Mr. Friedman,
I had cronic back pain for almost a year (specific to the C4 to C6 area of the spine). I found ULTRAM to be one of the best pain relievers for this problem but it wasn't without addiction. The addiction was not so much while taking ULTRAM but when I stopped. Over an extended period I stopped and started taking it. Within 24 hours of stoping my dosage, I developed flu like symptoms. I became extremely anxious, ached all over and could not sleep at night. My amune system appeared low. On three occasions I developed cold sores. I didn't realize it was related to ULTRAM until the third time it happened. I recently had extensive surgery and have just stopped taking ULRAM again. As previously, I am experiencing the withdrawal problems. Feel free to contact me via email and I can explain more of the specifics.