Tramodol

[beady3]

Hi folks,I am on Tram 50mg tabs I take 2 tabs a day.,well my nights havn't been so good have been up since 1.30 now,if I start to take another tab do you think that will be the start of me on a slow increase, how do others get on befor you start adding another tab any reply will be helpfull. Eileenk have you plucked up courage to go back to the doc I hope you have

[annakalia]

I dont know much about Tramodol so i couldnt advice you. I hope that you manage to get soome relife have you tired a warm soak in the bath?

[beady3 in reply to annakalia]

Thanks for reply a warm bath is my only salvation what ever time of night. What we don't understand is there is no cure for rls but we do expect a bit of relief now and again x

[m1946]

I have been prescribed two 0.25mg Ropinirole and the 50mg tramadols capsules were left over from a previous issue. But I found on the internet that Tramadol was also useful as a remedy for rls SO I alternate taking two Ropinirole for a few days then perhaps one tramadol plus one Ropinirole. But I try not to be dependent on any one medication and it seems to work with only a very occasional traumatic nights sleep !!

[Hidden]

Beady, you are allowed to increase the dose as it says so in the leaflet. But i would discuss it first with your doctor, say the two 50mg are not working so well now. It could be you have become tolerant to that dose. Are you having RLS symptoms earlier in the day, or worse symptoms. As Tramadol can for a small % of people cause augmentation. You could try adding another small amount of a med along side of the Tramadol which could help. Sometimes a combination of two or more meds can work better if the doses are small amounts. All needs to be discussed with your doctor, to help decide what to do. As you know we are all different when taking meds and what works with how one person takes them, may not be the way for someone else to take them.

[bvlgari]

I have rls 24hrs a day, and now take 1mg ropinerole in the morning and 1mg at night. As time goes by you will have to increase the dosage to get relief.

[Dollis]

Hello again Beady, sorry you're needing to increase already to get relief. I've been reducing my tramadol after being on 200mg for 18months as I've said previously. I'm down to 70mg now and my symptoms are still under control. I'm convinced that's due to the pramipexole I also take. It's one of the dopamine agonists and, as there is strong evidence that RLS Is due to low or fluctuating levels of dopamine in the brain, it seems logical to me that these should work best. Personally, I'm really glad to be coming of my Tramadol, I developed horrible anxiety on it in the end. We're all different though and that's why it's so difficult to give or take advice here. Hope you get some good rest soon.

[beady3 in reply to Dollis]

Hi there Dollis ,why was it you went on such a dose of Tram when you are managing on a smaller one. I do read anything I think is going to help me,I find it hard because we are all on different meds ,I was on Pramapixal just came of those. I don't like increasing tabs but who wants to suffer. Yesterday I took 1 tab 50 mg at 4.00then another at 9.00all going good went to bed and wham the pain the leg going like mad so had a bath and took 1 Tramacet 37.5 went to sleep and woke up 9.15 felt ok today so what do you do,will try just the 2tabs today and see. Thanks to you all xx

[Dollis in reply to beady3]

The GP put me on the Tramadol eighteen months ago but I had to keep increasing it and then even 2 doses of 100mg every night didn't work. Then I saw my specialist this March who added the dopamine agonist with advice to come off the tramadol once the pain was stable. I tried Rotigotine patches, Ropinerole and then finally the Pramipexole which seems to working for me without causing me the side effects I had on the other two. It's amazing how what works for some of us doesn't for others - so much soul destroying trial and error. I'm just counting my blessings that It's under control for me at the moment. Wish the same for you - have you been able to see a specialist? That was the turnaround for me. Good luck tonight anyway.

[beady3 in reply to Dollis]

Thanks Dollis yes I went to Nuroligst two months ago and he said to me there re a few roads we can take I will be intouch with your doc,since that episode I have been to docs and he put me on the tram So don't know who suggested them x

[Dollis in reply to beady3]

Hope you had another good night Beady. So were you on the Prami before you saw the neurologist? And did you stop it because of side effects? Maybe your neuro suggested other things to the GP too - I've had Gabapentin in the past which worked quite well for me for a while in combination with a lower dose of the Tram. But of course it seems nothing works for ever. It's jiggle,juggle all the time! Fingers crossed you'll have some respite now. I'm just trying to summon the energy to do some Xmas shopping - even though my nights are better I still have exhaustion. One GP at our practice suggested the years of sleep deprivation with RLS may have triggered ME! Who knows!?! Anyway hope you're having a good day.

[Hidden in reply to Dollis]

Hi Dollis, the exhaustion could be from the Pramipexole. It can cause fatique. It affects me that way some days. Trying to walk far like Xmas shopping round town, i have to drag myself along. I get slower and slower.

[Dollis in reply to Hidden]

Yes it's a killer, and I do agree it's most likely drug related because I've been on quite a cocktail for some while - Tramadol, Gabapentin and Prami. That's why I'm weaning off as much as I can with the GP's support. I'm sixty-something and feel ninety! I have wondered about the M.E. though, I tick a lot of the boxes apart from exhaustion. I real feel all the joy's gone out of life - Christmas is nothing but a trial worrying about having the energy to get everything done. Sounds like you know just what I'm talking about - nice to hear from you Elisse.

[Hidden in reply to Dollis]

I am 67 and i know what you mean, i feel older before my time. My energy can be ziltch some days. I have done most of my Christmas shopping online and i get my food shopping every week online. There is no way i could walk round a supermarket these days to do a weekly shop. Lots of stuff i should be still able to do and i cant. What are your symptoms that you think you could have M.E ?

[Dollis in reply to Hidden]

Particularly being laid up with flu like symptoms if I've pushed myself too hard the previous day. And also always feeling unwell' - that's the only way to describe it - worse in the morning and evening. I also have bowel problems, but again that can be due to the drugs too of course. And poor quality sleep and low mood but again, both those could equally be a bit of reactive depression because of reduced quality of life. I work hard at acceptance but sometimes I just sit on the self-pity pot and wallow! Then I work on gratitude for what I have still got and can do - there are people far worse off and so much tragedy about that I know I'm lucky in many ways. At least I managed to get a few presents sorted this afternoon so that's something at least! Gosh I've gone on a bit - sorry! Hope you've had a good day yourself and thanks for listening.

[Hidden in reply to Dollis]

I do know some people who take Requip(Ropinerole) have said they have flu like symptoms, but you are not taking that med. Is there a way to diagnose M.E these days, i know it used to be thought of as, all in your head, but then alot of people thought that about RLS too. You are not the only one to sit on the self pity pot, i think we all do at some time when we are suffering. You can have a moan on here, we dont just try to help and give support, we listen too when people are feeling fed up with their lot. Its good to have a moan now and then and know people will listen to you and understand. Glad you got some pressies..! My day has been ok for me. Take care.

[beady3 in reply to Hidden]

Hi there ,my daughter has M E she has had it for 4 yrs she can't do a lot befor she is shattered if she over does it it may take 3weeks to get back to where she was ,glad I havn't got it. She had to go to a clinic to get assessed. X

[Dollis in reply to Hidden]

Thanks very much for your kind words Elisse. Sympathy is short at home these days. I'm not the person I was due to all this and that's put a real strain on my marriage. At least I don't have the worry of having children to care for, or a job to hold down like some sufferers do. There's no definitive way to test for ME, according to the NICE guidelines, diagnosis is by process of elimination i.e. blood tests to rule out other possible causes. I had the whole lot earlier this year and they were all normal; then my GP left and my new one has always put these symptoms down to the drugs, hence my current reduction programme. Yesterday for I felt so awful I did absolutely nothing at all - that was after I pushed myself to shop the previous day of course so I'm thinking I may raise the ME subject again when I see the GP next week. I'll keep you posted. Glad you're ok at the moment and it's good to know I have your ear! Thanks!

[Hidden in reply to Dollis]

Hi Dollis, what are the doses of your meds..? Are they high.?

[Dollis in reply to Hidden]

Quite the opposite for the pramipexole, I have to cut a tablet in half! The standard lowest doses of each of the dopamine agonists, even the rotigotine patch, gave me bad nightmares and palpitations. The tramadol I've reduced to 75mg from a high of 200mg, and I also take 600mg of gabapentin. That lot follows on from eighteen months on the nasty amitryptiline which I was initially prescribed by a GP. When that stopped working, I was put on the tramadol in combination with gabapentin. Then I saw Prof Chaudhuri in March. He added the dopamine agonist and advised I should get off the tramadol completely once I was stable again, and then reduce the gabapentin. I'd love to be drug free but they were the last resort after I'd been down virtually all the other routes like diets, massage, tens, acupuncture and even hypnosis. I don't smoke or drink either alcohol or soft drinks, rarely have sugar, about my only vice is a good cup of coffee every now and then. At least I've been RLS free since being on a d/a though so I'm very fortunate there. What's your drug history Elisse?

[Hidden in reply to Dollis]

i have tried them all, Gabapentin i only took 600mg they didnt work, and it was a low dose. but i was too sleepy in the daytime, so came off that. Tramadol 50mg made me very sick. Oramorph made me too sleepy the next day. Codeine and co-codamol made me spaced out and sleepy. Requip made me too sleepy the next day. As you can see, i have a problem with daytime sleepiness with the meds. lol The Neupro Patch worked well at first on the 1mg patch til i had to increase it then got very dizzy and sleepy in the day. Pramipexole was my first med to try and one low dose pill i took for nearly a year was my magic pill then i had to increase that to two pills and had bad side effects, funny breathing. It was 14 months before i tried anything else. and that was the patch. Now i am back to the Pramipexole, but i take a lower dose of Tramadol/Paracetamol two pills then 1/2-3/4 of Pramipexole. That is working mostly for me, still have some bad nights, but better than nothing. I sleep mostly all night and side effects are minimal. How long it will work, who knows. will worry about that when it stops helping. I am not convinced its your pills that are causing the exhaustion. Only time will tell i guess when you are off them. Do you think you started to feel ill when you started the meds or before.? I have tried all the usual stuff too that you have mentioned. Glad you got rid of the ami, that med is one of the worse for most of people who have RLS. Altho, like anything, there are exceptions to the rule. The combination of those meds i take, are what i have worked out for myself to take with my doctor's approval. Wow, i have nearly typed a book...!!

[Dollis in reply to Hidden]

That's quite a struggle you've had Elisse. It certainly seems that these drugs affect some people badly. Was your doctor sympathetic throughout or did you have to be persistent? My new GP seems more open minded than my last - he's relatively newly qualified and, as he says himself, is interested in me because I'm his first RLS case! It has felt as if I've had to drive things though, but better that than dealing with a GP who has entrenched views. I have to thank you though Elisse because your question about when I started feeling ill reminded me that I contracted Giardia when I was in India early in 2009. I had to have a long course of Metronizadole anti-biotic when I came home. I've just checked and it can lay dormant. It might well be responsible for my stomach/bowel issues, weight loss, nausea and fatigue - don't know why I didn't think of that before! Maybe it could have affected my immune system, along with the RLS sleep deprivation, recurrent UTIs and a fair amount of stress, all of which could indeed suggest M.E. So a big THANK YOU Elisse, I've plenty to discuss with my doc next week now. It really has been useful talking too you. I'll keep in touch and wish you all the best meantime.

[Hidden in reply to Dollis]

My doctor was great, let me have any med for RLS when i asked to try them. He seemed to know about RLS and the meds. altho i am sure he didnt know EVERYTHING that goes with RLS. He knew i belonged to support groups and got up to date info about RLS and any new meds that were coming on to the market. (which there are not any right now) he even used to ask me if i had anything up my sleeve med wise that i wanted to try. He has recently retired even tho he was not retiring age, i miss him, he was the best doctor at my surgery and everyone wanted to be on his patient list.

Anyway, maybe you might have found your answer to your exhaustion. I didnt do anything except probably jogged your memory. Yes, keep in touch.

[beady3 in reply to Dollis]

This morning went well,while waiting for bus I saw about 12 youths in wheel chairs all coming from the Abbey the body shapes of people were sad hope you know what I mean, it makes you think gosh I am lucky. At the min I have had tab and my leg is sending me nutty, keep in touch x

[Dollis in reply to beady3]

Nice to hear from you again. Did your tab work in the end? I find they take about 30mins to an hour to kick in. What worked well for me for a good while was taking one ordinary 50mg and one slow release 50mg. That used to see me through the night - just something to think about maybe. Well Beady, you've got me curious about the Abbey - which town is that?

[beady3 in reply to Dollis]

Always nice to get an answer thanks it was tewsbury Abbey x

[beady3 in reply to Hidden]

As I said my daughter has M E and you sound like she is her energy is nill I have just been and stayed with her for a week xx