Tramadol - Angel or Devil

When are we all going to wake up to the fact that all drugs are dangerous, drug companies want to create wealth, not health, and drug companies fund the training of doctors and the testing of their own products. Doctors may be well-meaning but they are capable of cognitive dissonance, plus the fact if they don't have drugs to prescribe then what power do they have? In my opinion all drugs should be taken with great care, for short periods and many not at all. Painkillers and antibiotics are of course a blessing, but they are so very often misused. The entire medical model, treating the symptom not the patient, treating bits of the body but not the whole, makes little sense. The only medicine I have any faith in is the emergency medicine administered by paramedics. Apart from that I, personally, would be very, very cautious.

I was prescribed Tramadol for chronic pain. It didn't work so I came off it.

Was given Tramadol after my first hip replacement. Was sitting in a chair & about 30 seconds after taking I was out like a light. Told later a nurse had seen what happened & got help to get me back on the bed. Doctors said that often happens with Tramadol & not to take it ever again. So now take 1 steroid, 1 Cocodamol & when neccessary Paracetamol each day to help with Osteo & Rheumatoid Arthritis. They are all bad enough but nowhere near as bad as the Tramadol was!

I am not offering advice nor medical advice - I have an ongoing herniated disc, other compressed discs plus excruciating pain. I’ve been prescribed Tramadol for these issues, since 2018 and have no problems with Tramadol.

Every now and then I taper it down to see how painful things are underneath it.

I would be immobile without pain relief, and asked my GP is she could help me retain my mobility in spite of the pain.

As with many medicines, vastly different experiences on here! I've have had both hips replaced, in each case (& both ops went very well, swift recoveries) I was given Paracetamol and Tramadol, handed out like Smarties.

Luckily I needed very few painkillers when home, although I had some twinges here and there, nothing very severe, and I didn't take what wasn't needed.

However, IsNibs has a back injury, sometimes takes painkillers when it's really bad, and reports all the well-known constipation issues with drugs of that group!

Plus -- we know someone who occasionally delivers prescriptions, covering for other drivers. I recall him saying that he has to deliver masses of Tramadols (& other PKs), and hears all sorts of accounts of various side-effects, as some have said on here, different bodies react differently!

He also said they regularly hear from people who just don't take what is prescribed (so, don't get them from the chemist then?!) and sadly, after a death, they may get relatives bringing in carrier bags full of meds that were prescribed, but not used --- no wonder the NHS costs so much?!

It's the devil for me. Fair to say I am not a lover of taking painkillers at all. Pain has to be quite severe before I cave in. I was prescribed it for post op pain and it made me feel dreadful. Nausea. Giddy. Hallucinations and wild dreams. Stopped after 48 hrs. I know I am fortunate that I don't need this type of medication and any medication I do need to take is only short term. Bit scary though that highly addictive medication is, it would seem, prescribed for such long periods for some people and stopping it is causing withdrawal symptoms leaving folk with little or no support from doctors.

Angel! I’ve been on it for a few years now and it’s a massive help to me in controlling my pain. I take paracetamol and ibuprofen, and Tramadol if the pain becomes too much or I want to go out. But I rarely take the full daily doses. It’s a rocky road if you take lots of opiates. I use meditation, visualisation and my Calm app to try and focus my mind. It takes a lot of practice but it’s worth keeping with it long term.

My burly 6ft sil had suicidal thoughts coming off of them after only being on them for 2wks. He was told by a medical professional that in the USA there classed as addictive and not to give unless in hospital.

I've just read that France is to reduce the number of Tramadol pills in a box from 30 to 15 to try and combat addiction issues..

Never had a problem with Tramadol but remember each person reacts differently

DH was given 1 tramadol after a major liver op - he was hallucinating after one. They swapped him to oramorph which he said was amazing. My friend was the same with Tramadol giving her nightmares yet I know other folk who take them with no problems. The vet prescribed Tramadol for my dog but didn’t help her pain.

I was told I was allergic to Tramadol when my tongue started swelling when I was prescribed it for a degenerative disc and spinal issues. It’s now the first thing I mention when any medic asks if I have any allergies.

I was prescribed Tramadol a few years ago, but couldn`t stop being sick. Have refused it ever since.

I was prescribed Tramadol over the phone by a GP for severe post-op pain - it is contraindicated for me due to other medical factors! Dreadful stuff and the sooner they develop an alternative, the better.
The GP was a locum and didn't stay long at our surgery fortunately.

I view ALL medication with suspicion. Side effects are sometimes worse than the problem.

I had a radical hysterectomy (off work six wks) and was prescribed pain med… I never took it. Took over the counter Ibuprofen and had a glass of wine everyday instead.

I had breast cancer. Went through radiation treatment (no chemo) and following that was put on a five year med plan. After three weeks I became so ill I thought I was going to die. Tried a different one, same reaction. Against Dr’s pleas I stopped ALL med attempts. Cancer free going on eight yrs.

I fractured my spine in two places after falling down some stairs at home. I didn’t know it and went to work the next day. Finally went to the Dr three months later about the constant nagging pain. That was five years ago. I never took arthritis pain meds, threw them out. I live with but manage my pain everyday.

Three months ago I had a mini-stroke and was in the hospital. I was put on blood thinner and cholesterol meds as a trial for 30 days. Never took them again.

As all my Doctors say - I self prescribe and self diagnose myself. I’m one of their more rebellions patients 😆 but healthiest “mystery” patients. However, I take two very low dose meds for the past 35 yrs with no change in dosage - Synthroid and Hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ). That’s it and a few vitamins.

I do not prescribe this for everyone, it is just my personal philosophy. I do observe that some people are severely over medicated. If I can counsel a person to manage some pain issues, I feel like I’ve helped a little. I realize some meds are absolutely required for healthy living. You have to find that groove.

hello Gundy, sorry you have been in the wars recently.
thought i hadn't seen your cheery contributions so often of late.
hope you're doing ok now.
is synthroid a thyroxine-like item ?
best wishes from across the pond.

I was given Tramadol when I was having chemo. I took one and never took another one ever again. I was hallucinating. It was very frightening.

I was given Tramadol in hospital after my replacement hip operetion. It had the most frightening affect on me - I felt as if I was floating, really not with it. My visitors couldn't get any sense out of me. Since then I have never taken it again, really scared me. Made me wonder if my reaction was what happens to people who 'take drugs' - if so, rather them than me!

I was given Tramadol for a slipped disc. We were having a barbecue that night, so I took my first tablet before we ate around 7 pm. I remember eating, but the next thing I knew, my husband was telling me to come indoors. It was 10 pm. I hadn’t moved or spoken for three hours. I wasn’t asleep, just static and silent. When I stood up I was violently sick. Never took another tablet!

I have just come across this discussion and feel quite worried. My daughter had a baby on Monday by caesarean section. She was discharged late Tuesday night with a prescription for tramadol for the pain.
Yesterday she complained of sickness, dizziness and a headache, this morning the midwife took her blood pressure and it was sky high. She was immediately sent back to hospital.
She is in hospital at the moment and being given medication to try and lower her blood pressure.
Reading these posts I am wondering if it’s the tramadol causing the problems.

Congratulations, Isummer, on the birth of your grandchild. Hope your daughter soon makes a good recovery and they get to the bottom of the cause of her sickness and dizziness etc.

I don’t know, ladies, but… Google search on Tramadol:
Controlled substance
High risk for addiction and dependence. Can cause respiratory distress and death when taken in high doses or when combined with other substances, especially alcohol or other illicit drugs such as heroin or cocaine.

Any pain med is an opioid/narcotic and can have severe side effects. Prolonged use can render you as addicted.

welbeck Thank you for the greeting! I’m doing great. All my above symptoms spanned the last 9-10 years so it’s been spread out. I finally retired 3 yrs ago so I’ve been “chillaxing” and delirious 💜 over that.

Synthroid is the brand name of my med and Levothyroxin is the generic med.

I’ve only been on GN a little over a year and love it. I try to check in every day but don’t post on everything, of course. I’m getting to know people just by their writings. 😃
Have a g’day!

I was taking 1 - 3 times a day for no more than a month although I had taken 1 or 2 on odd days when back was bad. It was when I decided to stop the 3 times a days tablet that I got horrific withdrawals after 3 days - I stuck it out for another 4 days but had to start taking again as it was so bad. I found an NHS taper plan online and am following that hoping that over the next 6/8 weeks `I can get off them completely. Have read a lot and realise that I am not addicted to them as I do not crave them in any way but my body has become physically dependant on the drug being in my system which is the difference apparently. All I want is never to take them again - I’d rather put up with the excruciating pain

LynW

Congratulations, Isummer, on the birth of your grandchild. Hope your daughter soon makes a good recovery and they get to the bottom of the cause of her sickness and dizziness etc.

Thank you Lyn, he is a gorgeous little boy.
Daughter was taken off Tramadol and put on Oramorph which I am not sure is any better.

When I was having a lot of pain with polymyalgia rheumatica, a GP gave me a prescription for Tramadol. Never again! It made me nauseous and dizzy, to the extent that I couldn't function normally. When I told my sister about this reaction, I found that she'd had just the same experience. A few years ago, DS1, took a Tramadol capsule prescribed for his wife and had the same reaction. None of us can take Codeine without adverse reactions and after my hip op, I had to be detached from my morphine pump, because I couldn't stop throwing up. Is there some shared gene in my family that makes us react badly to opiates/opiodes ?