Naproxen is a no-go for me and the GP said next steps are stronger medication like Tramadol. I declined and said I will do some research and also wait until I see my Rheumy.
I have to admit, I have tried Tramadol before. 2 years ago I was complaining about my joints to a colleague and he gave me a couple pills for the day. (I know this is illegal etc, but I was having such a flare up I was desperate)
My experience with them were.. wow. I felt so light on my feet, pain was gone. Mentally, I felt like I could take on the world. My brain fog disappeared, I had my most productive email record to date, and I felt happy and focused.
I’ve realised despite how positive this is, it COULD be a negative. It honestly felt like I was on recreational drugs but in a positive scenario.
My joints have actually progressively gotten worse since this occasion, so the pain relief may be less effective, but it’s still an option better than naproxen.
Could I get others opinions on the drug? Does anyone feel the same mental stimulation and get no negative reactions from it?
Thanks in advance x
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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.
NSAIDs are all unfriendly to the stomach, so are the immunosuppressive meds so you really can't win There are alternative ways to try to decrease inflammation, as you know. You can try diff alternatives. For you my recommendation would be LDN. Helps with gut problems and inflammation, without risky side effects. Did you try eliminating gluten and PUFAs? Then again if you need stronger stuff I would start with combining LDN with low dose predisone.
hi simba my computer wants a pill anyways yes did that not had bread and pufa's but i like fish and eggs but will keep to what you said as best i can i seem to be keeping away from any big flares just getting the nigglies all times creepy feels like a bag of worms riddling inside but could be tabs hope it makes sense
nefopam and tramamadol but only take them when pain gets to much all i can say is that i have the aches all time it feels like when you do to much training and your stiffening up best as i can describe it
Probably important to see if there are any changes in your joints but if you are in pain before it can be decided on you diagnosis, perhaps taking steroids would not be such a bad idea(?) Have. you talked about this option with your doc?
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.
Thank you for sharing your experience. I have RA, so this has opened my eyes about taking it, as whatever I do end up taking will be VERY long term (if effective)
Yes, I have PsA so I understand completely. I think you just have to weigh up the pros and cons and make an informed choice (which is what your doing).
I've gradually increased my dosage because it was becoming less effective. Until recently cutting down a little, I was taking 300mg of slow release daily. I think 400mg is the max you can take. I never knew it can affect the stomach, could be why I'm continuing to have issues, albeit not as bad as previous.
Yes I'm afraid some folkseither get constipation or diarrhoea (as in my case). I have IBS so quite a lot of things upset me!
Tramadol is an interesting drug in that it works on the neurotransmitters of the brain (serotonin and norepinephrine) in the same way antidepressants do. And just like some antidepressants can really upset your stomach. I'm not sure, but I think tramadol is contraindicated with antidepressants due to risk off serotonin syndrome.
I have constipation with it. I've had pretty bad acid reflux for a couple of years which I've managed to reduce by stopping meds infamous for causing stomach issues....naproxen first, followed by aspirin and finally hydroxy. It has significantly reduced my reflux, but it still troubles me occasionally.
A potentially life threatening condition that can occur with certain drugs that work on serotogenic pathways (the happy neurotransmitter) in the brain. My happy transmitter has turned into Victor Meldrew!
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.
I’ve been doing a bit of research since posting this, and what I was describing (the euphoria bit) was my brain fog clearing! Which is a big issue for me, which is why this drug appeals to me.
I do worry about the addiction. But with a chronic disease, whatever I do take, I’m gonna get addicted to! Luckily I’m in a good place in life, so I should feel no need to take more than I need, but I guess it’s down to the individual?
It does sound like withdrawal symptoms, I’ve read into people’s testimonies when weaning off tramadol and it sounds horrific I wish you the best and I’m happy you’ve found something that can help with your pain ❤️
So that's why I'm not suicidal with all these bloody ailments!!! Oh well, if it makes me more bearable for my wife to live with then so be it!.....tramadol talking yet again!
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.
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.!
At the moment, inflammatory is only popping up on the worst flare ups (from what I can tell) so isn’t my main issue. Pain control is my main priority!
I don’t like the sound of feeling drowsy the next day, however I am like that now! Constantly fatigued regardless of sleep. So as long as it doesn’t get worse!
We are all different, can't say I recall tramadol making me more fatigued when I started taking it. It's a different story since I started taking baricitinib...not quite wipe out time, but it does seem to have made me seriously fatigued, or is it just old age catching up with me.
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 😀
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
Thank you for this! I went ahead and got tramadol from my doctor yesterday, it’s been 2 hours since I took my first one and I feel amazing! The only negative so far is my belly feeling a little nauseous and I feel a little shaky now and then but that may be down to my Vitamin D deficiency.
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 .
Hey, thanks for your input! That’s exactly what scares me - the addiction. But in my case, whatever painkiller works for me, I’m gonna get addicted to cos I have a chronic illness! I fortunately know the signs of abuse and addiction and despite the euphoria I am determined not to be stupid and take more than I’m meant to. Thanks for your input Stars27!
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’ve tried Naproxen twice (once for 8 months and the second for 2 months to see if the 2 year gap made a difference) and it does nothing for my pain unfortunately.
Yes it must be worrying when that happens. I’m sorry your husband had to go through that - must have been scary. Unfortunately, I must give it a try otherwise I’ll be stuck in pain!
Naproxen is different it's an antiinflammatory. It often helps quite well in the beginning of RA since it decreases inflammation and pain. Not used so much later when DMARDs started since it is quite hard on the stomach.
Thanks Simba. I always enjoy your replies. You sound very knowledgeable. I keep hoping for another miracle remission but my appointment is a week today with my rheumatologist and I think I’ll be put on sulphasalazine. 6 months ago when she saw me she wanted me to go on it and I asked for time to get myself better using natural ways, diet etc but I think there’s been little improvement and both my feet are so painful . What meds do you take?
Thank you for your kind words I have a diet that supports thyroid function eliminates estrogenic foods, PUFAs gluten. Eat very little muscle meat, more sea food eggs dairy fruits and berries. I drink two cups of coffee with honey, take aspirin 2x340mg. vit.D3, k2, zinc,LDN, glycine, natural progesterone, B3, C, magnesium, 5mg pred, (tapering off slowly) , bicarbonate I excersise in the gym 3x week 45min. This is my treatment protocol. I haven't been taking any Dmards since I was diagnosed three years ago.
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.
Hey, thanks for your input! I got a months supply of tramadol yesterday, and it’s been 2 hours since I took m first one.
My pain has gone, I feel great! Mood is lifted, brain fog has nearly gone. But I do feel nauseous.. I’m hoping this goes as my body gets used to consuming an opioid. If all goes well I will have to look into something that could calm my belly down.
Thanks again!
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
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There are alternative ways to try to decrease inflammation, as you know. You can try diff alternatives. For you my recommendation would be LDN. Helps with gut problems and inflammation, without risky side effects. Did you try eliminating gluten and PUFAs? Then again if you need stronger stuff I would start with combining LDN with low dose predisone.
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