I am having a skin biopsy on may 20. The neuro has given up on me. She and others did mri's and some blood testing, emg/ncv on lower leg and lower arm and everything has come back normal. I had to push for the biopsy. they say it's "all in my head". I have never had mental issues, barely even went to the dr. There is no medical help for me here. I see so many people that have relief with 10mg of nortriptiline but yet it does NOTHING to me. not even make me sleepy. I have the best diet, taking vitamins, excerising a bit (even though it causes extreme pain later. nothing helps. just getting worse. I feel like there is no medication help for me either b/c the nortriptiline isn't making a dent. What are people taking and what doses.

I think you will find that those getting relief with "only" 10 mg of Nortriptylene are taking it with a second drug, such as neurontin (gabapentin). I don't think that anyone just taking 10 mg of Nortriptylene is getting good relief from symptoms as major as yours. NO drug is likely to give you 100% relief and very few of us do, and good relief may be more along the lines of 50%

You still haven't anything to lose by taking 50mg of Tramadol with a FULL glass of water. It will take a couple of hours before you may notice anything.

If they only Rx'd 10 mg, then they obviously aren't taking your pain seriously. That won't help much unless used with something else, as groucho said. I know they start low and work their way up, but that's like starting with a baby aspirin, instead of regular strength Tylenol for a headache.

You need to go back and ask for an increased dose or to get something else, like Neurontin (but again, they start low and work up slowly).

They said I can go up to 50mg on my own. but that I should increase the dose by 10 once a week. My first increase is tomorrow. How do people do with 20?

Is tramadol something you can take everyday for the rest of your life? does it stop working? is it addictive?

I see many posts about gabapentin only being effective for a year or so, then not doing much to help pain. It seems pretty common from what I have read. If that's the case, why go on it? I am scared about withdrawing from it a year later.

Yes, Tramadol can be habituating. It can also develop a tolerance and require higher doses. Most drugs are like this, these days. Gabapentin creates a dependency and requires a slow taper off as well. So do SSRI antidepressants.

I have the same concerns as you. It is a relatively new med for me. From what I've found out, it can be addictive to some, but some can use it for a long time and discontinue it without much trouble. It also works well for many for a long time & sometimes it does not. It depends on the person.

You don't know if it will work for you or not, yet. You aren't likely to get dependent on Tramadol if you only take it to try it out. My suggestion is that you try it with a full glass of water and wait. Personally, if I take it in the morning, in a couple of hours (maybe less) I feel the benefits of it ALL DAY, into the evening. That may be just me & not you or someone else, but me. I'm having a hard time justifying to myself not to use more often than 4 days a week (to prevent what you are worried about). I may only be suffering in my feet, but after 4 years, it gets pretty old. Luckily, I don't have much problem at night & only during the day, so a dose in the AM is working for me now.

If the Dr prescribed you one 50mg a dose, I'd stick with that, if it works. If the Dr said it was OK to take 2-50mg, that you could try another day. You're going to have to take a step somewhere to see what works for YOU. If you don't like a drug, by all means, stop using it and look for something else.

No one can decide for you & no one drug will likely give you exactly what you want. What really matters, I guess, is how long does one want to suffer.

Welcome Lukesmom.

Dear Canagirl,
I am currently taking 20 mg amitriptyline at bedtime. I have been taking for it for about 3 months. At first it made me very drowsy and I was finally able to get some sleep. I have noticed that I am not getting as much relief from it now and may need to increase the dosage. I have acute onset but now chronic progressive idiopathic small fiber predominant mixed sensory-motor polyneuropathy. I have tried Gabapentin and Topamax and could not tolerate. The withdrawal from Topamax was horrible. During the day I take 1-2 Vicodin as needed. I have a follow up visit with pain management Dr. next month to discuss options. My symptoms have progressed to my arms and trunk recently and it is a scary feeling. I hope this helps you. You are not alone!