No, I was not taking any other pain med at the time. My doctor had my stop the Tramadol due to the seizure risk associated with taking it with Wellbutrin, which is the only antidepressant the works well for me....and I needed to start back on it after being off it for a couple of years. He tried giving me Darvocet to help with my pain and the withdrawals but it did not help. I eventually just suffered through the withdrawals. It was a very horrible experience.

Then in July, I had an infection around my heart and was eventually diagnosed with a rare illness. (It is a long story and a I won't bore you with the long details!) This illness causes a lot of pain and I'm now on Oxycontin 20mg 3X daily. I'm also on Topamax 200 mg daily. We're still trying to get all of my pain issues figured out because I have some pain that is neuropathic and some that is not. The neuropathic pain does not respond well to narcotics. I tried Lyrica but it makes me feel like I am extremely drunk. So, we are still working on it.

I have learned that Tramadol does not affect everyone the same but I would hate for anyone to experience what I did. If you are going to continue your Oxy, then it probably wouldn't affect you negatively since you will continue to have a pretty high dose of narcotics in your system. But I can't tell you that with absolute certainty. Just be careful! Do your research and know the facts. (Google Tramadol and/or Ultram and read about it.) A lot of doctors do not even know there is a problem with dependence and withdrawal from this medication. Just be educated. Good luck and I hope you get your pain under control.

Blessings,

Hi addyson, I was aware of some of the problems experienced by Tramadol users, and thought it would be a good idea to let others know of their experiences with it, so I started this thread.
Sometimes I take none, then 2 or 3 or more, then back to one, and I don't seem to have any adverse effects from this daily variation.
My wife took one and had hallucinations, and as a nurse she has seen many bad reactions to it, especially with older patients.

Hi Peter,

Thanks so much for your response. I'm so glad you are one that can take Tramadol without any problems. I wish I were one as well. It truly is wonderful for pain.

So your wife had hallucinations? Wow, I had those with Ambien and it scared my husband to death! It just goes to show we are all different and react differently to various medications.

Thanks for starting this thread so others can be well informed.

Blessings,

I was just browsing, and wanted to say that I also take tramadol. When I first started taking it, I was in so much pain that I wasn't sure if it worked. Now after almost 2 yrs, I guess it helps. When I did try to wean myself off, my pain was so extreme, I felt like jumping off a bridge. I'm wondering (after reading the thread), if the withdrawl symptoms caused the severe pain. I am so glad to have found this site, because I now see I am not the only one battling chronic pain. Do any of you know the long term affects?

I wish I could answer your question but unfortunately I can't, as didn't take them long enough before the hallucinations cut in to know about any of the other side effects!

Were the pains worse after stopping the Tramadol than before you started taking it? I was just trying to work out what you said here......


From what you've written, it sounds like your pain was actually worse after you stopped than before you started taking them. Have you spoken to the doctor who ordered them about this? Maybe you could ask your pharmacist if you haven't asked your doctor, but I think you'd be better off checking with the person who started you on them.

Something doesn't sound right to me!

I take it as a PRN with advil. I recently weaned myself off of oxycontin. I cant stand living in a fog. Its been two weeks off the oxy and am still in a fog plus limb,back pain.

paula

Uncomfortable one, YES! One of the withdrawal symptoms is increased pain. I think this is true when you are withdrawing from most any narcotic pain medication but, in my experience Tramadol was far worse than any other medication. As I described before, it was a terrible feeling and I thought I was going to die! That is why I want to get the word out to people about it. While I understand and believe that a lot of people use this medication and do absolutely fine, there are others who suffer in misery from taking it. I was one of the latter.

Hi Addyson, do you have drug sensitivity in general?
As regards tramadol, I would suggest that anyone going to try it starts with a quarter tablet to see what happens. Then if OK, gradually increase the dosage. Not sure that this can always be done, as my 50mgs are in capsule form which cannot be divided easily, whereas the 100 and 150mg are plain tablets. Wonder if the 50s are available as tablets too?

I do have the 50 MG tablets.
My Tramadol is not for my PN.
I take a small dosage of generic Neurontin for my PN.

My Tramadol was prescribed for osteoarthritis in my foot.

Oh yes it worked for that pain very nicely but it defiantly made me want to nap.
I loved it cuz the pain relief was so great.
But I sure could never take it and drive.
I started with half a 50MG tablet for a few days and once I decided I was not gonna be in trouble I went to the whole tablet.
But only one and at night before bed.
Slept wonderfully painlessly.

Upsetting side effects for me...
Slept like a log and when I woke with the need to go to the restroom I found both legs solid pins and needles. Apparently it make me sleep so soundly that I don't move at all and so my limbs fall asleep (normal "falling asleep", not from the PN)
I also find myself rather "groggy" the following morning.

So after the first couple weeks, when the foot arthritis flair up was under control, swelling and redness abated and I stopped taking the Tramadol.

But I still take half or even a whole one once in a blue moon to get some relief from the arthritis. More often I simply take Tylenol Arthritis.

I do not notice any diff in my PN with the Tramadol, but that is probably because my Neurontin does an acceptable enough job most of the time.

Hi Peter,

Yes, I would say that I am sensitive to many drugs in general. However, I have not had many problems with narcotics/opioids, except for Tramadol and Dilaudid, and I have been taking them a very long time.

My problem wasn't with 'taking' Tramadol, I did fine with it and it did wonders for my pain. It was the withdrawal from it that made me feel like I was going to die! It was awful!! That is my whole point in warning people about it. Just be cautious about taking it and be prepared if you must stop taking it. That's all I wanted to say.

And, yes, it does come in 50 mg tablets.

Have a great weekend!

Blessings,