What can safely I take for anxiety if I'm taking Tramadol for chronic knee p!
Question: SSRI's are a no go..and don't work for me anyway. What other meds are available that can be safely taken? Would it be easier to switch my pain med? Thanks
Answers: SSRI's are a no go..and don't work for me anyway. What other meds are available that can be safely taken? Would it be easier to switch my pain med? Thanks
Propranolol (Inderal) is a beta blocker that is typically used to treat bloodpressure and pulse, but it is also prescribed to treat anxiety. You probably want to stay away from ativan and xanax as these are very addicting. There is another medication called Vistaril (Atarax) that is prescribed for multiple reasons one being anxiety and it works well. All of these can be taken with Tramadol.
Ultram is a good pain medication and if it is controlling your symptoms, then I would stick with that.
You need to make an appointment with your physician to discuss you options. Like you said, there is an interaction between tramadol and ssris (increased incidence of seizure- most likely to occur though in someone who already has a history of seizure disorder). Some of my own patients have still opted to take an ssri after they have heard the risks/benefits- that is their own decision as long as the risk has been discussed and they understand.
There are probably some other antianxiety medications that are suitable for you or you can discuss non pharmacological ways to decrease your anxiety at your appt.
Typically, drugs for anxiety are Benzos- Ativan, Valium, Klonopin, Xanax. Other drugs to try are- Beta-Blocker (Inderal); SSRIs; SNRI (Effexor, Cymbalta), Tricyclics- Pamelor, Tofranil; Anxiolytic- Buspar
Ultram is a MILD SSRI.
"ULTRAM is a centrally acting synthetic opioid analgesic. Although its mode of action is not completely understood,
from animal tests, at least two complementary mechanisms appear applicable: binding of parent and M1 metabolite
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