What are your experiences with tramadol ?

I have taken tramadol for about a year. It actually called tramacet as it’s a combo of 5mg tramadol with 300mg acetaminophen. I take it for nerve pain in my L4/5 and also cervical nerve pain. I try to use it only at night but sometimes I have to take it during the day. For the burning nerve pain it works quite well but I’ve been using it more lately and became concerned so my Doctor and I are trying Pregabalin for the nerve pain instead. Starting very slowly at 25mg twice a day and seeing how that works. I still had lots of pain to deal with daily with tramadol unless I took it, hoping the pregabalin quells the pain and I feel more pain free again.

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.

I started taking Tramadol after I developed spinal stenosis. Two pills plus Gabapentin five times a day, then 4 times a day. I tried my best to get off it after the operation. No luck. I'm taking it with acetomenophen 4 times a day. I'm not trying to get off it anymore. I've decided that at my age, if I become addicted, who cares? It beats the awful debilitating pain. My acupuncturist used a laser treatment on my knees about 1 1/2 weeks ago. Amazing! I've only the slightest feeling of sensitivity since. I'm going to see if she can do the same on my side.

Several years ago...my [then] doctor told me I could take Tramadol; that it is NOT an opioid, but was created to be used in PLACE of opioids. A few years later they made it a controlled substance, and called it an opioid.

Fast forward a few years...pain doctor prescribed it 3x a day. It does nothing to help real pain, but I discovered that it does help the Fibromyalgia aches, so I continue to take it for that.

* IF it was really an opioid, I doubt they would prescribe it several times a day, for years. And that's my 2 cents worth.

I have been on Tramadol since 2019. I have knee pain, back pain, carpal tunnel, and sometimes neck pain. I go to a pain clinic. They wouldn't change me from Tramadol until I started taking extra in a day and had to go to the ER a couple of times. I built up a resistance to it, probably like you. I don't choose to live with pain. So, I'm addicted too. But I want my life. It's worth it to me.
Now as of a month ago, I take Hydrocodone with acetaminophen. They still have me on Tramadol 200 mg 24 hour extended release. Previously I was on 100 mg. I didn't think the increase would do anything, but it helped. Surprising.
They also referred me to a neurosurgeon for my lumbar pain, sciatica, and increased numbness in my left leg.
We do build up a resistance to pills. I would politely bother them about it until they do something different for you. It is hard to hear what you are going through! I wish you the best.