Tramadol and Diclophenac

When I first started taking Tramadol a couple of years ago it always helped me sleep but towards the end it had the opposite effect. Some people say it does help, others say it "wires"their brain. Suck it and see...well not literally obviously cos that will taste feckin vile! 😀

I was put on Tramadol and Amitriptyline. But it depends on you and if you can take Tramadol just before bedtime. I was given 50mg of Tramadol in the morning and 100mg at bedtime, but it made me feel sick.

So, they changed it around again... They upped the Tramadol to 100mg in the morning and at night but the Slow-Release (SR) type. Amitriptyline I take only at bedtime.

But its for back pain and my shoulder.

Regards,

Les.

I'd be wary of taking diclophenac right at bedtime, especially since it doesn't have any sedative effects anyway. Although not as bad as some NSAIDs diclophenac can be rough on your stomach. You should probably remain upright for at least an hour after taking it, or risk heartburn. Diclophenac is in the same class as ibuprophen (eg, Advil, Motrin) and naproxen (eg, Aleve, Naprosyn), and has all the same potential risks and side effects.

You might try diphenhydramine (Benedryl) or doxylamine (original Unisom only) for sleep. I prefer doxylamine (25mg) because it works much faster than diphenhydramine. Although they both sedate to about the same degree, diphenhydramine sneaks up on you, while doxylamine is like a wall falling on you. And a drink of alcohol will make it even more pronounced. (That is what Nyquil originally was, but it was only 6.5 or 7.5 mg. plus alcohol.)

My advice is to get off the tramadol as soon as possible, or at least alternate its use with something else. Don't let your body get accustomed to it, or you could easily find yourself going through the horrors that some of these other posters have experienced.

 

I found that if I took tramadol after 1pm in the afternoon it kept me awake all night because it stopped me breathing if I tried to sleep. It was horrible! Also tramadol gave me loads of energy and really pepped me up and so this was also not good for sleep. Diclofenac is a non steroidal anti imflamatory. They take a few days to get to work and it doesn't have any sedative effect. I would not take anything sedating alongside tramadol as it can be dangerous due to the respiratory problems. Tramadol does not help pain in many people either. I would try an alternative. Codiene is more effective IMO.

Hi,

Have you tried taking diphenhydramine with the Tramadol? I had spinal surgery this past August (reason for the Tramadol) and this worked for me, even when the pain was super-nasty-I-can't-do-this-anymore. Check with your doctor before you do anything. 

Diphenhydramine is the active ingredient in Benadryl. 

If your doctor okays it then he/she should give you a dosage guideline. 

I'm in the U.S. (I know a lot of you on here are U.K.) and you can get it over the counter in 25mg, 50mg. I think it may be available in higher mg over the pond because it passed the EU FDA at higher dosages than in the U.S.

I don't want to be a pain the you know what, but...get off the tramadol as soon as you can. Wicked stuff to get off of for most people. Some doctors don't inform their patients well enough to be prepared for the evil 400lb monkey on your back that is waiting to crush you once you stop the pain meds. Tramadol was harder for me to get off of than Oxy and hydromorphone. Granted, I did it cold turkey, but if you read on in the forums, you'll see what I'm saying.

I hope you get some good quality sleep soon. If I don't sleep well my pain threshold goes to sh*t and I get depressed. It's a cycle for people with long term pain. No sleep starts a desent into further pain combined with mental & bodily fatigue. I've got a feeling you know this already.