What are your experiences with tramadol ?

Posted by Always Hopeful @AlwaysHopeful, Jun 16 7:42am

I have been taking tramadol for over 20 years. It was first prescribed for knee pain. This was the era when they did meniscus surgery. I'm sure the medication is not effective for me now, but it continues to be prescribed. Any other thoughts or experiences?

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@brotherchuckles80

I have taken Ttamadol for about three years and it has been very effective.

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Good news !

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Good news! Sounds like you are very tuned into your body.

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@AlwaysHopeful

Do you have the abillity to change doctors ? The peeing in a cup is demeaning and bullying. Her message is that she can get your pee tested for tramadol use.

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always hopeful,
Yes, I am very aware of why she is making me pee in a cup. We have talked about it. I used to think it was funny. I told her when I met her that sometimes I would take one of my dog’s Tramadol. I wasn’t hiding it.
My husband sees her, too, so she knows us pretty well.
I thought she had lightened up on me at one point. She was injecting steroids into my hip- in-patient procedure in hospital. I was offered some Valium and declined it. I also opted to watch procedure on screen.
She seemed to see that I was willing to do all kinds of things (hip replacement) to deal with pain. I thought we had a breakthrough. Nope. I saw her a month ago and had to pee in cup.

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@AlwaysHopeful

Thank you for your reply and I admire your strength in dealing with so many aliments. What exactly is a tolerance level? I have never heard that term. I agree with you about the indignity of the drug screens, etc. For awhile I had them consistently and now I don't have them anymore. Maybe I passed some honesty test with them !!!

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Tolerance level is when the med is not working at the current dose and you start needing to increase amount to get same level of pain control.

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@susanfalcon52

always hopeful,
Yes, I am very aware of why she is making me pee in a cup. We have talked about it. I used to think it was funny. I told her when I met her that sometimes I would take one of my dog’s Tramadol. I wasn’t hiding it.
My husband sees her, too, so she knows us pretty well.
I thought she had lightened up on me at one point. She was injecting steroids into my hip- in-patient procedure in hospital. I was offered some Valium and declined it. I also opted to watch procedure on screen.
She seemed to see that I was willing to do all kinds of things (hip replacement) to deal with pain. I thought we had a breakthrough. Nope. I saw her a month ago and had to pee in cup.

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Most of the time it is the medical group that the doctor is part of that mandates the drug screens.

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@susanfalcon52

Always hopeful,I’ve been taking Lyrica for fibromyalgia for years. Recently, I decided to get off of it as an experiment.
After a few days, I went back on it. It was helping.
As for Tramadol, I have resorted to taking my dog’s Tramadol on many occasions. Especially before my hip replacement. The hip replacement took care of 90% of my pain.
I was seeing a pain doctor - still am - and she was very upset about the Tramadol.
I told her that if she would just give me my own Tramadol then I wouldn’t take my dogs. She would not. Everytime I see this doctor, she makes me pee in a cup. Sheesh.

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Ummm pee in a cup? Unless you're on Suboxone, or at an outpatient for substance abuse issues, I'm not sure a DR. taking urine tests is appropriate. Unless there is a tramadol protocol I am unaware of/ But Tramadol is a partial opiate agonist, however it does not give you the "high" feeling that your full opiates (oxycocone, oxycontin, morphine, etc..) gives you.

The only thing I can think of is that because you're taking Lyrica, you cannot mix with tramadol, so she's checking for that? But again, I do not think that Tramadol would even show up on a drug screen unless she's testing specifically for that.

What type of Dr. is this?

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@dougs72

Ummm pee in a cup? Unless you're on Suboxone, or at an outpatient for substance abuse issues, I'm not sure a DR. taking urine tests is appropriate. Unless there is a tramadol protocol I am unaware of/ But Tramadol is a partial opiate agonist, however it does not give you the "high" feeling that your full opiates (oxycocone, oxycontin, morphine, etc..) gives you.

The only thing I can think of is that because you're taking Lyrica, you cannot mix with tramadol, so she's checking for that? But again, I do not think that Tramadol would even show up on a drug screen unless she's testing specifically for that.

What type of Dr. is this?

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Pain doctor. I keep telling her that I never hid this from her. Told her the day we met that occasionally I took dog’s tramadol.

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@dougs72

Ummm pee in a cup? Unless you're on Suboxone, or at an outpatient for substance abuse issues, I'm not sure a DR. taking urine tests is appropriate. Unless there is a tramadol protocol I am unaware of/ But Tramadol is a partial opiate agonist, however it does not give you the "high" feeling that your full opiates (oxycocone, oxycontin, morphine, etc..) gives you.

The only thing I can think of is that because you're taking Lyrica, you cannot mix with tramadol, so she's checking for that? But again, I do not think that Tramadol would even show up on a drug screen unless she's testing specifically for that.

What type of Dr. is this?

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dougs72,
I may be coming across as more vexed than I really am about the tramadol and peeing in a cup. I have actually been amused by it for the most part. She is a pain doctor and I see some of her other patients in the waiting room. They look like they really need heavy duty pain meds. And, should have them. I assume that pain doctors are under some scrutiny.
I also don’t expect to be not suspect just because I’m 72.
However, This doctor does know that I work full time and am involved in a lot of other activities.
Regarding getting a buzz from opiates, the Percocet
They gave me after my hip replacement was great for the pain, but I never felt impaired on it.
Claritin, on the other hand,
Makes me feel euphoric and like everything is just great.

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Best and only medication that resolves my pain. I have taken this drug on and off sunset 2004. I can take as needed and there are no side effects for me. I am 75 and would have a life much restricted by pain if I did not have this drug. I fear Cymbalta, Lyrica etc as they mess with my head and cannot be taken on an as needed basis. Everyone is different. I hope you find what works for you.

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