Tramadol for Chronic Pain User Reviews (Page 3)

• Anonymous
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• November 2, 2015

"I have been taking Tramadol for close to 3 years now for arthritis of the neck. I have gradually had to work up to 150 mg per day (3x 50 mg). I think it works pretty well, but be careful for addiction and plan far in advance to wean off of it. If I am late taking a dose (I take it at the same time every day), I get severe pain and feel sick. I am able to function just fine, but have had pretty serious brain fog for about 6 months and don't know if it is related to the Tramadol. Also, I took Benadryl for allergies one time and had a VERY scary respiratory reaction/respiratory depression-be careful about any other meds you might take. I think it is a medication that works fairly well and is a scary medication at the same time. Use wisely and with caution."

• Tin...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 7, 2017

Tramadol "I broke my knee, and all the cartilage came out of the back. I hate narcotics, having bipolar issues as well. Ultram is right in the middle, takes pain away enough, so I don't have to concentrate on me!"

• Kee...
• April 16, 2021

"Tramadol helps everything. I have IBS, interstitial cystitis, stage 4 endometriosis, and a multitude of other health issues. It helps relieve my chronic bladder and pelvic pain. It slows down my gut and helps with IBS symptoms. It improves my mood, my sleep quality, and my feelings of depression. I have undergone several surgeries and procedures. Yes, there is an opioid crisis, and yes, people do abuse medications, but people who suffer daily deserve to feel better and live more active and happy lives. I walk 4 miles every day and couldn’t do this without the help of tramadol. It gave me a big chunk of my life back after being able to do near nothing. Yes, yes, yes. I am under the care of a pain management doc, submit to random urine tests, signed an agreement, am honest with my doctor, and keep the lines of communication open. I’m doing it the right way. I saw 3 doctors before one agreed to help me and give something besides antidepressants for pain. Don’t give up. Relief is there."

• TJa...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 5, 2018

"I have been diagnosed with bulging discs, a pinched nerve, neuropathy, and osteoarthritis. I've been to specialists and did weeks of physical therapy. I have tried many medications, and hydrocodone was the only medication that gave me any respite from the pain I experience 24/7. Because of the opioid crisis, my doctor prescribed tramadol. I got absolutely no relief; I did become incredibly dizzy and feared falling, so I quit taking it. It's sad that because of the drug abuse by so many, those of us in need must suffer."

• Jil...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• April 19, 2018

Tramadol "I have lupus, fibromyalgia, and Graves' disease, along with severe chronic depression and OCD. Tramadol does nothing to improve my quality of life. I'm 58, in pain always and cannot get a real pain killer! My life sucks. Can't enjoy anything from my grandchildren to being on our boat in the summer. I even hurt when I'm cold! I want Percocet or oxycodone..."

• Scu...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• April 8, 2016

Tramadol "I was taking 50 mg of Tramadol 3/day for a total of 150 mg daily with no problem for over 10 years. My new doctor became nervous about prescribing a 3-month supply (270 pills) and switched me over to the 200 mg Extended-Release formula. I tried it for 2 weeks, and it doesn't work, so I started supplementing it with either Advil or Tylenol. This is definitely not good. I'm now taking a higher dose of Tramadol but have to take additional drugs."

• My ...
• July 22, 2015

Tramadol "I started Ultram a little over a month ago and am impressed with the lack of side effects. I also noticed it helps with my moods, maybe having less pain just makes me happier. I've had spinal injections and am using Ultram to hold me over until I get my next set. I do take it every 4-6 hours."

• Ren...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 12, 2019

"I am prescribed Tramadol 50 mg every 4 hours for severe, chronic pain from fibromyalgia, CFS, and osteoarthritis, degenerative disc disease. It has worked wonderfully well thus far (1 week). Other than mild constipation, I’ve had no side effects. My activity level is much greater now, and I am enjoying life again. I hope it continues to provide this relief."

• Fav...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 13, 2019

Tramadol "I was referred to a ‘pain clinic’ for extreme low back/sciatica pain. I have had hydrocodone for years, which I have always used sparingly. (Due to Florida restrictions on opioids, my family doctor was hesitant to give me a narcotic prescription as in the past.) I was prescribed 50 mg (2) every 4 hours. I would rate this medicine as 0 for severe pain. I turned to Extra Strength Aleve, which worked better but only slightly diminished my pain. For me, Tramadol is useless."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 10 years or more
• March 16, 2014

"I have been taking it for 15 years for a variety of chronic pain, mostly cervical degeneration and neuropathy, alone and in combination with NSAIDs. It did not do much for severe low back pain, but otherwise it works well, and I would rather not be taking Vicodin. It does leave me with severe cotton mouth and possibly some dizziness (could be due to other issues, though). I consider it inexpensive and relatively effective. I don't experience any kind of high from any of my pain medicines, including Vicodin, so my experience may not be typical. It is sure worth a try if you are having pain and not finding a good medicine to help you with it."

• 123...
• August 10, 2015

Tramadol "This did not do anything helpful for me. I tried it for 2 weeks as an opiate substitute after intramedullary nailing. (This surgery always has a very painful and long recovery.) I was given this by my surgeon because it was supposed to be less addictive. After two weeks, I decided to taper off it. This produced horrid withdrawals. They were far different and more severe than stopping the opioids, which I was over in one day. Don't take this med! If a doctor tells you it won't cause withdrawals, don't believe it. Opioids worked during my surgical recovery and were no problem to taper off then quit."

• Gai...
• August 8, 2017

"I was prescribed Tramadol 50 mg, along with Gabapentin 300 mg and Baclofen 10 mg in October 2016 due to acute back pain from my L5-S1 impinging on my spinal cord. I had a laminectomy on December 22, 2017. Due to the bad side effects of Gabapentin, I decided to stop taking it in March 2017. I also stopped taking the Baclofen at the same time. I have continued to take the Tramadol 4x a day. I have had no side effects from the Tramadol as far as I can tell. I am taking the original amount I was prescribed 10 months ago, and it is working quite well, relieving my chronic pain. I have interstitial cystitis, vulvodynia, osteoarthritis, as well as lumbar pain from my L4-L5 herniated disks. I appreciate the pain relief I get. I am 69 years old."

• kid...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 22, 2019

"I have kidney disease that was diagnosed as gout for ten years. The worst part is that my tissue was carrying 3x the amount of fluid of a normal person. The area around my pelvis was infected by gangrene through an ingrown hair. I lost my bladder, 6 inches of intestine, one testicle, and my scrotum (my remaining testicle is inside the skin of my right leg). I now require a suprapubic foley (catheter in my belly) to replace my bladder and have constant pain. I was in ICU for 7 months and on Dilaudid, now I'm in a nursing home where they only give me this Tramadol as pain relief. It doesn't work!!!"

• Nan...
• August 17, 2015

"I have used tramadol for over a year now and can honestly say it has helped me get my life back. I suffer from chronic back pain, which restricted me every day. Even just to walk around the shops in pain. I was warned about the side effects and stayed in bed ready for them. Yes, I talked rubbish. Had sweats. Knocked me out and made me feel nauseous, but I stuck with it, and after 3 days, I began to feel better and could feel relief in my back. I am so grateful I actually have found a good doctor who prescribed me tramadol SR 150 mg twice a day. For me, it had worked, and I even went back to full-time work. Very happy. I do stick to the same brand. I did get a different brand from another chemist, and they did nothing, I was in pain all day."

• She...
• September 6, 2013

"I have severe endometriosis, frequent ovarian cysts, pain from Crohn's, as well as some unexplained abdominal pain. I've been dealing with this for close to 5 years and have been in and out of the ER, seeing doctors weekly, missing work and just had an overall poor life due to all the pain. I've been put on every narcotic pain medication out there and still was having pain, it seemed like nothing would touch it. My doctor suggested getting a hysterectomy, and I was devastated because I was only 25 without children. His one last attempt was tramadol. It is a miracle for me. I was so happy that I found this, and my quality of life has improved 100-fold."

• Ben...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• August 26, 2015

"Was prescribed 100 mg time release, then 200 mg for severe chronic lower back pain, and it has changed my life. Was taking Percocet but wanted to change to something less habit-forming and am glad I did. Quality of life has drastically improved and has allowed me to avoid risky surgery (3 herniated discs and dual sciatica). I stop taking it about once every 3 months to 'check in' on dependency and effectiveness but have been taking it steadily for 4 years now. Some light side effects including slightly decreased libido and hard stool, totally manageable. Not everyone reacts the same (my mother suffers from a similar problem to mine, and it doesn't work as well for her). Recommend you try it for a week, then evaluate. Loopy for the first 2 days. :)"

• GCP...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• June 24, 2019

"I've been taking tramadol for years (arthritis, all over, spine, etc.), but it doesn't work as good as it used to. Have to take 2/3 to get relief, but I am still good with it. Anyone having constipation issues should take a swig of mineral oil every day! It works wonders! It has no taste, and pills didn't help me."

• Ton...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• June 30, 2019

Tramadol "I have had severe chronic pain from a neck injury about 6 years ago, which required me to have multilevel anterior and posterior cervical fusions. I have been taking 500 mg of Tramal SR daily for the last 5 years, and I can say this drug has saved my life. Some evenings I forget to take the 250 mg dose (I take 250 mg in the morning and 250 mg in the evening), and the next morning I feel terrible and cannot get out of bed. I immediately take my Tramal on waking, and it takes about 2-3 hours for the drug to kick in before I can even get out of bed and perform basic functions. The good thing about Tramal is that it gives me no side effects whatsoever, which is amazing."

• Lil...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• September 22, 2019

"Prescribed tramadol for post-chemo and other meds pain. Had OxyContin 10 mg prior between treatments. Went off OxyContin, no withdrawals, only shaky hands for two days. After being “cured” of the main life-threatening illness, asked for no more oxy, no codeine. Given tramadol, not aware it was as sinister as I found. Taken 100 mg twice daily for twelve months. Took myself off it five days ago. Had a full opioid withdrawal, still going, worst is over, I hope. Hallucinations, disorientation, diarrhea, shakes, no body temperature control, lying in fetal position, sweats, night terrors, insomnia... I am horrified. I would not recommend this medicine and would never want anyone to go through the last five days. I don’t know when this will finish, at least my eyes are open again and I am speaking out here, they were closed for three days. Even the most experienced patient can be unfortunate. I sure am in this case."

• Hop...
• May 13, 2019

"Tramadol was promised to make me feel like a whole new person. After calling the doctor's office back to explain that it was of zero value, I was told to just double the dose, it never helped. Tramadol definitely made my anxiety worse, and I was more agitated all around, and now I am still agitated and in just as much pain. I still need back surgery, no doctor will even help me live a happier, healthier, and less painful life. I do physical therapy and have for years. I work full-time, do my best to get by as best I can. I would never recommend this medication to anyone who lives in constant pain. If you suffer from anxiety as I do, I wouldn't recommend this medication either, it makes me jittery."

• Mam...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 9, 2018

"I had nerve damage surgery on my arm and hand and was given this for pain. It doesn't help at all! So, I'm taking Aleve and not even sleeping due to the pain. The government needs to develop another way to control the opioid epidemic! It isn't fair to us good 'apples'!"

• Ost...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• July 16, 2017

"Slightly more effective than Tylenol, best when taken with Tylenol, but even then not enough for my pain. I took for about 2 years, 250 mg a day along with Flexeril. When I went off it, I felt a little depressed for 2-3 days, that's it. No addiction issues. I now need something stronger, but what a laugh. The FDA and DEA are more interested in getting billions to help addicts than they are in helping the 100 million chronic pain sufferers in the USA."

• Eva...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 29, 2016

Tramadol "I have back pain every day of my life. My doctor prescribed Ultram. I took it for a few weeks, and the pain never subsided at all. This drug is as useful as screen windows in a submarine. And... After I stopped taking it, I had bad withdrawals!! Do not take this drug!!!!!"

• Pan...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• August 4, 2016

"After a 3-month heavy regimen of surgeon-prescribed oxycodone due to a head-on collision, the oxy was replaced with generic tramadol 50 mg, 1-2 tablets every 4-6 hours. At first, I hated it, the numerous side effects caused more suffering than my injuries. I later saw a pain management specialist who lowered the dosage considerably for my 90-lb frame to 25 mg every 8 hrs, and I've had much improvement. My pain is more tolerable, I have no more side effects, nor do I need to sign a waiver to obtain it. Most importantly, I can now function more normally and even drive short distances again. In my case, the correct dosage is the key to success."

• Blo...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 4, 2019

"I have herniated L4-5 with severe spinal stenosis, bone spurs, nerve compression, and other things going on in that region and L3, which is not as severe. No feeling in legs and feet most of the time and have great difficulty walking and maintaining my balance (I use a cane). Tramadol is NOT working (50 mg 3x per day). I have taken a steroid pack and the lowest dose of Percocet, which worked the best, but alas, my last pain management doctor would not prescribe anything. It makes me wish they could feel the pain. Thumbs down to Tramadol."