Hi Joanne,

I'm fairly new to pain relief myself. Started taking Lyrica and Tramadol about a year ago, and haven't been on any other pain meds.

Your mentioning constipation got my attention. I've never had it in my life until this year. I have been blaming Iron supplements but perhaps it's the Tramadol! It's only a few times a month, and Tramadol helps so much I'm willing to let it be. Thanks for bringing the drug connection to my attention.

Hopefully some others here who have tried various pain medications can give us some insights.

Debbie,

ALL opioid pain medications—including tramadol—cause constipation. Many other kinds of medication used for pain—e.g. antiseizure, antidepressant meds, etc.—have the potential to cause constipation.

When in question, consult the prescription insert for side effects, or goggle: side effects [medication name]

Doc

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Hi Doc,

I have heard that the antidepressants and anti seizure medications can also cause constipation - do you know if they do so to a lesser degree that the opiates like Tramadol?

IME, yes, BUT (BIG BUT) everyone is different, and the constipation (IMO) is NOTHING compared to the other side effects of antidepressants & antiseizures. Antidepressants & antiseizures can also (believe it or don't) be ultimately (all things considered) more difficult to get off of than opioids if/when addiction is not the issue.

Doc

Thanks Doc.

Looks like I'm stuck with bad plumbing, as going off pain relief is not an option for me.

As others have mentioned, it generally gets easier with time, and there are solution options.

Constipation from "opioid" medications

Opiate induced constipation

Try archives & goggle for more.

opioid constipation

opioid constipation treatment

Doc

Thank you Doc for those links. Most helpful. Think I'll start with the more natural ideas first and see how that goes. Hopefully with time things will settle down. I don't suffer often, but when I do, the whole street knows about it! lol

[QUOTE=AussieDebbie;1094938]Hi Joanne,

I'm fairly new to pain relief myself. Started taking Lyrica and Tramadol about a year ago, and haven't been on any other pain meds.

Your mentioning constipation got my attention. I've never had it in my life until this year. I have been blaming Iron supplements but perhaps it's the Tramadol! It's only a few times a month, and Tramadol helps so much I'm willing to let it be. Thanks for bringing the drug connection to my attention.

Hopefully some others here who have tried various pain medications can give us some insights

Hi Joanne,
Have you tried Miralax? Taking prunes and prune juice can help, but then its something you have to drink or eat everyday. I use Miralax, its great for constipation! And it does not cause bloating or gas. You use one capful in any kind of liquid, hot or cold every morning. See how that works. If you need more you can take a second capful later in the day. My Gastro gave me Miralax 10 yrs ago for IBS-C. But I need it more now because of lyrica and tramadol. Doc says there are no long-term affects and I will probably use it for the rest of my life. My Gastro Doc is OK with that. Don't use stool softeners or other "laxatives" everyday if you dont have too. They can become habit-forming.
I get a script from my Doc for Miralax (Generic-Polyethylene Glycol) and pay a small co-pay when I get it as a prescription. Its much cheaper getting it this way then buying it over the counter. Ask your Doc about it. I hope this helps.