Twenty years ago,I was rear ended while driving to work and as a result had a bulging disc in my back. I tried everything for the pain including but not limited to acupuncture, shots directly in my spine. None of this helped (all recommended by my local hospital pain management clinic.) My doctor there told me that a lot of people have bulging discs and walk around with no pain.....not sure what he was getting at. He finally prescribed tramadol and it relieved the pain within 10 mins. So long story short, I took the tramadol that he prescribed but noticed that he had to "up the dosage" as time went on because it wasn't working like it did initially. He never mentioned addiction by the way. I did my own research and found more and more stories about people becoming addicted. So I weened myself off of them relied on my heating pad for relief. Fast forward to a couple of years ago when after seeing 4-5 urologists I was given the diagnosis of IC (terrible bladder pain). Low and behold after trying weekly infusions, etc....I wound up at same pain clinic with the same doctor!!! He wasn't surprised to see me and said that he had given an initial diagnosis of fibroneuralgia (sp?) which I either didn't listen to or he never explained to me. So after reading my charts and listening to me tell him about that bladder pain, he asked me if I had ever tried Lyrica. Well, I hadn't because no one told me about it. I have been taking Lyrica for 2 yrs. now and my bladder pain is gone but my foot and ankle neuropathy is bad. I am waiting to see a neurologist for 6 months now as they were completely booked. I know about addiction now and still worry about the Lyrica but (and its a big but)....I will be 77 yrs. old and don't want to spend all day and night with my heating pad so even though I know Lyrica is addictive, my rationale is I have just so many years left of this planet, do I want to spend them in terrible pain? I think that everyone has to make that decision for themselves. Yes, tramadol is addictive and that means that you will have to increase the dosage as your body becomes use to the initial dosage. I think that I am not giving a medical diagnosis here but more of a "what works for you and your lifestyle" talk. I think that in 5-10 yrs. doctors are going to know more about pain and why we all experience it differently and what works for one individual and not another. I don't have 10 yrs. to wait for them to make those medical breakthroughs. Just do you and if you are not being seen at a pain management clinic....make an appointment. Typically, it isn't a one stop shopping but approaching your pain problem with multiple things (medication, meditation, acupuncture, etc.) Good luck on your personal journey. Sorry for being long winded here.