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Over 20 years on tramadol for low back pain help

Posted , 9 users are following.

mark1961
mark1961

I had failed back surgery over 20 years ago and was put on tramadol SR 150mg am and 100mg pm so I could go back to work, when I started taking them he told me they were not additive so for about 15 years my GP never contacted me about this until I asked him could I try something else as I discovered that they were additive. He gave me patches but the chemist contacted him and told him that I just could not come off one and start the other, so I reduced the tablets and started on a low patch which after about 3 days I became very very sick so I just went back to the tramadol again. I I forget to take my tablets on time after a few hours I start to sweat, twitch and strangely yawn a lot that's how I remember I didn't take my tramadol. I know I'm addicted to these but I still need them as I still work and still suffer from LBP. Has anyone else had problems like this or been on them this length of time and succeeded in changing things, by the way I'm 54.

Regards

1 like, 23 replies

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  • homo_dieticus
    homo_dieticus mark1961

    Posted

    Mark, apart from my mild rant about the official "thinking" over Tramadol I was also reflecting on my wife's experience. There are distinctive parallels. It is a shared experience. My wife has a form of arthritis which causes frequent and significant  disabling pain. It limits her in everyday tasks and certainly gets in the way of her passion for needlework. She has been taking Tramadol for around ten years but never exceeds the prescribed dose. The usual OTC analgesics simply do not work and she is not now allowed to take diclofenac (Voltarol) by mouth because even though it has been on the market for decades it is now thought to have dangerous side-effects in some people. She has found that Tramadol works reasonable well to dull the pain and was distressed to discover that doctors have been instructed to limit its prescription. She has a good relationship with her doctor who is sympathetic. Like you she is now prescribed a months supply only which means that she has to be on the ball when she needs a repeat prescription. If she runs out of the medicine it results in a very unpleasant time for her because of the pain. She has never experienced anything resembling withdrawal symptoms but of course that doesn't mean that other people do not have the problem. Best wishes.
  • baggy1962
    baggy1962 mark1961

    Posted

    Hi Mark1962, I have Ankylosing Spondylitis and have used tramadol on and off for about 15 years, its the only thing have i found that works to control the pain in my flare ups, I am currently on 6x100mg per day and have been for the last 3 months, when the pain starts to ease a little
  • baggy1962
    baggy1962 mark1961

    Posted

    Hi Mark1961, I have Ankylosing Spondylitis and have used tramadol on and off for about 15 years, its the only thing have i found that works to control the pain in my flare ups, I am currently on 6x100mg per day and have been for the last 3 months, when the pain starts to ease a little i will drop down to 4 per day and eveventually 2 per day until my flare up is over, then i just stop taking them until next time, also aged 54 I now put pain free above the risk of addiction, so my advise would carry on taking them if they work and stay pain free. hope this helps you and good luck   
    • thebird55
      thebird55 baggy1962

      Posted

      That's not an completely unreasonable amount you are taking. Sometimes a carefully managed addiction is the best option.
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