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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@marquis113

You should be concerned. After ten yrs of being told its safe and not addictive I could that I was addicted. Ended up with gastroparesis after losing 35 pounds in one month. Horrible withdrawal including restless legs and my legs would actually bounce on the bed at night. Doctor just said to stop but found that I had to restart and decrease slowly. Now they are admitting that this is an opioid and addicting. Discontinue before you have the lifelong issues that I now have.

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Haven't had any issues with bad side effects. I've also needed Vicodin for 4 months because severe back pain and then extensive back surgery. I had no withdrawal issues when I didn't need it anymore. Everyone is different and our tolerance for opiods is different.
Don't put others in your experience.

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You asked for opinions I gave mine. Try not to be so critical of others. That's not what this site is about.

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

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Chronic pain, severe arthritis, fibromyalgia, cervical fusion-currently partial herniation of cervical spine above fusion, loose SI lumbar spine. So I have been on tramadol 2-3 x per day for about 20 years! I am not addicted, I don’t crave it! I always take 1 tab 2x/day to manage daily continuous pain. That said I do have a tolerance level, if I miss a minimum dose I do become nauseous, increased pain, worsened fatigue. Then I realize I need to take my dose. Those symptoms resolve. THERE IS A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TOLERANCE & ADDICTION! Retired nurse and this so irritates me that legitimate patients are being treated like drug addicts! (Limited number of pills, urine drug screens etc. Rant over! thanks!

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Hi...I'm James. I had a low back injury several years ago, and was given a Toradol (ketorolac) injection to help. I was prescribed Ultram (tramadol) orally to help with the pain. I took the prescribed dosage and developed pseudoparkinsonian symptoms. I shook like a crack addict on a bad day. After the Toradol wore off, the symptoms subsided. I spoke to the doc about it and the consensus was I couldn't have both, but either one by itself was okay. I've taken tramadol successfully for back pain several times since then uneventfully. I'm scheduled for a visit with a neurosurgeon vith view to low back surgery aince nothing else helped long term, and an MRI showed several blown discs in my lumbar spine. Keep your fingers crossed for me.

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I have chronic back pain - had surgery 6 years ago- have things between disks and a metal cage, and last winter got the back stimulator. I have tried tramadol in pill form, and it made me very sick to my stomach, especially if I had to ride in a car- dry heaves, sweating, etc. I tried just using it when real bad, and I just stay home, but had to stay laying down the whole time. The stimulator is helping about 50% of the pain - still take Motrin about twice a day, and 2 pills of gabapentin. Gabapentin was the most helpful while I waited to get the stimulator, and I don't have any problems taking it, except sleepy. So many things I need or want to do, so I keep pushing the boundaries and of course pay for it with more pain. When it gets bad enough I learn to sit still. I have other health things, but this has been going on for about 15 years. I wish you well.

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@deltadawn3775

Chronic pain, severe arthritis, fibromyalgia, cervical fusion-currently partial herniation of cervical spine above fusion, loose SI lumbar spine. So I have been on tramadol 2-3 x per day for about 20 years! I am not addicted, I don’t crave it! I always take 1 tab 2x/day to manage daily continuous pain. That said I do have a tolerance level, if I miss a minimum dose I do become nauseous, increased pain, worsened fatigue. Then I realize I need to take my dose. Those symptoms resolve. THERE IS A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TOLERANCE & ADDICTION! Retired nurse and this so irritates me that legitimate patients are being treated like drug addicts! (Limited number of pills, urine drug screens etc. Rant over! thanks!

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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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@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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I ve been taking tramadol ,for back pain etc. I do also take 2 tylenol with it 1 x a day . So I can walk. Otherwise I have a lot of weakness. Somedays I does not help to good .

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@ferret911

I’ve been taking tramadol (50mg 4/day tops) with 3 Extra Strength Tylenol for my bone on bone knee arthritis for 12 years. I recall it got bumped up to Schedule 1 (addictive) years ago, but haven’t read the research. None of my doctors seem concerned about addiction with it. I did a science experiment to stop it for a month to see about any withdrawal reaction. I didn’t have a withdrawal reaction but I sure missed the relief it gave me in conjunction with the Tylenol. Give that cocktail a try/takes about 3 weeks to kick in. Most folks give up too soon on meds…

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Good advice - thank you. I have never considered extra strength Tylenol, but I"ll try it. I am on 50mg 2 a day. Only use it in the evening when I start getting a headache that can go into a migraine if I don't act on it.

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Very effective for me and I reduce the 50 mg dose to 25 mg depending on the day.

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