Tramadol

[calibra101]

I have just been prescribed these for severe lower back pain. Does anyone here take them and if yes how do you find them. I have heard they can make you feel spaced out and zombie like, I dont want to be like that. Also how good are they for your pain? Thanks.

[auntieannie44]

This is a bit of a difficult one.  In my experience these are usually prescribed post op for pain.  I have had them a few times, but only once have I taken them for any length as I dont feel the pain I felt  merited  them.    They are , so I believe, Morphine based, and can make you slightly woozy, possibly slightly euphoric and also can be addictive.  All these things will have been weighed up by your GP prior to prescribing, so as long as you trust his or her judgement I suggest you take them for a period of time, see how you feel and report back to the GP if you feel they have given you unacceptable side effects.  Basically it is a suck it and see scenario, everyone is different and reacts differently.

[rsjlew]

Hi, I have also had Tramadol post-op but only took a few as I also didn't feel I needed anything that strong. I didn't feel any particular side effects & they didn't knock me out (as promised!) My daughter also had them but she was totally out of it when she took them, scarily so in my opinion. I wonder if weight/build plays a part in this as she is considerably smaller than me

I would try taking them when you know you won't have to do too much for a few hours afterwards, then you can get an idea of if they help and how they will affect you personally

[suzieseaside]

Good and sound advice from auntieannie.  Yes they are a strong opiate and therefore potentially addictive if taken over a long period, but they should help with the pain.  You might feel a bit dizzy and if you do then avoid driving.  Just be sure to follow the instructions regarding dose amount and frequency that you are supposed to take them. 

I had liquid morphine for a short while once with a slipped disc in my neck.  I only sipped a tiny bit when necessary, probably not enough to make me noticeably woozy and small amounts were effective in killing the pain.  The only side effect I noticed was that I was trying to write a report at the time and seemed to be a bit dyslexic when I had taken some! 

Yes we respond differently to medications in terms of side effects, so as annie says go back to the GP if you have any effects that bother you. You can read the most common side effects of it on a number of sites on the internet.  I hope they help with your pain.

[ed_blackadder_1]

I have had them for my back when it went into spasm pain was horrendous, I took them for 2 days, and I was very spaced out, didn't feel in control, so I didn't take any more,  The last time it happened I was prescribed Diazapan, they made me feel wierd.

Over the years I have also had Co dydromol which I believe isn't reccomended nowadays, I had a huge reaction to them, Co Codamol which wern't too bad.

Now I just take  Naproxen when I have pain, never on an empty stomach though as it can make you feel sick, It hasn't gone into spasm for years thankfully.

Everyone is different though.

Good luck with it.

[silver_sisters]

Just waiting on my next treatment for my back (Radiofrequency denervation....burning off the nerve endings!) so have definitely used Tramadol and I love them! lol

However.....I ONLY take them at night time when my pain is really bad as I don't want the lovely effects to wear off over time.

So I only take about twice/three times a week and no withdrawal symptoms experienced. I only take 1 x 50mg and am slim/average build

They help me sleep and relax all muscles so I don't waken up tense and in pain. 'Slighty' drowsy in the morning but a great night sleep and on form again withing 1/2 hour of waking

Good luck, I know what bad back pain feels like

[**towery**]

i have no personal experience

but talking to a couple of people who have been given them it seems  women are affectd more by them

a neighbour was prescribed them while in hosp after surgery,  she felt  really terrible and was nauseous , a sister so so annoyed by them having been prescribed she gave the doc a big telling off

the 2 men i know one takes them reg and seems a bit dopey sometimes, but he does take lots of meds

the other uses them as and when his bak plays up,  he has a dodgy tummy but says they do help him relax

[fionajohnston]

i also got them for my back i found  very little difference in pain reduction no side effects dr then gave me valium to relax the muscles which helped me get some sleep 

i still have them but take very occasionally 

[stroppy*cow]

I have taken Tramadol and didn't get on with them at all.

They made me very very sleepy, so much so that the hospital staff were extremely concerned. I seemed to have no muscle control, couldn't grip anything or fasten a button. My vision was blurred, my hearing was affected - sounded as if I was underwater with everything distorted, so I found it very difficult to work out what the hospital staff were saying to me. 

If I had not been confined to bed there is no way that I could have functioned at all whilst taking them, I couldn't even sit up. I could not have showered, dressed, gone to the toilet. There was no way I could have held any sort of lucid conversation.

They reduced the dose, which did very little to lessen the side effects, but meant that I was in a lot of pain.

I had a terrible few days when I stopped taking them as they were just stopped dead with no gradual withdrawal. I was in agony, couldn't lie still at all, terrible pains shooting down my legs.

I find it extremely difficult to acheive a reasonable balance between being in so much pain that I am unable to function, and being so spaced out that I am unable to function - there should be a tolerable middle ground, but it is very hard to manage to acheive it.

[bitsnknots]

I was prescribed tramadol several years ago but not as a result of having an operation.  I felt awful taking them and I then reverted back to co-codomol.  My uncle's swears by them and he has every side effect going.  His mood changed dramatically so much so that if the paramedics go to take him to hospital, they won't go without the police being present.  As has been said though, every one reacts differently to them.  Good luck with them.

[soppysofty]

Tramadol is a very powerful pain killer and is usually prescribed by the doc when all else has failed.

I was on Tramadol for about 18 months while waiting for spinal correction surgery which I had 4 years ago.  

The surgery worked and now I am pain free and drug free.

The woosy effects only last for about 2 weeks while your body gets use to the drug but the one side effect of Tramadol is constipation!!!!!!

If you are going to be on Tramadol for more than a month then you need to talk to the doctor about laxatives and bowel movements.

The irony for me was that, while the tramadol lessened my back pain, my constipation caused pressure on the lower vertabrae and increased the pain again - kind of a vicious cycle.

Took about 3 months of experimenting to find the right dose of Tramadol and the right laxative combination for me.

You need to keep on at your doctor until you are happy as the next stage up the pain managment level from Tramadol is Morphine patches.  

They are fantastic but withdrawals from them are an absolute nightmare - took me 2 weeks to return to 'normal'.

[calibra101]

Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences and your kind thoughts. I started taking them yesterday and thought I would ease myself into them slowly so I took one twice a day. I have noticed a 50% reduction in the pain so maybe when I am on the full dose it will be more significant. The only side effect so far is a slight woozy feeling so fingers crossed they wll suit me,if not I will do as soppy suggests and keep on at my doctor until I find whats right for me. Thanks again 🙂

[bitsnknots]

Good luck with the tablets Calibra.

[calibra101]

Thanks books 🙂

[bitsnknots]

You're welcome.

[charlie68_9]

Hi there, yeah they are great pain killers just be careful with them. Im actually looking to buy, is this guy still operating? (New to ebay)

[rosliston]

You are replying to a post which is 8 years old. You cannot buy prescription drugs on Ebay. See your Doctor. 

[*knight-rider*]

i suffer severe lower back pain myself, but also all my other joints. i`m currently taking 30/500 co-codamol and a controlled drug called Tapentadol, but a few years ago, i was given Tramadol and they nearly put me in hospital. I`d taken one or two, can`t remember and within a few minutes, my heart rate had shot up to the point it was banging on my rib cage and i was seating buckets, i went to bed for a bit and was ok after a while, but never took them again.

All i`ll say is be careful with them, don`t take more than your told to, no matter how much your back hurts. i feel for you, honestly, some days i could shoot myself, it`s horrible!

[unique-vinyls]

Hi, I have been talking tramodol for over 15 years due to complex back / health issues. Obviously I am completely reliant on these now. I would say if you were going to experience side affects these would show them selves very early on...you can either tolerate them or not....Luckliy I didn't have any side affects at all. Many people can't seem to take them but if you are in extreme pain then definitely worth a try. I wouldn't be able to get out of bed without them. hope this helps you..

[maryccaw_0]

I take those,they are very good for pain