I have been taken off Dipipanone and Cyclizine and did not have any programme put in place for withdrawal which has been a total nightmare and the pain is extreme although I have been prescribed 2.5 ml Oramorph twice a day which does nothing for the pain! 2 fractured vertebrae , Diverticulitis, massive hernia, adhesions from previous major operation's ++. Rang the Dr. today in excruciating pain and he has prescribed Tramadol 50 mg , 1 or 2 capsules up to 4 times a day. Is anybody else on Tramadol and is it alright to take or are there horrible side effects? Would be grateful for any advice. All the best,
Danni
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Danni54
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I was prescribed Tramadol some years ago and was taken off it and changed to pregablin as the Tramadol made me very depressed but if you are already on an opioid you may be ok but keep an eye on it.
Hi . Thank you for replying. Weirdly, I can't take PreGablin or Gabapentin! I seem to have really strange reactions to a lot of medication and was fine on Dipipanone and Cyclizine but Pharma companies being greedy and not caring about patient's , they increased the price of Dipipanone to ridiculous levels so that the NHS cannot afford them any more. I am not going to be rude !!Anyway, I will take the first Tramadol tonight and my Dr. is , actually, coming to see me tomorrow to see how I am! Amazing these day's!
Tramadol is very effective for pain relief however my mood was very unsettled on higher doses. The main problem I had was actually coming off them with was a nightmare. I am now on a Buprenorphine patch which I find far more effective in controlling pain. Have you been referred to pain management?
Hi. Thank you for replying. I took 2 , 50 mg Tramadol last night and haven't slept and the restless leg's were worse. Maybe coincidental ?! The pain was a bit easier though! I have heard of Buprenorphine so I will ask my Dr. about the patches although I do have a 12mcg Fentanyl patch as well . I have to hand in my 13 page questionnaire for the Pain Clinic to the Dr. and then wait for an appointment! As they were the one's who left the lung tumour on an Xray for 15 month's but didn't tell anybody, I don't have much faith in them . They gave up on me then but the cancer was causing problems! I didn't have Osteoporosis then but had so many problems because of the misdiagnosis including 2 fractured vertebrae now! We will see!Thank you again. Take care.
Sorry you're in so much pain.Tramadol was initially launched as an antidepressant, so if you're also prescribed antidepressants please check with your Dr, (though they should be aware of this). I know of people who have had Serotonin Toxicity who have been prescribed both Tramadol and antidepressants.
The withdrawal when stopping Tramadol is horrendous so please be aware if you take for a long period of time and come off them, they need to be reduced very slowly.
Good luck, I hope you get some relief from the pain.
I was on 8 Tramadol a day for 8 years, wasn’t feeling too good one day so missed a cpl, the withdrawals were a nightmare, haven’t touched them since, client of mine was on them but didn’t help her much, she’s now on oxycodon which are helping her more (she’s in her 80’s) I’m now on sevredol ( morphine sulphate), doctor wouldn’t prescribe them for client as they say they can cause hallucinations in older people, Tramadol did work for me when I first started using them though, hopefully they ease your pain x
Hi Danni, I take between 6-8 Tramadol a day (back pain). No side effects. Previous to that I was on Cocodamol, so I'm used to taking pain meds. Only thing with Tramadol is you can't just stop taking them when you want to or you get awful withdrawal symptoms - other than that, they're quite effective.
Hi there, so sorry you're having such a rough time at the moment and I hope the Tramadol helps you as much as it helped me. I took Tramadol for 8 years and It was a great painkiller in my opinion. I suffer from fatigue which it helped as well as killing my back, leg, bowel, muscle and pancreas pain for all that time but unfortunately in the last year I took it I started to have severe hot flushes and sweating. I was gutted because it really did perk me up and kill the pain very well. So there's my experience for you! I really do hope you find something to help you as soon as possible.
i take 50 mg Tramadol only when needed for back and muscle pain since i am not allowed NSAIDs (kidney ) for me who only takes Eliquis only medication, its a great med! I take one little pill at breakfast and at 6 pm i still am in a great mood, energetic, pain is almost non existant.
90 pills lastet me 2 years! I kind of "treat" myself on bad arthritis days.
Hi BarbolaI just noticed your reply. That's fantastic that you get by on so few Tramadol. People over-use pain medication (me included at times). I wish I could still tolerate Tramadol because it's probably the best pain killer I've had apart from morphine and I really miss the energy boost it gave me. I hope you're having a good and pain free day, take care.x
Hi Danni54, I am so sorry for all the illnesses that you have. I was prescribed Tramadol many years ago, shortly after taking it, I had a very bad reaction from it and it was that severe an emergency ambulance had to come for me to take me to hospital, I couldn't breathe properly and I went into cardiac arrest. It turned out which nobody knew about I was allergic to Opiates and Opioids. It was a horrible time and very scary. In the past I had Tramadol with no reaction at all. I now carry a card to tell people what I am allergic too. This doesn't mean that the same thing will happen to you. It was just a freak of nature. So now I have to check every medication that I take to make sure there is no opioid or opiate in them.
I am so sorry that you went through that. Having had Anaphylactic Shock from Penicillin I know how frightening it can be but I didn't have a heart attack....that is horrible! The Dr. was here today and wants me to keep taking Tramadol...I have only taken 8 in 24 hours so we will see! So far, not too bad! The pain comes back with a wallop after 3 hour's of moving around though. He is going to phone me on Thursday next week and if I am finding that the Tramadol is helping, he , also, wants me to take low dose PreGablin. So it's all experimenting on me ! I did have a rant. Couldn't help it ! To suddenly stop patient's from getting their opiate painkiller's is cruel and dangerous! He is sending me for an urgent Xray on my spine because he felt the large lump and the pain is worse and he thinks there maybe another fracture. Oh joy !!! I am so tired with all of this but I am almost 5 year's on from lung cancer so if I can get through that.....! Plus everything else !
I really hope that your pain is under control. Thinking of you. Please take care.
I am so sorry for what you have been through and still going through, you are right though, we are like guinea pigs, they are testing on us to see what works, it is not right, they shouldn't gamble with our health. Doctors don't seem to understand what people go through. The doctor who saw me at casualty seemed to care just, he told me that they can't treat my condition because it is so rare and some doctors don't even recognise it as an illness. So I am trying to fight a losing battle. The doctor has give me Naproxen to take with stomach acid tablets, I have only been on them for 2 days but whether it is coincidence they seem to be helping me. I gave up my job though through doctors advice 2 days ago so I am not on my feet all day so that is why my pain isn't as bad. I had huge plans with the money I was earning from work, I had a good job. but now I can't do what I planned and have to live on disability benefits when they finally sort them out.
I also have been on Tramadol but unfortunately they did not work for me I have had Dihydocodiene in the past but doctor took me off of them as they were additive although I had be on them for years, but did not had too much trouble getting off them. I am now on Oxycodone 20mg which is a slight relief and also have Oramorph for breakthrough pain 2.5ml which I told the doctor equates to 1/2 teasp so I told him that the syringe that came with one of the bottles was for 5mls and he just said he was happy for me to continue to have 5mls but have been with this doctor for years and he is semi retired. Hope you get some relief soon I too have been left in pain when I was in hospital and you would not believe some of the excuses they use to give me in the end I had to put in a complaint and as for the pain clinic which in my case was 50 odd miles away and was going to put me on 2 different antidepressants which I said I would not take for insurance purposes and was going to take the pain killers away so no use to me I can better take care of myself although others have had better reponse so it could be hit or miss, but I do hope you get sorted soon.
Hi Annacarol. Thank you for replying. Do you think the medic's know what they are doing because I think that they are experimenting on all of us and I don't think that a lot of them have a clue! When I found out that our Pain Clinic and hospital had ignored my lung cancer, I wrote and complained and the letter I got back was full of lies and excuses. I didn't want their money...just an apology but that was a joke! The NHS never apologises ! I only hope that my new Dr. means what he says about wanting to help me! I'm so sorry for what you have been through. We all have a painful story to tell don't we?! Thank goodness that we are here for each other! I am extremely grateful to the Surgeon who did my Lobectomy for the tumour and I'm grateful to my Thoracic Consultant who refound the tumour after 15 month's!! If I hadn't had pneumonia I wouldn't be here now as that was when the cancer misdiagnosis was found!
Off to take more Tramadol! None of us asked for this pain or for any of this hell that we go through....but I'm still glad to be alive! Take care all. I'm here for anybody who needs to rant!
I hope the Tramadol works for you at least if it gives some relief I think if you have had pain mine is ankylosing spondylitis and my spine is bent plus I have had it for years then I don't think it will ever go away some relief but very often not enough relief. I too have had bladder cancer and it's come back so I am now having chemo for the next 6weeks, also have an ovarian cyst which I'm on the list to have my ovaries removed as I have had bladder cancer was causing me concerns as all I get is the blood test says I have not got cancer and can live with the cyst but I think it that that is causing the pain in my groin which I may add is separate from the back pain but if the blood test came back there is no cancer how come I have got the bladder cancer back again it did not show that up.
I do think we are better at dealing with our own pain if only the medics would give us the drugs that will help instead of asking us to do physio and give out antidepressants which is enough to make you depressed.
Best of luck to you and hope you can find a solution but keep in mind you may not get rid of the pain full stop, it will still be there but hopefully some relief for you with the Tramadol
Oh my goodness but you have had a horrible time. I'm so sorry and I truly sympathise with you. I , also, agree with your comments regarding our pain and the antidepressants! I have always thought that medic's think that because we have not trained medically we know nothing about our health! They , now, seem to be following the trend that pain is all in our head's and the cure is in our hand's by doing yoga, focusing on doing something we enjoy so that our thoughts don't focus on the pain etc. ! While I liked Yoga and I love painting in oil and watercolour, loved walking our dog's +++ the pain is indescribable and I can't do any of the thing's that I loved....and would still love! I know what they mean by distraction but when you're in so much pain despite strong painkiller's.....I can't focus on anything much!I'm beginning to rant so had better stop! Just to say that when I had lung cancer it didn't show in blood test's.....apparently! We don't do thing's by half do we ?! I had a 'chocolate cyst ' which was the size of a large orange....that's a blood cyst from Endometriosis. I am being referred to the Pain Clinic for the pain from the vertebral fracture's, Diverticulitis +++ which , to me , is a joke considering they had the lung tumour on an Xray but forgot to tell anybody....15 month's later I had the Lobectomy!
Sending big but gentle hugs. Please let me know how you get on. Take care and I wish you all the very best.
I recently had my first appointment with the pain clinic because of horrendous lower back, buttocks, thighs and legs pain. It has been ongoing since late 2019 following total hip replacements in both the left and the right - that later, were followed up with series of absolute ‘face planting’ falls last year….a couple of them in public - nothing like performing in front of an audience 😂🤣😂. The lady at the pain clinic started to talk about mindfulness and CBT and I politely said “May I stop you there - as I know that is definitely not something that would work for me. Fortunately, I attended the clinic with my granddaughter (23) - who quickly explained that she has several mental health issues - so, as a family, we were more than familiar with numerous ‘mindfulness CBT etc….and, that as a family , we always extremely close and incredibly supportive of each other.” She also added; “If Grandma says something definitely won’t work for her - you had better believe it!!” At that point she and I burst out laughing - and so did the lady assessing me. I did mention that I was slowly trying to cut back on the Dihydrocodeine and Paracetamol - by reducing them from 4 time a day to three because I really don’t like to have to take opioids constantly. I also take 60mg of Amitriptylene early evening - as they really knock me out for the night. She said while that was good that I was trying to reduce the Dihydrocodeine - I really shouldn’t try reducing it any more - in fact if I wasn’t feeling the pain relief - I should go back to taking it four times a day ….!! She is planning to speak to other members of her team and see if there may be alternative medications I can try. She said that it was wonderful that I obviously had great family support and, that we obviously all often dealt with things via a lot of humour and laughter, which one of the best medicines there is. Granddaughter replied, “When you’ve Grandparents as bonkers as mine - there’s no choice but to have a life filled with laughter. No matter how much dreadful pain she’s in, Grandma always manages to find something to laugh or giggle about.” Apparently, our generally happy disposition I don’t need urgent attention by the pain clinic (probably, the lady thought I’d be way too much trouble - refusing mindfulness and CBT - and finding fun in things, when I should be sat quietly and obediently…). Anyway, at the end of the meeting , the conclusion was - that she would go away and chat to her team - and that I would be booked in for another meeting with her - within the next 5 - 6 months!!!!! 😂😂😂 So, Granddaughter and I left chucking away - and wondering what was the point of that then….??? 😂🤦♀️😂
Hi. Well that made me smile! I'm so pleased that you have such a supportive family who, obviously, have your sense of humour! I love it! Did you have to fill in a 13 page , ridiculous questionnaire before you went to the Pain Clinic? I'm now waiting for an appointment but I have seen them before and it was a waste of time and they ignored the tumour on my right lung so, no treatment for 15 month's and left a wreck! Sooo looking forward to seeing them again! Sitting quietly and obediently is definitely not me either ! I tried CBT but it didn't agree with me so I will keep trying the Tramadol and see whether I can tolerate it. I know what you mean about the Opioid's because I hate being dependent on them but they are the only thing's that help my pain . Your Granddaughter obviously takes after you which is lovely and it's so good to have somebody to laugh with. Your fall's sound awful and I have fallen a few times ... luckily in the border so , a few crushed flower's but a fairly soft landing although I think a 3rd vertebrae may have fractured! Such joy getting older although I know how lucky I am to still be here! I don't think that people here realise how amazing and strong they are because we all put up with varying degrees of pain but we keep going....even through the tears !
I had better go and make some food! Please try not to fall again or carry an inflatable dinghy with you! Take care and I'm here if you would like to chat.
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