Tramadol

Description

Side effects

(Don't be unduly alarmed. All drugs cause side effects for some patients)

Warnings

(These are standard cautions but may not apply in your case)

Comments

EDITOR'S NOTE: People have strong opinions about this medication and we receive comments FOR and AGAINST Tramadol. Make sure you read both sides of the argument and form a balanced opinion.

I have been on and off Tramadol for about 4 years for back pain. I am working on kicking the stuff for the second time right now. Tramadol is easy to get hold of, I can get it over the internet no problem, but it creates an almost instant chemical dependence in your body! Tramadol is a SERIOUS PROBLEM! As a painkiller it works ok, but everyone's experience with it is different, except for the unanimous problem of withdrawal.
Anyway, I'm going to tell my experience of what helps you get off this awful drug.
1. Do not go cold turkey unless you love to suffer, instead, reduce the dose by a half tab or even a quarter tablet at a time, you can cut them carefully with a knife or get someone to help
2. reduce the dose slowly, try to bring it down every 3-4 days by a little bit but listen to your body, you don't want to go crazy, you still have to be functional.
3. Find something safe to help you sleep, this stuff will mess with your sleep so use something for a short time to help, maybe one of the PM analgesics you can get over the counter, or just some melatonin, whatever helps just be careful it's not addictive too!
4. Do what you can to take exercise, this has been key for me this time, I ride my bike for 15mins every other day or so and the symptoms are gone for a while and it gets over the fatigue this stuff will give you, exercise will get this junk out of you faster and easier.
5. Once you get down to a quarter tab a day, just start waiting a few hours longer before you take it until you can stop altogether.
6. Make sure you get plenty of protein and veggies and drink lots of water, protein will alleviate the shakes, veggies help the intestinal problems, water is vital for supporting your body.
I Hope this helps someone. Alice - Palm Springs, CA, USA

I broke my ankle 7 years ago and RSD was present from the second day, I had a foot that I could not warm up or put down without pain, the swelling would not subside, if I I moved from one place to another the pain was excruciating and my foot would change colour to the deepest purple ... it was incredibly scary and I thought my foot was going to die and have to be amputated. It took months for a diagnosis and then my ankle had to be reconstructed because the injury was far more complex than first thought. I spent 9 months on crutches instead of 6 weeks and the operation compacted the RSD and the symptoms were worse thus the pain killers were increased.
Tramadol was given to me to control the pain at very high dosages and then later over the years it has been decreased, I have also done extensive physio to control this.
On the rare occasions that I would miss a tablet I would have flu like symptoms by lunch time and questioned the effect that it was having on me, I was told that Tramadol was not addictive so I blindly continued to take it over these 7 years.
I have had trouble with weight loss over this time and as my symptoms have decreased, my doctor and I decided that it was time to stop taking this drug so that I have a chance to get rid of the weight I gained. It has got better since I invested in an exercise machine which I use daily.
I was on 50 mg slow release daily a very low dose, thank god I didn't try and stop taken it when I was on a much higher dosages. I am in day 6 of no Tramadol, the first 24 hours was awful, I had the worst headache, a feeling of being disjointed from my body, nausea, flu like symptoms and fever, I wanted to cry for no reason, the worst metallic taste in my mouth that lasted 5 days subsiding through that time, I could not sleep for more than an hour at a time and when I went to sleep I would wake up with a start and a feeling of high stress.
For all those out there who have tried to get of this medication, remember it gets better if you can get through the first three days. It is worth the freedom from this medication. I didn't realise what this drug was doing to me and I feel alive again, I have a little more pain but I certainly feel like my body is better.
On day two of my withdrawal I searched this site and the stories I read helped me to hang in there and realise that I wasn't alone and that these symptoms were caused by the medication and I wasn't going crazy, I then sent the link to my husband so he could understand what I was going through. I hope my story helps someone else. Barbara Perth, Australia

I felt I had to add to this site after finding it last weekend. At the beginning of May I had a double bunion operation. My bones were broken in four places and pinned back together and bone was removed from the bunions themselves. I literally didn't have a good leg to stand on. I was left in agony which I had expected. I spent a night on a morphine drip in hospital then I was discharged with a prescription for Tramadol capsules 4x daily, 2 Paracetamol 500mg 4x daily, Diclofenac 50mg 1 tablet 4x daily. If I missed any of these I knew about it. I was told to take them all, not wait for onset of pain. I still felt extreme pain when I walked even with this lot! It has now been 12 weeks and I had noticed as I stopped taking the Tramadol I was getting terrible bone pain and not just in my feet. I had awful insomnia and felt generally wretched. That's when I found this site and panicked. Everyone's symptoms were identical to my own. I didn't want to accept that Tramadol was the problem and was reluctant to stop (part of the addiction I guess). I MADE myself ring my GP the next day and have been taking Diclofenac and Paracetamol with valerian capsules to sleep at night. This has masked most pain, not all, and most withdrawal, but not the sadness and tinnitus, but it has now been 3 days and I am sleeping half the night which makes other symptoms a little better. I am proof it can be done, but only if you want it 110%! ADMIT to yourself you want to quit it, SPEAK HONESTLY to your GP, MAKE A SOLID, honest plan and TELL YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS, remember, you are a victim of this, not a druggie and YOU CAN BEAT THIS. Thank you all for helping me realise I was addicted, now join me in finding freedom. A teacher (name and address supplied) - Somerset, England

I was prescribed Tramadol for Hip joint pain as I am in need of a hip replacement, I only started taking it 2.5 weeek ago. When I first took it, I thought it was fantastic, the pain eased considerably and enabled me to walk easier however after about a week I began to suffer hot sweats, which I put down to the menopause but this has now progressed and I now keep going hot and cold, my heart beat seems faster and I can't stop crying. I can only put this down to Tramadol as I have nothing really to be depressed about. I am going to my doctor tomorrow to enquire about stopping taking these tablets although, after reading everyone's experience on this site, I am not looking forward to withdrawal symptoms. I just hope mine won't be as bad having only been on it for a short time. Carol - Warrington, England

I was originally prescribed 100mg tabs in 2002 after a serious head injury. They worked very well for the pain and gave me a warm, glowing, content feeling (mild heroin like effects perhaps?). I cant remember exactly how bad it was coming off them at that time, however.............
I was recently injured and when I found that the Dihydrocodeine that the doctor prescribed was completely useless I self medicated with a stock of Tramadol I'd acquired through other means.
To start with it was great, the first 2 weeks I was almost pain free. By week 6 it was pretty ineffective so I started lowering my doses in order to come off and this is where the problems began. I no longer got the warm, relaxed feeling but now had to take them in order to feel normal.
I'd had enough of feeling tired, confused and sleeping for an obscene amount of time each day so I cut down further and then just stopped. At that time there was a lot of cold and flu bugs on the go and I thought I had caught one but I was suffering different symptoms, hot and cold flushes, insane night sweats, zero appetite, dizzy, sick etc without the bunged up feeling that everyone else had.
It was one night in bed when the restless, skin crawling, almost itchy feeling kicked in that I sussed was withdrawal from the Tramadol. So I went cold turkey because I couldn't handle anymore of the trippy spaced-outness. About 4 days after stopping I felt great; my mind was clear, I was totally motivated and the pain had calmed down.
To sum up - if you take Tramadol for any length of time you will most likely become physically dependent and to break that cycle will involve days of mental torture. Jason - Dundee, Scotland

I started taking Ultram because my doctor prescribed it instead of "addictive!" pain killers like Percocet or Vicodin. I Feel like I could kill myself because Ultram is making me crazy. I have muscle tightness, severe joint pain, MANIC THOUGHTS, i can't eat or sleep well at all. I'm going to my doctor tomorrow to tell him all about how awful this so called pain reliever is. The pharmacist said that Tramadol is going to become a Schedule 3 Narcotic. It's poison, don't take it for any reason whatsoever. Joey - Superior, Colorado, USA

I am currently taking Tramadol, and have been doing so for about two years now. I take it every day, and while it may have some side effects that I don't like ( insomnia, some transient depression, heart palpatations that are, according to my doctor, irritating but not serrious) the pain relief that they give me is worth the side effects- at least I can fucntion and not be in pain all the time. at least I don't have to be taking Morphiene or demerol too often any more. But I will say that if I miss a dose, I feel just horrible ( severe depression, headache, bone pain,nausea, even worse insomnia- and just plain feeling lousy). Jennifer - NB, Canada

Tramadol is a fantastic medication to take for pain. I take one every day Mon to Fri and I am buzzing, no pain, feel healthy, sleep better. However Sat and Sun I don't take it and feel terrible - sweating, sickly, sorethroat, don't sleep a wink, aching muscles. Can this be due to not taking for just two days? It's not as though I am taking full dose only one a day. I am worried that there is something else wrong with me. Deborah - Romford, Essex, UK

I have read all the comments above and sympathize. I have been taking tramadol for about two years (two tablets three or four times a day) and knew I was addicted but was not aware as to how addicted until recently when I took a trip abroad for a couple of days and forgot to pack the tramadol. By the end of the second day I was suicidal and then decided definitely to come off of them. I searched the web and purchased 1000 empty gelatin capsules (£9.99). Using a flat surface - upon which I emptied the contents of a tramadol capsule - and an old fashioned razor blade, I divided the powder by eight and put seven eighths back into the new capsule. I made a weeks supply of these taking 1 and seven eighths capsule instead of two. The next week it was one and three quarters, I am now down to one and a quarter. It works. Good luck. David - Thetford, Norfolk, UK

I came across your site because I was looking for information on the side effects of Tramadol. I don't have RSD but I have rheumatoid arthritis. Your site is the only place where I have found information confirming my side effects. Why do healthcare professionals not know these side effects?
I have been taking Tramadol for 5 years.
I have spoken to my consultant and two GP's and both of them looked at me like I was mad when I told them that I couldn't sleep and when I was drifting off to sleep I would be jerked awake every 10 minutes. It is like Japanese water torture, I thought I was going out of my mind.
I get terrible headaches too.
When I try to stop I get really bad flu symptoms and they told me it would go away after a few weeks but after 2 months I still had them and ended up taking Tramadol (one a day) just to stop the flu.
I wanted to say thank you to your site for making me feel less mad and alone. I think I will try to stop taking them again and try taking contact 4000 or whatever the cold remedy is to counteract the flu symptoms. Cathie - Birmingham, England
( many people visit this section of our website, but don't have RSD or even know about it. We welcome you all - but please help us by looking around the website and finding out about RSD. Thanks EDITOR)

Have been given tramadol for chronic pain over the last two years. Have taken it off and on, as needed. if you have been doing it a while and want to quit, you are going to go through a pretty tough three days, but it gets incrementally better after that, so hang in there. Whole process takes about a week. You can taper down, but I never had any luck with that approach. What's a week? It's no fun, but you can do it. Stay hard. Rick - New Jersey, USA

Tramadol is called Ultram in the U.S, it appears on the site under that name, but I've never heard it called that in England. I've been taking Tramadol for three years, and although it helped with the pain initially the side effects are dramatic. It now no longer helps the pain, but my body is completely addicted, so I'm attempting to come off them slowly. They make me tired a lot of the time, faint, nauseous, very dehydrated, I have to sleep for much longer periods, sleep is unpleasant and interrupted, and I get viruses very easily. I think it could be advisable to take Tramadol in very acute periods of RSD, but not long term. Lucy - Oxford, England

I have been taking Pregabelin (Lyrica) for a number of weeks now, along with Tramadol. I am very aware that when I take a full dose of both drugs together I feel a very strange almost "spaced out" feeling. I feel unsteady on my feet and find it difficult to walk a few yards without having to hold on to something to steady myself. If I reduce the Pregabelin dose it is a bit better. I would be interested to hear from anyone with similar experiences when using both drugs. Andy - Taunton, Somerset, UK

Like Andy from Taunton I was given Tramadol on top of the highest dose of Pregabalin and had the same symptoms. I have now come off of Tramadol and am seeking a new pain killer to take over from it. I was so bad at the start of taking both drugs I could not move from a chair or open my eyes without a feeling my brain was swimming, I have had chronic in my elbows for 6 years and have forgotten what a pain free life is. MSB - UK

Having had a traumatic amputation of my lower leg I was given Tramadol. 8 months on I am well and truly hooked. Any lower dose of Tramadol gives me sweats anxiousness, loss of temper, loss of patience, flu-like joint pain and hyper alertness. The pain specialists advised me at the time that it was not addictive but It most definitely is a dependancy inducing drug. I am going to try to come off again but I fear I will have to take a couple of weeks off work to try and come off without shouting at a customer or getting into trouble! Don - Scotland

I start taking Tramadol in 1997 for fractures in my lower back and was on it for 2 years. At the time the doctor said it was not addictive. It slowly stopped working and the doctor kept trying me on other painkillers, but every time I came off Tramadol and started taking other drugs I would get ill with flu-like symptoms, my bones would ache, I was nauseous and my head would feel it was going to explode. After the 3rd attempt of coming off I realised what was wrong: I was hooked. The doctor said it was not the Tramadol and I just had a sensitive stomach. I stopped taking them and was really ill for about 5 days, then I and had flu for a few weeks, but after that I was fine. Next I went onto Vioxx until it was banned. Now I have been put back on to Tramadol, which I have been taking for the past 2 months. I am going to go and see my doctor next week and ask to be put on something else. My advice to anyone taking Tramadol is - yes it is good but don't take it for any longer than necessary! Leander - Nottingham, UK

I am so grateful for your experiences on here. I was searching the web looking in the early hours of the morning convinced I was losing my mind. I was prescribed Tramadol by a GP for pain related to my spina bifida. At first I was very drousy and sleepy, but since then I have been unable to sleep at all - other than the odd hour here and there. This has now gone on for 6 weeks. I decided to come off the drug as my GP told me it was highly addictive and he wouldn't recommend longer than 2 months use. I reduced the dose for a few days and then stopped. Since then I've had terrible night panic attacks, anxiety attacks, I am either boiling hot sweaty or freezing cold, I feel sick 24/7 and had terrible headaches. I feel 'uneasy' in my skin (I can't even put that feeling into words). Reading all your experiences helped me to see that it's the drug and not me, which was a relief. I pray these withdrawal symptoms go soon. I wish I'd never started with Tramadol. Amanda Leicester UK

I was prescribed Tramadol 3 years ago. At first the pain relief was great, but slowly the pain started to return. Everytime I started to reduce the dose, the pain would increase. If I missed a dose, I would start to suffer with
flu-like symtoms, which would go away as soon as I took Tramadol. I decided to stop taking the drug completely and then felt terrible for a few days - I ached all over, felt sick, headaches. But for the first time in years, I did not wake up with a hangover in the morning! I feel this drug is highly addictive and, if taken long term, causes more pain than it relieves. Steve - London, England

I medicated myself with Tramadol which is easily accessable a few miles south of me in Tijuana, MX without prescription for around $20 for 50 tablets. I created an expensive habit but I have decided I don't like myself this way. My 4 hour habit makes me quick to irritation with my children, no motivation, constipation! I AM ADDICTED and I am smart enough to recognize it. I took my last 5 pills 48 hours ago and last night was the worst experience of my life. Sleeplessness, agitation, thoughts of suicide, diorrhrea, chills, skin crawls, heat flashes and sweats and that was just at night. During the day, I feel weak, tired, and truly fearful of another night like that. Natalie - San Diego, California, USA

I starting taking Tramadol in December 05. It was great; immediately I no longer had any pain and on the plus side I actually felt really well. The side affect of constipation was a small price to pay and went when I decreased to just 1 tablet a day. Two days ago I decided to completely stop taking Tramadol. For the past two days I have felt like I have flu with hot sweats, chills, shakes and a general feeling that my mind is not in sinc with any movement my body makes. Worse, last night I paced the floor for hours anxious, shaking and unable to relax enough to sleep, I felt terrible. Today, feeling worse, I had to come home from work and searched the internet for informaton about Tramadol and thankfully found this website. I took a Tramadol three hours ago and already I'm starting to feel "normal" again. I'm off to the Doctors tomorrow to start slowly decreasing the dose to get off this drug before it takes over completely. I did not expect withdrawal symptons as I was told by the specialist who put me on it that I could take it as long as I wanted as it was not addictive. I disagree; there should be a warning about Tramadol! Carol - Chester, UK

I was given Ultram initially, then changed to Tramadol. I was told the only difference is that tramadol does not contain acetaminophen. I was also told it wasn't addictive, but trying to leave it on my own has been difficult. The symptoms are similar to many of you: terrible headaches, skin crawls, sleeplessness. I'm planning to take a few weeks to enter a detox center and get rid of it once and for all. Richard - Chino, California, USA

About four years ago, I was prescribed Tramadol for severe chronic pain. Previous to taking this drug, I had taken other strong pain medications and had never had any problems so I didn't expect any complications with Tramadol. Within a week of taking this drug, I noticed I felt despondent which progressed into depression over the years. However, since I had no clue that the Tramadol was the cause, I kept taking it.
I developed more severe symptoms like muscle tightness which was debilitating; the tightness affected my sleep and my ability to relax. I had headaches all over my skull and my brain felt like it was swimming or bouncing around inside. Then anxiety, insomnia and fatigue drove me to the point where I couldn't work and I started to believe I had mental problems! I had an alarming sensation of crawling under my skin and sought medical help. I had a MRI which showed I had previously had a minor stroke. However, my doctors were aware of this before I was placed on Tramadol.
I was also chronically constipated and bloated. If I took Tramadol at night, I would stay awake all night and the next day. My skin and mouth were chronically dry. The fact that I had a minor stroke before I was placed on tramadol could have exacerbated my symptoms. I found that it changed my moods and I became irritable and confused. My anxiety never went away. Although I was using it for pain it actually increased the pain slightly before it soothed it which is quite strange. However this is my own particular experience.
I am now going through detox and sincerely hope I will recover since the side effects were so severe. More importantly, the information leaflet which accompanies this drug states it does have the ability to do these things to a person; only I took no notice of it. C.R - Croydon, Surrey, UK

I have been taking Tramodol, together with Lyrica, for nerve damage but now the doctors have taken me off Tramodol. I have been suffering from anxiety, heat, cold shivers, flu-like symptoms, etc. Today is the second day and I feel much worse. Can anyone tell me how many days shall I have to suffer like this to come off it completely? I thought that the Lyrica was taking care of my discomfort. Now I am upset to know that I am addicted like this. I was told that Tramodol was not a narcotic. Joan - Sun City West, Arizona, USA

Thanks so much for putting this page on the internet. I recently broke two bones in my hand and the Surgeon and GP both prescribed Tramadol. At first it was great, no pain whatsoever after taking it. I've been taking it the past two weeks and I realised that it was likely Tramadol was a Heroin/Morphine derivative, if not that it must have been in the same family of drugs. Last night I stopped taking Tramadol since I felt there was little need for it now.
I was taking two 50mg tablets twice a day, sometimes two at night and one for when I felt the pain. Since I've stopped taking Tramadol I've noted I've been having SEVERE headaches, feeling insanely hot, suddenly cold and what seems like mood changes (I suddenly started crying!).
Hoping theres not long left of these withdrawal symptoms. What's worse is my Mother takes these for her Arthiritis and has a cabinet full of them! Must stay strong! Abdul - London, UK

I have been on tramadol 7 years. At this very moment I am in the middle of stopping them; I am now on hour 41 and to be honest I dont think I can go for much longer. This is the worst feeling in my whole life and I am 40. I can't sleep, I feel violently sick, I have headache, I can't stand still and I am so tired I feel like giving in and taking the rest of the box. Like most people I was misinformed and did not know they were addictive. So my advice is, no matter how bad you are, do not take these tablets. They will ruin your life. I hope this helps somebody out there. AT - Blackpool, Lancashire, UK

I have been on Tramadol since 1997 and didn't realise I was addicted until I ran out. I was climbing the walls and had to go to A&E for an emergency supply. That was two years ago and I am now weaned down to 100 mg twice a day and about to reduce by 50mg. It has been a long slow haul. A few times I stopped, thinking that my dose wss low enough, but I can only stand a week before the sweats, chills, headaches and aching bones make me start again. I will get off them even if it takes 10 years. Lindsay -Halifax, West Yorkshire, UK

I am so glad to have found this website! I am 30yrs old and have been prescribed Tramadol (Ultram) for almost 10yrs, since I have chronic RSD. At the time my GP told me Tramadol was NOT addictive. This is, as you all have experienced, a load of xxxx. I have been on a dose of 400-600mg per day, and about 4 days ago I stopped taking it cold turkey. I have never been so ill in my entire life. I cannot even walk from the bedroom to the bath without having to hold myself up due to blackouts and fainting! Fever, shivers, extreme sweats, insomnia, feelings of losing my mind, uncontrollable emotions, blurred vision, severe tremors, bone/skin crawling pain (that may be the worst?), headaches... you name it! I graduated with my bachelors in science and nursing almost 1 year ago and I haven't been able to keep a job; this medication has been controlling my body. This is about the 15th time I have tried to stop taking it and I feel like I am losing my mind. The terrible thing is the medical community here in the states is not completely aware of just how terrible this med is. It works just like a narcotic, on the pain receptors in one's brain; it numbs your feelings of pain. But, it also works on your GABA receptors, norepinephrine and serotonin (hence the depression/crazy feelings). Please know that the heart palpitations and sweats are a direct side effect known as serotonin syndrome, which can cause seizures if taken with another SSRI antidepressant. This stuff is evil and I wish I knew 10 years ago what I know now. I have just been "white knuckling" through the terrible withdrawal, but I want to take more every second of the day/night.
Reading the stories from others on this site has given me hope. It is a minute by day process. It can take 21 days to rid your symptoms, but it is worth it! All I can say to help others is NEVER take this med. It causes more pain in the long run than it is worth. As a nurse and with research now I know better, now I am just going to take these terrible withdrawals one day at a time until I am free. I am so proud of everyone on this site that have made it or are currently suffering through to do the right thing to free themselves! I, really for once, don't feel alone. Toni - USA

have been on 150mg of Pregabalin for 18 months and found it an unusual experience. Initially it was very good with a release from neuropathic pains that I had suffered for almost 30 years. I also have been taking 50 - 150 mg Tramadol which has also been excellent. However over the past 4 months I have developed an issue with my sight which is currently being out down to the Pregabalin. Reduced dosage over 4 week period and finally stopped last weekend. OMG I forgot how painful my spine and neck were before!
I'm not sure whether the nastier side effects of the Pregabalin and Tramadol combined outweigheffects of NOT taking Pregabalin. John - Southampton, UK

I was on hydro for over 11 years. My pain mgmt doctor thought it would be good to get going on Tramadol. That was 1.1/2 years ago. Last Friday, I ran out of Tramadol and thought no big deal, I'll wait till Monday to pickup the refill. At this time, I was no longer taking hydro either.
Saturday wasn't too bad, didn't notice anything too unusual due to chronic pain issues. But boy, Sunday, that was an experience. I could not figure out why I felt like crap. Went to the web and found this site (along with a lot of others for "withdrawal from tramadol". I decided then and there, I don't want this drug in my body. Cold turkey is how I went.
Monday got worse. Tuesday got just a little better. Wed was better than the rest but still not good. I tried several things others had tried and mentioned on this site (wrapping my legs at night with gauze, melatonin,
etc) All of it helps a little.
Today, I tried something that really helped more than everything. I went and bought nicoderm patches (Level 2). It was like I was a new man again.
I don't smoke but I thought that if it helps people stop smoking, why not.
This is now something that I can wrap my brain around. Don't sleep with these bad boys though, you'll have some pretty interesting dreams. Dave - Oviedo, FL, USA

I have been on Tramadol for 2 years. The Tramadol is good but you cannot drink with this tablet. If you have a beer it overrides the Tramadol & keeps you awake. You get movment in your body, your arms & legs start to move & you can't stop them. I am trying to come off them as Ilike to go out for a drink. Today I have been awake for 27 hours as I came off them all together. If you go back on them you have to start again. Gilbert - Washingon, England

I am so glad I have stumbled across this site. I have been taking Tramadol for four years after a motor vehicle accident. The accident resulted in severe, occasional, debilitating pain. I went to my doctor and refused any type of Narcotic for pain relief. My doctor suggested Tramadol. I did my research but was never informed of any sort of withdrawal issues. I started taking 50mg tablets 3 times daily; as time went on I developed a tolerance and suddenly I found myself taking the medication up to 6 times a day. I was scared, I felt as though I was polluting my body, I was aware of the possibility of seizures and worried a lot about it. I felt the medication was the only way I could function. It was the only way I could wake up and go to work in the morning. The fear of the pain I would feel without the medication outweighed the fears of side effects. I began to develop night sweats, insomnia, and severe agitation. I became a different person as the medication increased. I found myself unable to tolerate people as my agitation had taken over. It affected my job, my relationships, and my overall well-being. To think I was so proud of myself at one time for choosing an alternative to narcotics. I also experienced extreme weight loss and realized I had an addiction. After all the denial I finally told myself this has to stop. It was so difficult. I couldn't sleep, I was agitated even more, night sweats were amplified. I couldn't believe I had trusted my physician who ultimately harmed me more than helped. All while dealing with severe withdraw symptoms aside from the pain, I felt betrayed by someone I felt was there to help me. I felt I was doing the right thing for myself by choosing an alternative to narcotics. After feeling the pain and symptoms of withdrawal I now wonder why this medication is promoted without revealing the truth to what it can do. I commend all of you who wrote in, it wasn't easy for me to recognize there was a problem, and when I did I was ashamed of it. It was hard to admit, but now that I know I'm not alone it feels as though a weight has been lifted. Heather, New Jersey, USA

Your page is so interesting. I did not know anything about Tramadol. A couple of months ago my doctor told me to take 8 x 50g a day while I waited for a hospital appointment... Great pain killers! I felt a bit woozy when I first took them. Firstly, my doctor did not say a thing about these tablets, just to take them. With rest, my knee pain decreased, so I didn't take the Tramadol for 36 hours. I awoke the next day. Couldnt stand up, I suffer with tinitus in my left side, well, it was all over my head, in my eyes when I moved them. I was dizzy, very disorientated, laid down all day in some kind of daze. On the night I took 2 tramadol, and felt fine the next day. It wasnt till I went into hospital the next week, I asked the nurse, and I was shocked what she told me it would be hard to come off them. Im coming off them right now, my tinitus is bad, Im tired, I feel horrible, but I will carry on not taking them. I went to the doctor to ask advice, and he laughed at me, saying I should have no problem, especially as I was only taking 3 tablets a day. So 'Im going it myself. Jeannie, Brough, East Yorkshire, UK

I guess it's nothing new now that I've seen comments about Trammadol on this site. For what it's worth I've been using Tramadol for several years and had never really taken it for more than a few days at a time because it made me feel so sick, headachy, disorientated etc. However, due to recent extreme pain (I have spinal problems, Fibromyalgia, Ankylosing Spondolitis, Arachnoiditis) I took Trammadol 50mg Capsules up to a dose of 100mg three times a day for a few weeks. I stopped 3 days ago and had a pretty aweful couple of days (very down / depressed, had stomache ache, diarrhoea, runny nose & dry cough and felt in a really bad mood). Glad to say that, by day 3 I felt much better.
The main thing I've found taking Tramadol is that I lost a lot of weight. I have little appetite and lose interest in food (not like me at all), I can't sleep but don't seem to miss that too much as long as I have more Tramadol next day (which usually makes me feel very good, really 'buzzy' - this was what made me realize there might be some side effect). I spoke to my GP but he said it had no withdrawal effects for such short term usage.
I now feel more confident taking it in future and managing the dosage, length of time I use it - and not coming off it all at once. Ray - Gilsland, Cumbria, UK

This is a very interesting topic as I am both a Healthcare Professional and a long time Tramadol user due to a chronic spinal injury.
The first point is, they are not classed as addictive, they are classed as lower incidence of addiction when compared with the meds they were synthsised to replace.
After I got injured I was on Co-codamol 30/550. 2 four times daily and the constipation was agony after a while. Then I was on ASPAV which is INFINITELY worse than Tramadol and made me feel sick and high all of the time! I think it has been removed from UK use. Then I was switched to Tramacet which was Tramadol and Paraceamol (35/500) 2 four times a day. I think I recall, then due to cost they switched it to full on Tramadol so 50mg tramadol 4 times daily.
That was 7 years ago and to this day apart from the occasional restless insomniac night if I take them too far into the evening I have been fine and pain free. Also if I stop taking them for a few days then I don't suffer withdrawal.
I tell this only to provide balance and to show that everyone is different, and just because your doctor prescribes them, you shouldn't automatically run screaming from the consulting room. Grant - Glasgow, Scotland