Need advice on pain killers

[Buenavista]

Hi guys,

I need some help on pain killers. My trigger fingers are giving me a lot of pain and I have been given a pain killer called Adolonta Retard 50mg by my doctor. Is this okay to take with the pred.

I have tried to look it up myself, but I have come up empty handed.

Regards

Buenavista

[PMRpro Ambassador]

Adolonta is tramadol hydrochloride. There is info here:

nhs.uk/Conditions/Back-pain...

No alcohol - and preferably don't drive as it can make you sleepy. Don't take much or for long as it can be addictive. Keep it well away from children. It is used a lot when NSAIDs can't be used for any reason and should be fine with pred.

[Buenavista in reply to PMRpro]

Hi PMRpro and iforget,

Thanks for your replies.

Sorry, but I am a bit of a dinosaur with modern technology. I usually have to get my kids or my wife to put on the messages. I should have your name, iforget. I had a bad memory before PMR and pred. I am down to 4 1/2mg , but my memory is no better. I leave chairs and books in places to remind me to do things and used to leave notes, but couldn't remember where I put them. Such is the joy of pred, wonder if computers can tell me which planet my head is on now.

Thanks for all your help in the last 2 years.

Best regards,

Buenavista

[greenlander in reply to PMRpro]

I write as a fellow GCA sufferer and not as a doctor. I've been on Tramadol - sometimes high doses - for two years, and I think the previous reply is too rigid. The dependency level is actually fairly low. The drug MAY impair reactions in, say, driving - but again it may not. I personally have found no effect and nor have those close to me. It is a question of personal reactions to the drug. The same is true of alcohol. This - again - MAY intensify the sedation impact. But again it may not. Again, worth testing - obviously not just before doing something sensitive. Pain is bad enough without having to cut out pleasures like driving and having a drink - so check it out! All drugs react differently on individuals.

[iforget]

A simple webs search reveals it is a version of Tramadol aka Ultram.