Quite a few use Tramadol and are happy with it. It turnes me into a zombie. Perhaps it suits you since you have had an earlier good experience(?) The good thing is that it doesn't irritate your stomach the way NSAIDs do but it does not lower inflammation. Good luck.

Hi

I have taken Tramadol on and off for years. If you do need it for pain relief your GP can give you slow release ones that last 12 hours which you find may give you all day relief and through the night. I also feel that I don’t feel any side effects apart from constipation and don’t get any floaty feelings but I’m not sure whether it’s because I have built up a tolerance. Good luck, Sarah xx

I'm currently taking it, though I'm weaning myself off. It was helpful (short term) for awful neck and shoulder pain. I needed some pain relief in order to get moving again. I was taking 2 three times a day. I've cut it to 2 a day.

Would I want to take it long term? No! For following reasons:

-It gives me stomach issues.

-It's fairly ineffective with actual joint pain and swelling. It only has mild anti inflammatory properties.

-The benefits will wear off over time thus tempting higher doses.

- Despite what folks tell you...It is highly addictive, mostly for the reasons you have described. It makes you feel good. Short term anyway!

I think it's a useful drug if taken short term for severe pain. Actually it's been helpful in weaning myself off codiene without too much misery (It's a partial opiate agonist). I'd been taking this for joint pain because I can't really do nsaids.

The problem with opiate type drugs is that over time the body just becomes a used to having them and they become useless. Actually, codeine just increased headaches after a while. It's a right beggar getting off them! They can be emotionally and physically addictive. I don't like taking them so not emotionally attached to them, but got awful physical withdrawal from stopping.

So my view (for what it's worth!) Great short term to alleviate pain to enable some form of gentle physical therapy.

I've been on a high daily dose of tramadol for over 2 years. Dislike taking the stuff immensely, but it is a very effective form of pain control which has helped me greatly, and except for constipation, without any noticeable side effects, including the stomach issues that stopped me taking anti-inflammatories. I've never been light headed as such but I do wonder if, as you seem to think, it is acting as an anti-depressant helping to keep my spirits up. A big negative with taking tramadol long term is it can be addictive, apparently a bigger problem for some people more than others. I've recently started a new med, which has improved my RA so am trying to gradually cut down the tramadol. Although I have managed to reduce my dose by approx 20% so far, I am finding I feel a bit more down of late, which could be due to a slight withdrawal effect, or because I am in a bit more pain than I was before reducing tramadol.

None of these drugs come with a free ticket, some perhaps can make for an easier ride than others. Rheumy want to see me in january. I have a feeling they'll be asking about increasing the dosage of the new med I'm taking, and although it will very probably improve my RA, I don't think I'll push my luck by doing so even if it means having to go back on my full dose of tramadol. Unless something totally unexpected happens, then at my age I doubt I'll ever stop taking tramadol, thus no withdrawal symptoms to concern myself with.

Good luck, whatever med you go for.

Hello,

am not sure that Tamadol is very effective for inflammatory pain. Also, it can leave one very drowsy, even the following day. Sorry but you did ask for experiences! Good luck.!

I took tramadol when I slipped a disc in January, it took the awful edge off . I was worried about taking it in case I became addicted but i was fine . I didn’t have any side effects while i was on it and I stopped taking it gradually with no problems. Im quite lucky with drugs in that i seem to be able to tolerate most without problems. I hope all these replies are a helpful 😀

Hi Edgie97

Yes I get same effect using Tramadol

It really helps pain

But overall for me it’s like being my old self without RA for a few hours

It lifts my brain fog gives me energy and I feel I can smile!

May sound ridiculous and I have never admitted that to anyone before

I have been taking Tramadol since 2012 and it still gives me that effect

Days vary a great deal as to how much energy and fog clearance I get

I have been very careful with my dosage and 90% of time I just take one 50 mg tablet per day usually early afternoon to get me through the evening. You can’t get a smaller dose than that.

Problem with slow release if I remember it correctly is it only comes in 100 mg and I felt that was too high a dose

Plus I never got the fog clearance and energy

Tricky one to decide

But all I know is that without it I would be a miserable old ......grumpy and in pain

Good luck

Hi there, I took tramadol and found it very difficult to come off. It really lifted my mood and helped with the pain, but I was scared I was getting addicted. I probably was, I think I’m highly sensitive to drugs. I’d say that if you take it for pain , only what you need , then it can be very useful. But like all strong painkillers we need to be careful and be in tune with how our own bodies respond to each drug. I liked the good feeling it gave me, maybe a bit too much .

I think some people become addicted to certain substances easier than others. I'm probably addicted to tramadol but it doesn't bother me too much at my age, if I was younger it probably would.

I’ve been on naproxen for about 5 months now and it’s really helped me. Is it because of stomach problems that you don’t go on it? A friend’s husband was on tramadol and he started hallucinating so it’s a pretty powerful drug.

I am not sure what my problem is but I can’t take any pain meds without feeling terribly ill. My dr thought Tramadol would be different because it isn’t quite the same as the heavier narcotics, but no. I get so dizzy and nauseated from it, that the pain is preferable. I’ll never get addicted to any of those pills, that’s the upside I guess. I’ve recently started using CBD and I’m grateful to have found it.

I have been taking Tramadol for about 14 years and think that the effect is not working sowell now or that my pain has become too bad for it to help. I have had no bad effects from being on it and wonder what the problem is with taking it with antidepressants because I am on both. A few years ago I went through a phase where I was actually in less pain so I tried coming off it. I just cut down by one tablet each day (from about 4 a day down to one and then off altogether) and I didn't have any problems with doing that. I remained off it for about 6 months, but later my pain was back very badly, so I had to resort to them again and have been on them ever since.

Hi I was a little afraid of tramadol but when nothing else works I took it and it helps I do not want to take steroids I do have some just I case I get a really bad flare of my hands x

Hi edgie naproxan does tend to get used for inflammatory and pain etc and along with painkillers usually naproxan or ibrufen and there is lots of painkillers to try .paracetomel starter base (helps others work )then your other painkillers add ons .and regardless you take your naproxen or ibrufen. Hope you can find the right drugs to help you if naproxen does it work for you