I was prescribed "non addictive" Ultram after a work injury, and although it never worked all that well for the pain...I loved this drug. It gave me energy, it improved my concentration, and it put me in a fantastic mood that lasted the whole day. Nothing that feels this good comes for free, and when I ultimately tried to stop (I had been taking more than I needed to get the feeling I liked) I was shocked by the severity of my withdrawal symptoms.

While I've always been suspicious of pharmaceutical company health advisories, the recommendations against alcohol consumption with opiate type pain medications should be taken very seriously. The concurrent consumption of alcohol and pharmaceutical pain meds greatly increases the addictiveness of the pills, can increase bodily harm, and ultimately increases the risks of a fatal overdose.