took about 200 mg, and within 3 hours another 100 mg and was hallucinating,dry mouth, unable to sit still, my heart was beating erraticly and my BP was high 158/106 and climbing so my husband called an ambulance. Off I went to the emergency room again where I waited from 12.30 pm until 9 am to be seen. I was having come down (withdrawel symptoms) while I was waiting hot flashes,itching,anxiety, and surges of heat and pressure in my head and ears. They advised not to take Ultram again as it causes too many sideeffects and not everyone can tolerate it. By the time they saw me I was ok to go home and feeling tired but well again. They gave me panaforte (which is panadeine with codeine). I took it for a few days sucessfully and noticed it worked ok, but made me ears hurt when I took it. Last night I took 2 before bed, and had a somewhat similar problem as with the ultram, (not as extreme). My husband called the ambulance again, they came to see me they said I was alert,lucid, my oxygen was at 99%, and my BP was highish but not in danger zone.. I had taken a xanax before they came and was mildy calming down,and the fact that they told me I was ok, was also calming me down. They said they were happy to take me to hospital, but the hospitals are packed and I would not be seen for hours, so the best thing I can do is have a cup of tea, relax,and stop worrying about my BP. I did what they said and read a magazine until I fell asleep finally at about 4 am. I am fine this morning, feeling quite silly that I have put my family threw so much the last week, and at Christmas. They said that I may be sensetive to the medications, or become sensetive, but I did not have an allergy,but I was also very anxious. I still cannot figure out why me ears hurt so much when I took the painkillers,and why I was experiencing such odd symptoms. I am not sure if this was just anxiety, or anxiety from side-effects or if the episode with the Ultram frightened me so much that I was very leary of taking pain killers at night? I know for a fact that the codeine did significantly raise my BP and make my ears hurt even before the anxiousness set in. Any thoughts on this would be appreciated.

[cyclelops]

I had the identical reaction to ultram or tramadol (same thing). I thought I would die...it was a migraine, puking, hot flashes like menopause x 10...it has an SSRI in it...a prozac like drug in combination with synthetic codeine...my BP was thru the roof...it sounds exactly like what you experienced.

I won't even be in the same room with tramadol. I can take codeine, vicodin etc...it is the SSRI that I can not handle....let alone the combination of the two!

I know it works for some folks....but, for me it was as close to near death as I care to come. UGH

Sorry to hear about the accident...you did not need that to boot!!

Is it the outside of your ear...the pinnna? I have very sore pinnas at times...it has to be the neuropathy in my case...it comes and goes with no rhyme or reason...mostly wakes me at night, when sleeping on that ear....and Lord, it hurts big time....it isn't anxiety...ears do not hurt from anxiety. I have one son who has the exact same problem...both of us had head trauma at one time.

[Aussie99]

Thanks for reply. I was doing so well until I took the Ultram. Even now that I am fine, I am experiencing anxiety. i was almost done with anxiety, had hardly worried about it and stopped worrying about BP. The ultram changed things back.

The emergency workers told me that Ultram can be nasty stuff for some people, and it has brought plenty to hospital.

I stupidly took it because I was in so much pain, I wasn't thinking clearly. I have to calm myself down but am finding it hard. I wonder why the increase in BP, that was crazy. When that happens I loose my wits all together.

The ear problem is like a fullness and pressure at the same time. When I go to the snow in winter, or to colder areas, as I breath in the cold, my lungs and ears ache sometimes. That was what it felt like,a full ache.

[shiney sue]

Your description of Ultram sounds very much like the reaction I had,
I was told by the Dr. to put it ondo not use list..There's been a lot
of different thougts on Codine many. And anything that rasies one's
bloodpressure put on list and say why. But a great deal of pain can
cause stress and blood pressure can go up. hummmSince you had
to go in that many times,I would of though they would of put you
on a iv since you were there for so long..Next time yell how many
times do I have to get here by ambulance before you do something.
I mean a IV would of knocked you out and you and the ER DR.
would have a rest...Your fanily should understand a Mom in pain.I
for one am glad you are taking care of yourself.you deserve it,
but not having to go through so much. Many hugs Dear,Sue

,

[Brian]

Hi Aussie, i am glad to read your PN is going ok, but the throwing out of your back sounds terribly painfull, its really disgusting the amount of time you had to wait in hospital, i had a similar experience waiting with a suspected DVT in the Geelong hospital, it's not right and should be fixed.
I used 300mg Tramadol SR x 2 times a day for a few years and didn't have one problem with it, but it just proves we are not all the same when it comes to taken some meds, i hope your back is feeling better now.

Brian

[Aussie99]

The first time I went to the hospitalon Xmas, I went to a private hospital. Finally after 5 hours I aksed what was going on and the nurse was very short with me and said they had 1 doctor working for the entire emergency ward,and he will get to me when it was my turn.

This is the same hospital that charges $250-400 for the pleasure of using their emergency ward. I went there expecting to pay, but expecting to be seen. I left because I was so uncomfortable I needed to get in bed.

The next hosptal visit was to a public hospital,and I went by ambulance and I heard the triage nurses argue with the paramedics saying that they should not have brought me in,and they should have taken me straight to the private hospital because I have insurance. That's when I waited from 12.30 pm until the next morning to be seen by a 25 year old doctor. I asked the Triage nurse to triage me and this was hours later, and I was very very unwell and she told me to go sit down in my chair and watch the tele until it's my turn and I looked ok to her. I said you have not even triaged me? She then said that the ambulance people did it when they brought me in, and thats all the information she needs.

As I sat there, I watched this maori woman actually clipping her toenails and the toenails flying all over,and she then clipped the skin on her heels. I watched another older woman drinking a beer as she was waiting, and she looked like death warmed over. This other woman her eyeball was bleeding and they ignored her too.

The taxes we pay in this country are unreal,and the service we get when we need it is S#*#!!!!

They refuse to even speak to you or even acknowledge you in our public hospitals (typical socialist workers), passing the buck.

The entire thing really has made me angry. I feel like writing letters to people, but I don't think people care anymore. Zero customer service!

[Dakota]

Hey, Aussie. I am sorry that you are struggling with anxiety. I have had problems with it a couple of times from drug reactions, and it is a terrible feeling, for sure. Sometimes people act like it is no big deal, or that you can just deal with it, but it is a bad, bad problem that we cannot usually just control by will power as it involves multiple physical systems in our bodies and usually had a physical cause. I am hope that it comes under control soon.

[cyclelops]

How in the heck are you NOT supposed to be anxious with that kind of care...doesn't sound like the private system is any better than the public system or visa versa...

My ear pain is different, and it seems very PN related in my case.

Accident victims get terrible care....in our country it is bad as their is almost always litigation and if you don't come in critical you often get discharged and your injuries not found until later...for me years later...and serious injuries too. I was at one of the 'best' trauma centers too. Go figure.

If you had any 'whiplash' type injury, that will bother your ears, cause headaches, earaches, dizziness, sore neck all kinds of things....you didn't need that on top of PN. My heart goes out to you.

As far as tramadol goes, a fair number of folks get exactly the reactions you and I got from it...just do not take it, and let them know how sick you got. I got sick almost the same way, same dose etc.

I feel like you are my missing twin...and I pray you are not! (I know you are not, you are a lot younger!!)

I thought all my problems were anxiety driven for 15 years...they were not. When the cardiologist I saw, in 2004 told me....'IT IS NOT IN YOUR HEAD" I tried to convince even him that it was....I had been told that so many times by so many docs...I truly believed it.

(By the way...I had a muscle biopsy...it showed myopathy in my bicep...a surprising find. Doc said he knew I would have myopathy in my legs, but he was surprised to find it in my arm....in an area where it is highly unlikely to find PN....It is still being worked up for other stuff...I won't know more for a few weeks. I am likely looking at some hereditary stuff....but I won't know more for a while.)

I assume they did urine porphyrins on you. They can do testing to see if you carry a gene polymorphism for certain enzyme families...tramadol is metabolized by 2D6. Look at the cytochrome chart...link below. Remember in Australia, some drugs are referred to by different names...so just check that out...for example I believe acetominophen is paracetamol??? Both are tylenol. I know most drugs are the same, but not all...

http://medicine.iupui.edu/flockhart/table.htm

Also our ability to metabolize drugs is as unique as a fingerprint...no one is the same. 10% of Caucasians carry a polymorphism for 2D6. I have had reactions to just about every drug on that list, with the exception of a few, so I am drawing my own conclusions...

Sometimes it is a matter of how many drugs metabolized by one enzyme family you are taking....and then how many inhibitors or inducers you are taking....it is a good read if you have time to study it.

Take care of yourself.

[dahlek]

about 'depression'. I plainly reply back: Who in their right mind wouldn't be depressed with all this stuff going on? Not to mention the pain? Wanna trade places with me for a few hours? Subject is then totally and completely dropped... If they bring it up 'again' - I also point out all the different meds I am on for 'different' things and tell THEM to look closely at all the common and RARE side effects...then add them up. There are a LOT of them?
BTW folks, I'm weaning off of two of my four key meds...the two really important ones for sure. So IF I get a bit cranky [not too much yet, but anticipating something WILL happen?] please bear with ME?

Aussie, I really identify with all you are going thru...Put a twist on it all tho? You got it done during most of the LAST year's calendar for insurance of qualifying issues [least that's how it works here] Soo, if you were in the US and had a catastrophic deductible...well it'd all be paid for by you IF in January?

Outside of muscle relaxers, which most docs don't ever seem to prescribe anymore...they try and zonk us out w/tranquilizers so's were too woozie to care too much...let alone have the ability to complete short sentences!
I have bunged up my back muscles big time many times since I was a mere teen - Moist-heat heating pad -alternating areas of pain every 15-20 minutes has been the best alternative relief I have found for the long run. Sad but true that- that has been the only salve I've in my arsenal for relief other than back specific exercises. I too have spent 15+ hours in ER's just to get seen, and not really treated...Somehow THAT doesn't seem to happen. Anti-imflammatories just do not cut it!
That all said, it doesn't help your own situation NOW? I truly wish that I was by your side giving you a soft reassuring to help you thru it all. This is the best I can do from here tho. I sure wish it were more. Crying yourself to sleep takes too much energy at times, tho sometimes it helps get the worst out of your system/self. I believe you know what I mean. Hugs and more! - j

[Aussie99]

until I took the Ultram I was fine. I have been feeling good for a while. Aside from when I was having facial pain, my anxiety was super undercontrol. I wasn't even taking my BP anymore because I felt quite well and I knew everything was ok. I had a really good sense of well being,finally after so much worrying.

The trip to the hospital and the Ultram seemed to change me back somehow to a high anxiety state. Even now that I am ok, my Bp is good, but I am feeling very uptight,stomach churning,head pressure & pain,chest tight, on edge, shaky.

Boy I hate this feeling. I can only pray that I return back to the way I was not too long ago. I was thinking that the Ultram may have altered my brain chemistry. I am sure this theory of mine may be a bit far fetched. I took the Ultram on the 27th and it is now the 3rd,and I have been feeling like hell since the 27th, and it has been 7 days. I'm sure it must be out of my system by now.