I found Tramadol would sometimes give good pain relief and other times it didn't seem to do much for me. I read a tip someplace from an older person's patient review awhile back, and that Tramadol needs to be taken with a full glass of water. That was the secret to taking the med, but he didn't say why, so I didn't know if it just prevented stomach discomfort, or what. But since I started taking my Tramadol with a minimum of 6-8oz of water, I've had good pain relief with it every time. It surely won't hurt to try the tip. Good luck.