Tramadol

[Leechg]

I have had back pain for years and it has just gone again. Doc has given me slow release tramadol. He knows I have paroxysmal AF. One of the possible side effects is fast heartbeat. Has anyone else tried tramadol, did it relieve back pain, and did you get any unpleasant side effects? Thanks.

[BobD Volunteer]

I was given this drug to help the pain after rotator cuff damage in 2007 and it did not affect my AF at all. In fact it enabled me to drive to Birmingham for our first Patients Day Conference!

[Cavalierrubie]

My daughter was on this drug for back pain. Only take it for as long as necessary, as it is addictive (opiate family). They don’t prescribe it so much now because of this reason. US are having lots of problems with overprescribing and lots of pending law suits because of addiction. I would say, just be sensible with it. Hope you soon feel better.

[SamAdmin Administrator Arrhythmia Alliance AF Association]

Good afternoon Leechg

Thank you for your post on Tramadol, if your Doctor has prescribed this and knows your history with paroxysmal AF, I would think you would be fine but just to be sure I would speak to a pharmacist about your concerns before you take the Tramadol.

I have put a link down from our charity - FAQ's AF booklet

api.heartrhythmalliance.org...

Please let us know if you have any other concerns.

Kind regards

SamAdmin

Booklet

[Bagrat]

I waited 4 hours to get tramadol after breast surgery because I insisted the junior doc checked it was OK to take with AF.After all that, one tablet spaced me out so much I didn't take it again.

Incidentally back in the early 90s it was the new "non addictive" wonder drug with no top dose (unless limited by side effects) according to an amazing Dr who ran the pain clinic in a Northern town.

[Leechg in reply to Bagrat]

Yes, a friend said exactly the same thing about being spaced out. Thanks for your reply.

[Ppiman]

I think we are stuck between the devil and the deep blue sea with pain relief - mostly because of bleeding risk with NSAID drugs like ibuprofen and naproxen, ut also from their effects on the heart.

I use an occasional diazepam tablet (5mg) which helps with muscle spasm in my neck. Doctors in general dislike this kind of drug fearing dependence will form. I gather if they are used daily around 3 in 10 might get this but I take it only occasionally and it works quite well with, so far as I know, no cardiac or other side effects.

Steve

[Vonnegut]

Years ago I had lower back pain which disappeared after a course of Alexander Technique sessions - and only two further sessions required a few years back after a fall. But I didn’t have arthritis - it must have been a posture thing from apparently standing up too straight and nasty car seat!

[Leechg in reply to Vonnegut]

I might see if there are any local practitioners. Thanks for the tip.

[Vonnegut in reply to Leechg]

Good luck. I don’t know where you are but there is a website where you should be able to find a practitioner near you if in the UK. That’s where I found the lovely woman I only needed to see twice after the fall on my back (when my foot got stuck in the strap of a bag as I got out of the car quickly - long story!)

[Cumbremar5]

Tramadol oxycodone codeine are all opoids only took codeine with paracetamol at night nevertheless got dependant on it and eventually it was non effective and needed more aka addicted dumped it just gone through nasty withdrawal symptoms muscle aches diarrhea headaches. If you can manage without tramadol or just for a short period is best. Doctor Michael Moseley god rest his soul, recommended taking probiotics. May try that. I have paradoxical afib like you.

.

[Qualipop in reply to Cumbremar5]

"Doctor Michael Moseley god rest his soul". Did they find him then? I haven't seen any further news. That's so sad.

[Cumbremar5 in reply to Qualipop]

Yes sadly he'd climbed a high hill very rocky in Symi they feel he slipped but no one could see where he fell he'd been dead for a couple of days a sad sad loss to the world. RIP Michael you had more to give so unfair. He'd wanted to outlive his father who died at 76 Michael died at 67 for the silliest of reasons pushing himself in very high temperatures over 40 degrees and climbing a rocky mountain he'd not taken his mobile phone either. Take care , Anne

[Qualipop in reply to Cumbremar5]

Oh my word. I hope it was quick; poor man although hiking in those temperatures and without a p hone is unthinkable.

[Vonnegut in reply to Qualipop]

Too right! All that sensible advice and then being silly himself!

[Fastbeat1 in reply to Cumbremar5]

I think his father died at 70 ?

[Vonnegut in reply to Cumbremar5]

Yes, so sad- he gave us all that good advice and then did something very silly himself! I’ll think of him daily when I have my two squares of dark chocolate and when we have the green tea he advised too.

[BobD Volunteer in reply to Qualipop]

Yes he was very close to civilisation but hidden amongst rocks.

[Vonnegut in reply to BobD]

That sounds vaguely like that line from the poem - “not waving but drowning!”

[Crystalbowl]

I was prescribed Tramadol for pain but the first dose caused me to vomit so I didn’t take any more.

[JOY2THEWORLD49]

Hi

I went to my GP for post orthopaedic pain. I was give Tramadol and paracetamol-Codeine.

I used tramadol 2 days and paracetamol-codeine for 3 days then no more.

I have used Norflex for spasms in my back. Only one a day, it was great.

But I tend to limit pain meds. There is a place for preventing pain.

cheri JOY. 75. (NZ)

[Dempo]

I was given Tramadol for back pain. The first time I took it, I sat for three hours at the dining table without speaking or moving. I thought I had been there for ten minutes. My husband said I looked completely spaced out and didn’t answer when he spoke to me. Never took another one!

[Leechg in reply to Dempo]

Yes I have heard that it can make you feel weird. Sounds awful.

[Auriculaire]

I was prescribed Tramadol post hip ops. It did not affect my afib but I don't like the side effects. It upsets my digestion ( which can be bad for afib) and when it wears off I get itching . This shows how sensitive I am to drugs as it happens even after very sporadic use. Normally itching is a withdrawal symptom experienced by the addicted and should not occur after one lowest dose pill! Having said that it worked well to stop pain. I would only use it now if in extreme pain.

[Qualipop]

I've had extremely severe spinal pain for 30 years; worked my way up from Tramadol through morphine and now on the highest dose possible of oxycodone. Nothing more left now to try except CBD. Tramadol had no effect whatsoever on my heart but it did make me horribly sick with stomach pain. It may be an idea to also take something like omeprazole to protect your stomach because stomach problems can often trigger AF.

[Leechg in reply to Qualipop]

Sounds unpleasant. Thanks for the tip.. I’ve had back pain on and off for 12 years. It’s horrible and depressing as it takes me several months after each episode to get back to an acceptable level of pain. I was looking at PureSport CBD online which gets some good reviews. I might ask the chemist what they think about taking the CBD with my anticoagulants, beta blockers and AF. All the best with your back pain.

[Qualipop in reply to Leechg]

My pain consultant won't let me try CBD because I've had a heart attack. He says not enough research has been done about its effect on the heart. It was he who suggested it but when he researched it, he said it was too risky. Sad because my present oxycodone only lasts for about 90 minutes and I can't take it for 3 hours.

[Leechg in reply to Qualipop]

Sounds like good advice but not much use for you. Hope we can both get some decent pain relief soon.

[Qualipop in reply to Leechg]

After 30 years I doubt I ever will

[philologus]

I was prescribed it by my GP for arthritis and sciatica pain.

I took it for two years without a check-up and collapsed one day while out walking my dogs.

I managed to get to my GP's surgery and was sent to the local hospital. They decided (eventually) that I had Heart Failure at level 4 and that it was caused by the Tramadol.

I was getting 30,000+ ectopics a day.

That's about seven years ago now and I'm down to 'mild HF' now.

The Tramadol did its job but my GP didn't is the best way I can describe what happened.

Most people are OK with it but do get regular check-ups would be my advice.

[Teddy2022]

I was given Tramadol as a last resort for nerve pain. It worked at first but then stopped working. My physio said it shortens your life and advised me to stop taking it. I did and got horrible withdrawal symptoms. I felt like I had maggots crawling under my skin. It lasted a couple of days. I would not recommend this drug to anyone.

[Leechg in reply to Teddy2022]

Thanks for replying and for the info.

[Qualipop in reply to Teddy2022]

Any opiate becomes addictive and as your body gets used to it it stops working as well and the dose gets increased and increased. I was started on 5mg every 4 hours of oxycodone by a pain consultant. GP just kept increasing it until I now take 16mg every 3 hours but it only works about 90 minutes. It slows down the movement of food through the digestive tract leading to chronic constipation and plays utter havoc with your skin. I'm now on teh highest dose possible. My new pain consultant at the same clinic says he has never known anyone come off it after long term use because the withdrawal is so bad. Tramadol is much milder and safe to use short term such as post op but it can cause stomach problems.

[Teddy2022 in reply to Qualipop]

Wow that’s a very high dose. I was given that through my veins via my drip after I had my partial nephrectomy because I was in so much pain, I actually had internal bleeding but it wasn’t found until the next day they discovered it after I passed out. The Oxycodone didn’t work for me it just made me hallucinate and it slurred my speech. It was awful and didn’t help my pain at all. I think they thought it would knock me out but it made me worse. I suppose everyone is different and we all react differently.

[Qualipop in reply to Teddy2022]

I was first given oramorph but they quickly discovered I was allergic to it so they switched to oxycodone which really did work. Opiates are not supposed t work for nerve pain but it did and I'm very thankful. I'd been totally bedridden for over 9months. I tried the slow release version but found I was taking even more of the quick acting stuff to top up for breakthrough pain so I stayed with the short acting version over which I had more control. On a good day I could go 6 or 7 hours without any so it was increased much slower than usual. Now though they can't go any higher so I spend around an hour plus in severe pain out of every 3 hours and the high dose will cause real problems if I ever need an anaesthetic. When I wasin hospital last year they just didn't realise It had already worn off 9 0 minutes earlier and I was last on the drugs round which took another 45 minutes, it never really got on top of the pain at all.

[Leechg in reply to Qualipop]

Sounds awful for you. I wish you all the best and thanks for responding to me today.

[Qualipop]

NO problem. YOu get used to chronic pain as long as you get some relief.