Efficacy of Tramadol

[Boulder257]

Can anyone with experience with this drug tell me how effective it was at treating pain and what side effects they encountered.

Thanks,

[catwalkmax]

I started this drug when none of the nsaid worked for me.  I was getting acid reflux and foung oiut later I ahd a haital hernia.  Nsaid just made my stomack worse.  I take teramadol for my knees and arhtritis.  I also golf and is was getting to pain full.  For some reason I really felt the difference in the relief I got taking this.  It does help relieve my arthritis pain all over my body.  I don't think I could fuction sith out it.  I can really tell wwhen I have not taken it.  Now one day I had a head ache maybe almost migrane.  It did nothing for that.  Wierd it would wrok for one thing but not another.  A girl gave me an aleve and my head ache was better but now gone.  I was supprised it worked.  I have had no side affect for tramadol but did not know it was addicting.  I try to take 2 in the morning and 2 at night.  20mg.  My doc today said i should take maybe one in between seeings how it only last 6-8 hrs.  I never know it was an addicting drug or a narcotic.  My Doctor has is says is is not an narcotic. As for other drugs they make me crazy.  vicodine ect.  Can not take them  so I guess this drug work for me.  Hope I wrote this okay i don't really want to read it back.  Thanks Martha

[dontundertand]

I had a similar experience with nucynta. I take celexa and wellbutrin and the doc wanted to change from hydrocodone to nucynta (most of my pain is neuro which seems to respond better). For several months I had been telling the doc I was seeing a psych and what I was taking but it was never noted in my chart. On the first day I began to feel as though I was in a fog. By the third day I realized that I was having some sort of hallucinations that were like reliving experiences. Asking my kids about their school day, kissing them on the forehead.... except they were not there. I too googled the nucynta and it is much like tramadol but 1/2 opiate 1/2 SSRI. Horrible when combined especially with the celexa, but celexa AND wellbutrin, bad choice! I went off it immediately. It seems like it begins to take effect quicker than other pain medications though so the relief comes faster.

[TwinsMommma]

i don't even no where to begin....well, wanted to read through some more topics before joining BUT i just could not pass up this topic not even for one second...this is my first time on any forum and i'm not sure how comfortable i am posting information that may effect someone's treatment decision BUT...oh well...i am still emotially scarred and concerned for others soooo this is my story as related to tramadol ..(i suffer chronic back pain and want to disuss that in differnt area)
long story short...(as best i can)...after on 4 lortab a day for 2 years (will get into details on seperate post if curious) i decided to try a non-narcotic road...so dr put me on cymbalta and i take adhd med....cymbalta did nothing after raising dose...and nothing...so since cymbalta they said also was for my anxiety they switched me to prozac and tramadol (400mg a day...that's max per day)....so thats prozac, tramadol and adhd stimulant...which brings me to my point.....i very quickly each hour of each day became extremely ill...extreme fatigue, vomiting, shortness of breath, dizzy, shakey, blurred vision....the list goes on...i called y dr several times to let them know and she switched me to prisqu (some sis to prozac) b/c she thought it might be b/c prozac...after getting worse and ER trip and worse docs kept blowing me off as i was just exasterbating my symtoms of side effects....i finally goggled my meds on drug interactions and all these were MAJOR drug interactions causing something called serotonin syndrome or serotonin toxity...this can be fatal and i felt like i was going to die...THIS IS OF NO CONCERN IF YOU ARE NOT ON OTHER MEDS WITH SEROTONIN....BUT BE AWARE THAT COUGH MEDS and other over-the-counter meds can interact in a milder way (i guess....need to do own research) i stopped all med for 48 hrs and tramadol and prozac permantenly and immediatly began feeling better...i called my dr when i figured out what was wrong and her nurse said she (the doc) doesn't think i had that...i left her and every time i mention this story to docs i encounter they are blown away no-one helped me...a psych doc even said that 9 out of the 10 ER patients that came in with symtoms of this toxicty that tramadol was the medicine that again 9 out of 10 were prescribed....and this is the short version of the story..heehee...IN ADDITION, MY OPINION OF TRAMADOL IS THAT for me it did not touch my pain AT ALL for relief...that's for those those who do not take anything else for concern...
i know i should have goggled this info on what i was taking before my near death experience (and i am for from a drama queen...so no exaggeration there) BUT IT IS VERY, VERY COMMON THAT THIS IS MIS-DIAGNOSED....shouldn't be prescribed together to even be something to misdiagnose...anyways..so sorry this is long-winded...i'm still pissed off and could go on all night...i'm a mother of 2 yr old boy/girl twins and they didn't deserve their mom vomiting in between changing diapers b/c doctors think your exaggerating side effects!!!!!!!!!!

[Dshell]

I took tramadol and received average pain relief.  Due to possible serotonin syndrome I was taken off tramadol and it was no great loss.  Tramadol worked best for me as an adjunct to my norco once in a while when I was having a really bad pain day.  My MD was okay with this unill he felt the SS was too much of a risk. I agree it depends on the person

good luck
Michelle

[Tuckamore]

Thanks for the update Boulder.

The side effects will most likely dissipate over time. Of course this is not always true but for most it is a fact.

I am glad that it has been somewhat effective for you. Flatshoes is correct. It can depend on the source of our pain as to a particular drugs effectiveness.

I have SIJ Dysfunction, among other things. Hydrocodone works better for that pain than does Oxycodone. I can't explain why that is true. However late last summer I experienced a bad concussion. Hydrocodone did nothing for the head pain. An ER physician prescribed Oxycodone. I told him it didn't work for me and I didn't want it. He insisted that I try it. I was very surprised to learn that it did work for the head pain.

That makes little sense to me but it is a fact that some drugs work differently on different pain sources. So I am very glad that you have found the Tramadol effective.  

We all learn from one another. Please keep in touch.

[flatshoes]

i av DDD and av ad tramadol, i did,nt touch my pain whatso ever ,like ppl av said it depends on the person and what u are taking it for?...good luck

[Boulder257]

Just an update on the effectiveness for me. It actually does seem to treat my migraines fairly well. I am able to take it at the onset of the headache and I seem to receive relief within 30 minutes. The side effects are pretty strong including dizziness, hot flashes, loss of attention, etc. but not overwhelming and not bad if only once in awhile.

Just wanted to post the preliminary results so far.

[jamlws]

Everyone is different but when I was it , it was like taking motrin. It did nothing for my pain.
Jamie

[RockyMD]

Yea, I have to agree. It's like asking what is the best brand of Garlic Bread to buy. For realz.

I mean but you want my honest opinion. I thought it was garbage in the sense it did nothing for my pain, bothered my stomach tremendously, and I took it twice in my life for two different fiascos. Once when I had a hematoma on my head from a towel bar and/or a hard cement dorm bathroom floor in college, and more recently in some Ryzolt form for Chronic Pain and Fibromyalgia.  

[Tuckamore]

Hi Boulder,

Tramadol may be taken periodically although it is generally not prescribed in that manner. As with most medications if used regularly it will maintain a certain level in your blood stream to provide more even releif.

Your best source of medication information is from your pharmacist. Unfortunately we often neglect to ask them these type of questions. It is their area of expertise. I suggest you give your pharmacist a call.

[saynono]

I've taken Tramadol wiht no benefit in pain relief.  It also gave me hot flashes that were constant and intolerable.  I stopped taking it before I went up in a puff of smoke.

[maky158]

I'm taking Tramadol right now for possible Fibro pain. (still not formally diagnosed) It helps me with the flu like aches I get, but does nothing for my deep muscle pains. The Dr. refuses to give me anything else that works besides Lyrica or Savella, which I can't take because of the side effects I get.  I would try it and tell your Dr if it doesn't work, but I told my Dr. it wasn't working for me and got nothing from it. Good Luck to you tho!

[Boulder257]

Does this medication have any use if it is just one time or at the point of pain? It appears from research that this is taken daily by most people. That tells me it may not have an effect on immediate pain and should not be used intermittently...is this correct?

[Tuckamore]

Hello Boulder,

Welcome to our Pain Mangement Forum. I am glad that you found us and took the time to post.

I have tried Tramadol in the past. It had little effect on my SIJ pain. I did not notice any major side effects. As others have said it is effective for some ppl. In my opinion it is worth a try.

Please let us know how effective it is for you. We all learn from one another.

Take Care,
~Tuck~

[trolapixie]

i HAVE TAKEN THID MED AND ITS A NON NARCOTIC PAIN RELIEVER. IT DID NOTHING FOR MY PAIN IT WAS LIKE TAKING ALEVE. BUT FOR SOME IT WORKS PRETTY WELL WITH LITTLE TO KNOW SIDE EFFECTS. EVERYONE IS DIFFERENT SO GOOD LUCK

[Red931]

It's effectiveness will vary from person to person as everyone is different. I was prescribed Ultam (Tramadol) for my back injuries back in 2003 and I have to say that it did give me some relief at the time but would never be prescribed to me today in my present condition.

I did have some side effects such as, sleeplessness, mild anxiety, and a bit of a fogginess about me when I was on it. I was taking 50 mg. every 4 to 6 hours as needed.

Some people with nerve pain say that Tramadol works well for them better than other opiates.

Hope this helps.