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Stay away from Tramadol!

Posted , 28 users are following.

LittleTyke
LittleTyke

Last Friday (16/Sep/11) I had an op to repair an umbilical hernia (overnight stay). On being discharged the nurse gave me a packet of 50mg Tramadol capsules to ease the pain, although the pain wasn't that bad. I had been walking to the toilet (in hospital) within 4 hours of recovering from the op.

Anyway, I got home on Saturday and what with the fairly long walk from the hospital to the taxi, plus getting in and out of the car, I was starting to feel some twinges, so I took 2 Tramadol. Much later that evening I started to have really weird side effects. They are so difficult to describe. A combination of panic attack, dizziness, extreme fatigue, and difficulty nodding off to sleep. I'd nod off, like one does, then I'd immediately have these images in my head - people I'd seen on TV that day, cars, animals, all jumbled up.

Then I must have fallen asleep for an hour or two only to come awake with a start after having this veritable nightmare of there being someone in the room and when I opened my eyes (in my sleep just before coming awake) there was this extremely tall guy, 9 feet tall, his head was literally brushing the ceiling. Then \"he\" walked across the room to another bed (my mind thought it was still in the 4-bed unit in the hospital ward) and disappeared! As if in a puff of smoke. And at that point I awoke feeling hot and sweaty.

So those were the last Tramadol *I* was ever going to take, I can tell you. And then, yesterday, Thursday I had severe itching at the surgical wound site. This had nothing to do with the Tramadol I'd taken on Saturday, which must have been out of my system by then. Anyway, apart from the itching there was still a bit of an ache, so I thought I'd take just a single Tramadol capsule.

The itching went; the dull ache went. But this morning, very early, about 04:00am, I awoke feeling anything but refreshed. I had some numb feelings in my hand and thigh, they kept coming and going. I got up at around 05:45am, make a cup of tea, then suddenly felt very weak. Jittery, fast pulse, zonked. Since then I have just lain on my bed in between going for a short walk and am drinking glasses of water in an attempt to flush this [b:095f76e716]POISON[/b:095f76e716] out of my system and am starting to feel a little better.

Earlier in the week on doctor's recommendation I booked an appointment with the nurse for this afternoon to have the dressing changed and the incision checked (it's a long, vertical cut about 4 inches long; they found

two hernias), and in order to save on taxi fares I booked one of the free pick-up buses to take me and bring me back. However, I've just cancelled them and have ordered a taxi instead as I cannot face the lengthy zig-zag route these buses often take as they have to pick up numerous other people. I'll talk to the nurse about Tramadol and see what she says. I don't need any pain killers now and if I still get one or two twinges in the next few days, I shall take only paracetamol if necessary. (Not allowed to take ibuprofen or similar NSAIDs as I have a tendency to gastritis and duodenal ulcer.)

So, I am never going to touch Tramadol ever again and this time I mean it. I would not recommend it to my worst enemy. If some people take it just to get \"high\" they must be stark, raving mad.

5 likes, 55 replies

55 Replies

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  • evergreen
    evergreen

    Edited

    You are lucky really that you were not able to tolerate it. It is a terrible addictive drug that is harder to come off than major tranquilizers.
    • mesusan
      mesusan evergreen

      Posted

      I replied to the tune of over 20 minutes.

      Next thing, wham! All erased.

      Fk it!

    • twotif68
      twotif68 mesusan

      Posted

      Write it all out on your notes app, the C&P

    • twotif68
      twotif68

      Posted

      *then copy & paste

  • kaz26
    kaz26

    Posted

    i have been taking tramadol now for 6 months and starting from today have decided to come off it as it is now causing a few problems which i did not have the only trouble is i came off it a couple of months ago and the withdrawl was a nightmare but i am definitely giving it another go as not taking it in the long run is better than taking it any ideas on what i can do to stop the withdrawal symptons to make it easier for me
  • pipesmoker
    pipesmoker

    Posted

    I have lived with a prolapsed lumbar disc for 40 years, the last time after seven months of extreme pain which over the counter medicince had no effect on I reluctantly went to the doctor who prescibed Tramadol. It did not cure the pain but significantly eased it very quickly making life bearable

    Warned about the addictive dangers I stopped taking them after about a week and since when I have a problem I use them very sparingly.The only ill effects I suffered was a bit of constipation and mild euphoria.

    My experience of Tramadol was good!

    • lin06321
      lin06321 pipesmoker

      Posted

      Always worries me when I see the negative Tramadol posts.  If you have chronic pain, I think it's a blessing.  My problem is it no longer works.  I used to cut them into 4 peices and was so careful because I didn't want to feel stoned.  Eventually no longer got the ill affects, they just killed the pain.  I took 200 mg a day for a number of years, they just aren't working anymore for me. I have dropped down to 100 mg so far, with no ill affects.  HOWEVER, I was first put on the 100mg extended release and those made me super sick when I stopped taking them.  I would never take the etended release ones.  I am just about to cut out another 50 mg for a few weeksand plan to be Tramadol free in a month.  In hopes of them working for my pain again in the future.  People with negative effects are more likely to post, if someone is in pain please don't rule Tramadol out.  You just have to be careful, as with any med--and be taking it for the right reason.
    • thebird55
      thebird55 lin06321

      Posted

      Yes, tramadol can be very useful. I think a lot of the problem is that is was introduced as a much safer alternative to opioids, and it turned out that it wasn't any safer. I think a lot of doctors didn't get the update memo. cheesygrin

      I don't think it's any more dangerous than other opioids, but it does have more side effects. Doctors simply need to educate their patients about this, and any other drug.

      On the subject of education; Patients shoud learn as much as they can about everything they are taking, and all treatments that are recommended. I take the view that patients are ultimately responsible for themselves, and doctors are there to counsel you. Your body is your ship, and you are its captain.

    • lin06321
      lin06321 thebird55

      Posted

      I can absolutely see this...and I know my doctor perscribed it easily as an alternative to hydrocodone.  It made me feel stoned, though, when I started taking it and I recognized that while driving with it might be legal--but wasn't safe. I refused to drive my kids around if I was taking it.

      I think there is a real opportunity for abuse if someone is inclined. My advice would be to make sure you are careful and taking for the right reasons.  I was totally paranoid at first, cutting into 4ths to be sure after the initial dose I didn't give myself a giant buzz...Tramadol works differently/lasts longer.  A lot of the really bad stories I saw on the web seemed to stem from abuse/much higher doses than my 200 mg a day.

      I don't think Doctors have a clue to the extent of what they perscribe.  I told my doctor I saw where people were abusing Tramadol and he was shocked, he seemed to view it as basically something like Alleve.  It is very much not that mild.  Tramadol saved me when my pain level was so high I would just lay and cry...but it's definitely not something to view as no risk.  It is a synthetic opoid.

    • melas
      melas lin06321

      Posted

      I agree, the doctors really don't know what they are pushing. My doctor told me it was not addictive nor narcotic, which is why he chose it, a year later I read that is is now considered a narcotic because they found an occurence of it in nature, with the same chemical makeup. 

      I now cannot get out of bed without taking it. I wake up and my body aches all over, muscles and joints. I have to take it first thing, no quesitons, I then wait 15 mins or more for it to kick in.. then I can finally get out of bed. I have three herniated disks as a result of scolosis and prolonged computer use.... but this is something else.

  • purplewheels
    purplewheels

    Posted

    I am sorry that you had such a bad experience with Tramadol, it sounds as if they might not have been appropriate for your level of pain anyway.

    I have been taking Tramadol for about 7 years as I suffer from Chronic Pain Syndrome, at first the side effects were that I was completely knocked out for a couple of days and they made me very sick. Now I don't have those side effects and haven't for a long time. Whilst it is true that one needs to withdraw slowly from Tramadol, it can be done. There are so many drugs that this is the case for - this is because those drugs are addictive but they do not make you a junkie!

    Tramadol saved my life because I had reached the end of my tether and was contemplating suicide - it doesn't take my pain away but it makes it (most of the time) bearable. I understand that you had a bad experience but let's allow others to decide for themselves!

    • luis28539
      luis28539 purplewheels

      Posted

      I have the same problem as you  I ben taking tramadol for long time now and they been very good to me I never had side effect and they keep me going and relieve the pain I think about addicted you can get addicted to anything that you taking for long time not only tramadol that is the way I see it I try other tablet but no good they make me fill bad and no relief the pay,? 
    • derek2642
      derek2642 purplewheels

      Posted

      I agree with you. I have used 50 to 100 mg daily for 12 years for chronic back pain. Having said that I wish I could do without it. It is addictive and my body needs its daily dose.
  • kaz26
    kaz26

    Posted

    i was put on tramadol 8 months ago because of lower back pain and was not told they were addictive from the doctor until i clicked on this forum i tried coming off at xmas and gave in after 3 days as the withdrawal symptons were horrendous i really needed to get off this drug as was addicted to it so came off cold turkey five days ago and i am feeling better already although i have still a bit to go it is not as bad as last time but day by day notice different withdrawal symptoms lack of sleep being the worse not so much the itching this time around just the flu like feeling of not wanting to do anything but sit or lie down never going near tramadol again and wished i had been warned by my doctor i know of a friend of a friend that she has been taking tramadol for 2 years and is having real trouble coming off it i didnt want to reduce the daily intake just took the bull by the horn and came off straight away threw the tramadol down the toilet and so very glad i did i feel better in myself as when i was taking it it made me sleepy with the other side effects and after all i have been through they didnt mimimise the pain just tok the edge of it
  • osborne
    osborne

    Posted

    I didnt get any relief from pain so stopped taking, perhaps it was just as well after reading replies.
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