My doc wants me to consider it. The benzo's are out and I never took them and when I told him he agreed it was a poor suggestion on his part. Anyway I took a look at the possible side effects and it seems like a potential horror show.

I was wondering what the experience of using this drug has been on you kind folk here. I'd really like to hear your experiences before I'll consider considering this drug. I do well on opiates usually but these designer opiates scare me due to possible side effects. So...

I use tramadol daily. I find it less effective than I'd like, though oddly you inquire on a day that a snafu that involves multiple parties (including me) leaves me without.

It helps take 10-20% of my pain and discomfort off the top. Most days I only allow for 10% credit. Today I give 20%.

I go some days without, though I will admit for the most part it is a daily medicine. I am scripted up to four times a day and my physician intially wrote the script at 100 mg, though only extended release are made that way I believe, so I take 2 50 mg. My script is for up to 4 50 mg per day, to clarify.

While I'd prefer a better tool, it helps me tremendously. I don't think I work without it.

My husband had great success with hydrocodone but never tramadol....he said it was like taking an aspirin for him.

I've never used it but wanted to pass that along to you.

Debi from Georgia

Oh yeah, on bad days it doesn't feel like enough. Today, rainy and having nothing it is like a holy grail hidden from sight, hah.

Even so, I agree with the notion it is lower end of the spectrum.

I'd like to add, Icelander, that when I had shingles, I found hydrocodone to be nicely effective on my other nerve pain as well. I didn't bother asking about it, and I will briefly explain why.

I have diagnosed moderately severe diabetic polyneuropathy. It started out in the mild camp. Despite this, when mentioning that my pain was more severe and that research pointed toward a drug expressly indicated for said condition I was told, "you don't want that, it is the same class as hydrocodone."

So that is my short story on that. I am not sure why I am blanking on the name - tapendatol?- of the drug, it is a stronger form of tramadol, which is why I thought it would be a decent idea for me. I thought tramadol was waning in effect- it is, I think but it is obviously doing something.... because I am walking around like I have an extra decade or so on me... or I think I have been placed in a mine field. Perhaps both.