Using tramadol

[Lancerhog]

My neurologist is trying to wean me off the neupro patch and currently I am taking 2700 mg of gabapentin, 1 mg neupro patch and 2-50mg tramadol tablets. Once I started with tramadol my restless leg went entirely away. My question is whether anyone has been on tramadol long term. Are there side effects that I haven’t experienced yet.

[Hidden]

Many on here have used it long term - I used Tramadol for several years before having to change. Side-effects are as with all opiates tolerance and dependence and some people augment, (small minority), on it.

[lenpharleyd]

I am trying to get off Neupro 4mg, now down to 3mg but am augmenting from dopamine agonists very, very badly. I have an appt with my neurologist net week and will present your treatment and hope he will apply it to me. Thanks!

[Madlegs1]

Please read a reply elsewhere on this site in the last few days where I sent the abstractof an article on longterm opioid use for rls. It is from the Mayo institute. Early and Buchfurer et al.

You should be able to taper off the other medications slowly and carefully until you find an acceptable level of rls discomfort.

There is a 2 to 3 % chance of augmentation with Tramadol.

Good luck.

[Kaarina Administrator in reply to Madlegs1]

Is this the link you are referring to? mayoclinicproceedings.org/a...

[Madlegs1 in reply to Kaarina]

Thanks Kaarina.😊

[JohnBeal]

Hi,I have been on Tramadol for approx 8yrs and have found no side affects other than an ache in my upper arms if I forget to take them. I am on 2x50mg twice a day

[LotteM]

Hi, I have been on tramadol 1x50mg since last August. And in combination with 30g gabapentin. That works “good enough”. Higher doses of either med gave me worse results owing to negative side effects. 2x50mg tramadol gave me heart palpitations, but the legs were completely still!

Once you have gone through the withdrawal and things have settled more or less, you may want to find your lowest effective dose. 2700mg of gabapentin would literally drive me nuts! But then, WAAD ( we are all different).

[martino]

I take 200mg of long lasting Tramadol plus, like you, 2700 mg of Gabapentin plus a 2mg Neupro patch. I think Tramadol is very effective but my neurologist is keen on me coming off it but increased the Neupro. I have only been on the Tramulief for 18months and am not aware of side effects

[Adge]

My GP went over the top and put me on 8x50mg of tramadol per day last August. My new GP who actually has some common sense is now trying to taper me off these and I'm down to 4x50mg per day. From what I've heard from my GP you shouldn't have too much problem with long term use at such low dose if you are only on 2x50mg. I'm glad you get total relief from 2 tablets, I never managed that even with 8, plus the 1800 of gabapentin and 1 clonazepam per day.

[Lash65]

Yes, there are side effects, but usually it's with higher doses. If you take an SSRI, you can get seritonin syndrome. Tramadol works for my rls, and I do take an SSRI as well, but I only take 1 tramadol at night as needed. My rls has never been addressed or treated, even though I've suffered with it for years. So, to sum up, seritonin syndrome is the side effect I've experienced, but not at low dose.

[MumofSam]

I’ve been taking Tramadol for about 4 years now, due to sciatica. I’ve now had major surgery on my back. I only used to suffer from RLS for a few days each month, but noticed that my symptoms disappeared completely. When I tried to stop taking Tramadol my symptoms went through the roof. I tried for nearly a fortnight, being kept awake until 4.00 am odd with my legs. So I started taking it again and have been ever since. I take 6 x 50mg capsules a day. Sometimes I get RLS symptoms even with the tablets, but not often and not that bad.

So, for me the side effects of taking Tramadol are more the withdrawal symptoms of not taking it, ie worse RLS than I had in the first place. Taking Tramadol can make you feel a little lightheaded and laid back at first, until you get used to it, but that’s about it.