Ultram is an anti-depressant which is highly recommended for pain-relief in certain chronic conditions. Another name for Ultram is Tramadol that has opioid and mono-aminergic properties. Opioid is quite effective in treating chronic pain and components of this medication slow down serotonin and noradrenaline (norepinephrine) stimulation, that plays a role in depressive disorders.
Uses
1. Relaxes your mind and frees you from all sorts of pain
2. Enhances your mood making you more energetic and lively
This is the reason for using Ultram as medicine to treat depression.
Side Effects
1. Ultram Addiction - Ultram can prove to be addictive for those who do not consult their doctor before going for it. Sometimes, self-medication makes you tolerant to the dose and you get a constant feeling to increase it and you get addicted. Such withdrawal symptoms like sleeplessness, nervousness and mood disorders start to occur if you stop taking the drug.
2. The other effects of Ultram are mild and short-lived like you might get the feeling of dizziness, drowsiness, stomach or intestinal distress (usually constipation). This is the reason why the patients taking Ultram are not allowed to drive.
Benefits
Every medicine or drug has certain side-effects and benefits, and Ultram is not an exception. Here are some of the benefits of Ultram:
1. Ultram is quite effective in reducing pain from cancer, spinal problems (kyphosis, scoliosis), arthritis and even surgery!
2. In some cases, physicians prescribe this drug to help people with severe, chronic headaches and endometriosis.
WARNINGS: -
1. No self medication please - Always consult your doctor before you stop or reduce any medication, mild drowsiness at one dose can become a deadly blackout in another. Never pass on this drug to a friend, even if he/she is in great trouble or pain - what works for you could be fatal for him. Your doctor is the only resource to help you to get rid of this Ultram addiction.
2. Before you decide to start on Ultram, be honest with your physician about your previous drugs' records. Sometimes, people having any other addiction in their present or in the past may be more prone to Ultram addiction. So do not forget that at this moment, your doctor is your God who will help you to get rid of all your problems!
So, you can make this drug a powerful tool to help you reach the active, pain-free life you deserve! Just be aware of all the side-effects and benefits of any medicine that you are currently taking and get rid of your problem without any hassles! Ward off all the myths and pre-conceived notions about its use and following these guidelines, just move ahead with it and get a NEW YOU!!!
I wish you the best of health throughout your life!
Navneet Brar provides much more information on ultram and other depression medications like lexapro, through his various articles on depression. You will also get stuff on types of depression like clinical depression, bipolar depression and so on.
And for fun and entertainment online, kindly visit his website http://health.top54u.com.
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Errors Associated With Extended Release Medications
By Don Levasseur
There are several types of medication errors. When a drug is available in more than one dosage forms, there is the potential for error. For example verapamil is a medication often used to lower blood pressure or to treat cardiac arrhythmias (abnormal heart beats). It is available in many strengths from several manufacturers. The problem arises with the 120mg strength.
There is an immediate release (the tablet releases the drug relatively quickly) and an extended release (the tablet releases the drug slowly over a period of time) tablet of 120 mg verapamil. The extended release (ER) tablet will provide the drug slowly over a 24 hour period but the immediate release tablet provide all the medication at the same time. Once released, a medication has limited time in the body. In this cases about 8 hours. The immediate release tablet must be given every 8 hours to maintain its effectiveness.
The real problem happens when the intended product is the extended release tablet but the prescription is written or phoned in to the pharmacy as verapamil 120mg tablets, take 1 tablet daily instead of verapamil ER 120mg tablets, take 1 tablet daily.
What happens is the patient would get all 120 mg of the verapamil in the first couple hours (essentially an over-dose) and the balance of the day there would not be enough medication in the body to control blood pressure. I have personally seen this error in the pharmacy and in the hospital. The problem is compounded by the fact that the verapamil ER 120mg tablet is often for people who do not need a lot of medication to do the job whereas the verapamil 120 immediate release tablet is for those requiring a large dose (360mg per day). This error could cause severe decreases in blood pressure or dangerous decreases in heart rates.
Another example is Effexor 75 mg and Effexor XR 75 mg. The regular Effexor (venlafaxine) is intended to be given 2 to 3 times daily but the Effexor XR 75mg releases slowly over 24 hours so it should be given only once daily. The problem occurs when the prescription reads Effexor 75 mg once daily instead of Effexor XR 75mg once daily
The order is for the regular product and not the XR. According to the Effexor package insert there is a small increase in the possibility of seizures with the regular over the Effexor XR. Even though this is a small chance it is still a concern and this error can be prevented.
My last example is Wellbutrin (bupropion). This drug comes in three different dosage forms. There is a regular formula for dosing 3 times daily, an SR formula for twice daily dosing and an XL formula for once daily dosing. The presence of 3 different formulas can become confusing as errors can happen as in the examples above plus the potential of the prescriber to mix up the formulas and request an XR product by accident.
There are many drugs with the potential for this type of error.
In addition to the possibility of errors with these extended release products, there is no standards for the use of a suffix on drug names. Suffixes CD, CR, ER, LA, SR, XL, XR do not have a standard definition describing the dosage form or the release characteristics of the product.
There are steps you can take to protect yourself from these types of errors.
Don Levasseur is a community pharmacist who has developed a website at http://www.PharmerDon.com He covers a wide range of topics in an easy to understand format.
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
There are several types of medication errors. When a drug is available in more than one dosage forms, there is the potential for error. For example verapamil is a medication often used to lower blood pressure or to treat cardiac arrhythmias (abnormal heart beats). It is available in many strengths from several manufacturers. The problem arises with the 120mg strength.
There is an immediate release (the tablet releases the drug relatively quickly) and an extended release (the tablet releases the drug slowly over a period of time) tablet of 120 mg verapamil. The extended release (ER) tablet will provide the drug slowly over a 24 hour period but the immediate release tablet provide all the medication at the same time. Once released, a medication has limited time in the body. In this cases about 8 hours. The immediate release tablet must be given every 8 hours to maintain its effectiveness.
The real problem happens when the intended product is the extended release tablet but the prescription is written or phoned in to the pharmacy as verapamil 120mg tablets, take 1 tablet daily instead of verapamil ER 120mg tablets, take 1 tablet daily.
What happens is the patient would get all 120 mg of the verapamil in the first couple hours (essentially an over-dose) and the balance of the day there would not be enough medication in the body to control blood pressure. I have personally seen this error in the pharmacy and in the hospital. The problem is compounded by the fact that the verapamil ER 120mg tablet is often for people who do not need a lot of medication to do the job whereas the verapamil 120 immediate release tablet is for those requiring a large dose (360mg per day). This error could cause severe decreases in blood pressure or dangerous decreases in heart rates.
Another example is Effexor 75 mg and Effexor XR 75 mg. The regular Effexor (venlafaxine) is intended to be given 2 to 3 times daily but the Effexor XR 75mg releases slowly over 24 hours so it should be given only once daily. The problem occurs when the prescription reads Effexor 75 mg once daily instead of Effexor XR 75mg once daily
The order is for the regular product and not the XR. According to the Effexor package insert there is a small increase in the possibility of seizures with the regular over the Effexor XR. Even though this is a small chance it is still a concern and this error can be prevented.
My last example is Wellbutrin (bupropion). This drug comes in three different dosage forms. There is a regular formula for dosing 3 times daily, an SR formula for twice daily dosing and an XL formula for once daily dosing. The presence of 3 different formulas can become confusing as errors can happen as in the examples above plus the potential of the prescriber to mix up the formulas and request an XR product by accident.
There are many drugs with the potential for this type of error.
In addition to the possibility of errors with these extended release products, there is no standards for the use of a suffix on drug names. Suffixes CD, CR, ER, LA, SR, XL, XR do not have a standard definition describing the dosage form or the release characteristics of the product.
There are steps you can take to protect yourself from these types of errors.
- Ask the doctor about the medication prescribed, if it is extended release, how often to take it, and what it is to be used for.
- Make sure you can read the prescription and it agrees with what the doctor told you.
- Be aware if your medication is available in more than one dosage form and verify you are receiving the correct one.
- Check the bottle from the pharmacy to verify it is the same as what the doctor wrote.
- Always question any changes in the size, shape or color of the medication you receive.
Don Levasseur is a community pharmacist who has developed a website at http://www.PharmerDon.com He covers a wide range of topics in an easy to understand format.
Article Source: EzineArticles.com