Tramadol

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My husband has osteoarthritus in his back and is in a lot of pain.He is now on 400mg Tramadol a day - he is 78 and has had kidney problems in May last year where his function dropped to 9%. (This was put down partially to a UTI and the antibiotics and his function has recovered). Physiotherapy is starting on 20th  but frankly think he will struggle.........he has problems getting upstairs and walking far. GP did suggest morphine patches and we have an appointment to discuss on 22nd. Has anyone here tried them and does he take them as well as Tramadol? The amount he is taking does seem very high given his age. He does tend to be in a lot of pain without them although they still do not help the sitting down and getting up pain. His weight is very low at 8st 7. He has been on the tablets now for around 6 weeks......I just wondered if other people in his age group coped ok with the morphine patches and if they helped?     

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3 Replies

  • Posted

    Well I'm only 56 but I have been having back pain for 13 years and I recently was told that I have osteoarthritis in my SI joints and my facet joints. Both of which are in the back. I find it very difficult to sit just like your husband and I use a cushion everywhere I go. The doctor might let him stay on a low dose of Tramadol for what they call breakthrough pain but it won't be as high as he's on now if he's on the Tramadol at all. I have only used the patch for one week when I was in the hospital years ago. As long as he doesn't have an allergy to the adhesive he should find that it works quite well. The one thing he needs to consider is that he will become dependent on the patch. The patch contains opioids and when you take that long term you do become dependent on it. And what that means is that if you stop it abruptly you will go into withdrawal. This does not mean that he's an addict. It would be no different than someone who took prednisone. You can't take prednisone and stop it immediately either. I'm saying all this because there are some people in the world who want to label you as an addict just because you taking an opioid. Your husband will also find that he's quite sleepy well he's taking the patch. But eventually that will subside. I hope it works for him because there's nothing like having chronic back pain.

    • Posted

      Thank you - we will discuss with the GP as really he has nothing to lose by giving patches a go.
  • Posted

    Hi krugg 

    I am 35 years old and I have osteoarthritis spine and fibromyalgia amongst other problems. I was on tramadol for around 5 years and it helped me for a while I also had a discectomy done because of bulging discs and after that it didn’t help I had herniated discs months after and was back to agony again I was then diagnosed with osteoarthritis spine and fibromyalgia. Doctors are getting rid off tramadol now and I’m on patches called butec  a 10 mg and a 20 mg with lyrica at 300 mg twice a day patches last a week then change them they do give me some ease but I still have problems walking distances and getting up and down my stairs.  I can’t say how your husband would feel on patches but you don’t get tramadol and patches the same time just one or the other. But you will always have other pain meds’ to take with them.  I’ve had injections and physio etc and still I have pain but might give your husband relief I took reactions to morphine pills and was ruled out for them. I had to get another Mri scan done there on Friday so I’m waiting results on that. 

    That’s all I can say but I really hope you and your husband get relief soon and find the right pain relief for him. 

    Good luck 

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