Posted by Elizabeth on October 28, 2001, at 16:29:18
In reply to Thanks Elizabeth, Jahl, JohnX2, posted by JeffH on October 28, 2001, at 12:10:05
> Elizabeth, I have responded to codeine. Other than that, I have no other experiences with opioids.
You found codeine helpful for your depression, though? Can you tell me about your experience?
Something you might consider is Ultram. It's a weak opioid, not a controlled substance, and (IME) has milder side effects than other opioids such as codeine and morphine (and buprenorphine, for that matter). It's not well-suited to use for acute pain because it takes about 3 hours to kick in after you take it, but I think it would be useful for chronic pain (or chronic depression) because it has a long-lived active metabolite (O-desmethyltramadol) that builds up if you take it regularly. The down sides of Ultram are the cost(it's pretty expensive if you don't have a prescription plan) and the limit on what dose can be used (at higher doses it can cause seizures). I found that it wasn't effective for me at safe doses (and even doses a bit higher than the recommended maximum), but I know that depressed people who need opioids often do respond to Ultram. (I also didn't find codeine effective, but that probably has to do with a metabolic quirk -- most of codeine's therapeutic efficacy is due to its active metabolite: morphine.) Anyway, doctors are much likelier to be willing to prescribe Ultram than other opioids, which are controlled substances.
> I will try to contact Dr. Bodkin in hopes of getting a refereral.
I think it might be better to ask your pdoc to call him.
Best of luck to you.
-elizabeth
poster:Elizabeth
thread:82364
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20011025/msgs/82513.html