The dr prescribed me tramadol

Yes they are a opioid and no I think if they didn't help the pain take them back to the pharmacy as look at what happened to me being a opioid addict is horrendous.

       i can understand your concerns .. with so many people becoming addicted to painkillers and other medications its normal to think this way 

       however when used correctly and over short periods of time ( less than a month ) painkillers such as tramadol are relatively safe ...but the trick when taking any meds is to take them when you really need them and not just follow the instructions on the box ( such as take 2 four times a day ) 

        if you simply take them as needed the blood level of the drug wont get that high and your chances of becoming addicted are allmost zero ..

        in regards to tramadol itself it is classed as a opioid but works in a slightly different way ... it inhibits serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake AND activates opiate receptors in the central nervous system to enhancing the inhibitory effects on pain transmission in the spinal cord.. were as opiods such as morphine and codeine simply bind to the opioid receptors 

        in my experience chest pain can be caused by many things .. for example 

1) heart attack ... however im sure you would know this so we can safely rule out this 

2) thorasic herniated discs ... this is a slipped(herniated disc ) approx mid back ( around T5/T6/T7 ) ... and the symptoms from this mimic many other conditions including chest pain ( that travels to the sternum ) ,stomach problems and even gallbladder issues ... a MRI can rule this out 

3) Costochondritis ( rib inflammation ) .. this can cause pain or discomfort that radiates around your ribs .. symptoms include rib pain/pressure but can also mimic chest pain 

        then again many other conditions can cause chest pain such as a persistent chesty cough .... this is down to your doctor to diagnose ... im no medical expert and i can see this may need further investigation .. simply throwing painkillers at you isnt a cure and depending on the condition( if any ) may over time make things worse 

         i would advise you either 

1) go back to your doctor and lay it on the line ... ask why he gave you the tramadol and for what purpose 

2) or visit a out of hours/walk-in center at your local hospital ... doctors as these centers will take any chest pain seriously and can carry out significantly more tests than any gp/doctor can 

        i hope this helps and good luck pam