Tramadol and Headaches: What Users Say

• Jan...
• June 11, 2014

For Pain "I've taken tramadol for 7 years, 50mg once to three times a day. Sometimes go days without it. I find within 20 minutes of taking it my pain is gone. It does not give me a headache, does not make me loopy or sleepy, or even depressed. Not sure why it's classified as a strong pain pill, it just makes joint pain go away and you can function normally."

• Coo...
• February 12, 2016

For Fibromyalgia "I have been diagnosed with fibromyalgia for 14 years. I am sensitive to all the medications usually recommended to treat it: Lyrica, Cymbalta, Savella, amitriptyline, and gabapentin. They all give me agonizing headaches and make my brain feel like it's going to blow up. So my doctor started me on Tramadol 6 years ago, and what an amazing thing, the pain was much better. After all that time, I am now on the maximum dose per day, and I know I am physically dependent. But it is still the only medication that I can take long term that takes the edge off my fibro pain enough for me to function and work full time. I have also developed osteoarthritis, and it helps with that, too. The only NSAID I can tolerate is naproxen."

• Mya...
• March 27, 2008

Tramadol for Pain "I have been diagnosed with fibromyalgia and osteoarthritis, so I am in fairly constant pain. Ultram has really been a lifesaver, allowing me to work and play. Headache is sometimes a problem, but I think almost always in combination with caffeine."

• Jaz...
• October 11, 2020

For Fibromyalgia "Tramadol is the only medication that helps my fibromyalgia and CFS! My weakness is debilitating, and only working part-time, I am able to take one a day before work! It gives me strength in my legs and energy for a few hours! Downside, I can only take one a day, as Tramadol gives me a headache with two! No Drs are educated in this field... at least I found my own help to continue to function and work!!"

• Dee...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• December 16, 2019

For Chronic Pain "I started taking Tramadol intermittently about 6 years ago because I suffer from chronic sinusitis and have these debilitating headaches. I basically live with a headache - wake up with one and go to sleep with one. Tramadol helped with the headaches but never really went away. I've suffered from panic attacks for 20 years and have been on Zoloft for that. I had to up the dose because, 9 years with life changes, etc., depression set in. I battled with it in silence but then realized when I took Tramadol for my headaches, I felt like myself again, so I stopped the Zoloft and started taking Tramadol daily. At first, I was worried because of the risk of addiction, but I have no problem with not taking it. I stopped drinking alcohol completely because that brings on even worse headaches. Tramadol for me has been a lifesaver. It doesn't make me tired or drowsy, and I'll stay on it as long as the doctor prescribes it for me."

• Fis...
• October 11, 2013

For Restless Legs Syndrome "I have been on Tramadol for eight years now and could not function without it. I have uncontrollable movement sometimes all day long if I don't medicate starting when I wake up each day. Presently I have to take the threshold amount of 400mg each day and now I need to take more to control the symptoms but I don't care because it works. I was taking gabapentin as well but it makes me dizzy, gives headaches, and can't stay awake. Prefer tramadol. Worried what I will do when it won't work any longer because of the volume I need to take for effects. My restless legs syndrome is so severe I couldn't live or want to live without a prescription to control it. Such a feeling of nerve pain it is intolerable."

• Ash...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• August 4, 2013

For Pain "More powerful than I thought... Dr. prescribed this to treat scoliosis pain in a 'non-narcotic way'. It helped my back pain greatly. I was also in a great mood in the beginning. I thought it was wonderful (despite a constant minor headache)! As the months went on, I no longer had that wonderful feeling and needed the tramadol to function. NEVER went over prescribed dose (50 mg 3 times per day). When I had to take it at 7:30 am so I could get out of bed at 8:00, I knew it was a problem. Seems you can become dependent without really knowing it. BAD withdrawals that lasted over a month (I was on it 11 months)."

• Bee...
• September 6, 2016

For Chronic Pain "I take this for severe back pain and a herniated disc in my neck. I take them only when I'm out of Percocet. They do nothing for pain. They don't make me tired, high, happy, or reduce any pain. They don't help anything. Sometimes I'll get a headache from them. These are given by doctors too scared of the DEA to actually help people in pain. It's a shame what has happened to the American healthcare system and our government. People who need help can't get it. That's what these pills are, a placebo to not help you."

• Att...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• April 28, 2017

For Depression "Like others, I have had good success with Ultracet (tramadol with acetaminophen) for pain, GAD, and depression. A few weaknesses are 50% of the time I get a small headache. I experience tiredness/fatigue in the morning, and lastly, there is the loss of well-being when the drug wears off. This is part of the 'dependency' (not addiction) that the user has to beware of. But the drug takes the edge off pain, blows away depression for a bit, and reduces anxiety. It's a balance of taking it when I need to but not all the time. It works for me."

• Auz...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• May 8, 2013

For Back Pain "I started taking Tramadol 50 mg twice daily due to disc extrusion and severe leg pain. I am now on 200 mg in the morning and another 200 mg at dinner time. I would not be able to get out of bed if I did not take Tramadol, it's an amazing difference it made also on my leg pain. Some side effects are headaches and drowsiness."

• Che...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• September 15, 2016

For Chronic Pain "Tramadol is my miracle drug! 50 mg 4-6 times a day, but usually only need about 3 for my chronic pain. It doesn't keep me up at night like other opiates (I've tried many others), but what I love most about tramadol is that it isn't as addicting as the other opiate pain meds on the market! Take 1 tramadol, and the pain goes away! Not to mention, it puts me in a great mood-not like a 'high' or euphoria, but almost like what an antidepressant should do-or a mood enhancer. I don't find it addicting as it is extremely mild, but it definitely gets the job done. I've been on it for months, and I'm so glad I asked my doctor to switch me from oxycodone to these. Tramadol also helps with my anxiety too! Only downside is that it gives me headaches sometimes."

• TXm...
• March 17, 2015

For Fibromyalgia "I've not been able to take any of the newer fibro meds. The side effects and reactions were terrible. My doctor is very good to try old-school for me whenever I ask her. First, we tried amitriptyline with no help at all and increased my brain fog. After reading great reviews on here concerning tramadol, we tried that. I had almost immediate results. I've been on it about 2-3 months now and doing very well. It doesn't totally remove the pain, but does take the edge off to help quite a bit. It has also been a great sleep aid if taken about two hours before bedtime. As others have said, I did wake with a headache for the first 3-5 days, but then they stopped. I have zero bad side effects and love being able to take this great old-school med :)"

• Mis...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• August 29, 2012

For Fibromyalgia "My doctor prescribed Tramadol for my fibromyalgia, which I have had for 20 years, about 8 months ago. Over the years, the symptoms have lessened, but some days it is just hard to get up: pain, achy, foggy-headed. I tried the Tramadol, and it killed the pain almost immediately, plus it had an unexpected extra bonus. I have had a lot of foot pain for many years and sometimes could barely hobble around, the pain was gone. I could actually put on shoes and not be in misery. I'm going to London in a few weeks and now don't worry about the tours and being in pain. This medicine is my lifesaver. I have had two bad experiences with it, though both drug interactions with allergy medications: sweating, headache, and vomiting. Take it alone."

• jo ...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 26, 2016

For Back Pain "I've been on Tramadol for 6 months for back pain. I can't take narcotics like codeine, oxycodone, etc., as they make me terribly dizzy and nauseous, as well as give me pounding headaches. But I can take Tramadol without any of those effects. Tramadol also doesn't give me a 'high' like many painkillers, so I'm never tempted to take extra just to get a buzz. I've been afraid to go beyond the 150 mg/day prescribed by my doc, but there are days when 150 just doesn't feel like enough, so I need to talk to my doc about an increase at times. Overall, this med does a fair job at controlling chronic pain without causing side effects. It's worth trying to see if it will work for you."

• OGi...
• February 11, 2015

Tramadol for Chronic Pain "Could not stay on Norco long term. Tried the IR, Tramadol, but it did nothing. The Tramadol ER was very, very different and works wonderfully. I rarely experience head pain over a 3-4 pain scale. I take this daily, every morning, 100 mg."

• Mun...
• October 26, 2015

For Restless Legs Syndrome "I have had RLS since I was a child, they didn't know what it was then and called it 'growing pains.' I would cry when it rained or was cold, my legs would hurt so bad. Then, 15 years ago, as an adult, I was given Ultram for a neck injury [three ruptured discs], and my RLS just vanished. I couldn't believe it! At first, I kept waiting for it to come back, but it didn't. Now I take tramadol 100 mg three times a day for nerve pain and RLS, and it completely controls the symptoms without obnoxious side effects [like nausea, vomiting, insomnia, and sinusitis from Requip, loss of coordination and falling from gabapentin, headaches, blurred vision, nausea, and flank pain from Lyrica-ugh, those drugs were awful!] I sleep well now and feel rested."

• Rai...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 8, 2019

For Pain "My doctor prescribed Tramadol for my endometriosis pain. Typically, I use NSAIDs, but they've damaged the lining of my stomach, so while I'm waiting for that to heal, Tramadol is my painkiller. Overall, I have found it effective at decreasing pain levels, often to the point where I don't feel any pain at all. It's also fairly fast-acting, usually feel a difference between 30-60 minutes. However, I have also experienced blurred vision, brain fog, headache, severe sedation, slurred speech, nausea, and fainting while using this drug. (This last seems to settle if I eat something.) On the plus side, there's no itchiness, which I usually experience while taking a narcotic."

• Ric...
• April 2, 2017

For Fibromyalgia "Twenty-plus years with fibromyalgia and depression. Pristiq works best as my antidepressant. Tramadol is very helpful for early morning stiffness and muscle pain. It takes about 30 minutes to work. Northstar manufacturer capsule does not allow me to nap in the afternoon for some reason, which I like and is my only (positive) side effect. Zydus manufacture pill makes me sleepy by afternoon and gives me a headache. I would advise trying different manufacturers, although the inactive ingredients don't seem to be very different. I wonder about that. I was four years on oxycodone 10 mg, and although I was able to work, it definitely had more of a 'narcotic' effect and was not as helpful as tramadol. I am not susceptible to addiction and had no trouble withdrawing from oxycodone."

• Reb...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 4, 2019

Tramadol for Pain "Years ago, I used Ultram for migraines, and one day took more than 2 in a smaller period of time and had a seizure. Scariest thing ever. Thankfully, I had a great neurologist who knew it was this medication, and I stopped immediately. Never had another. The medicine was decent, though, while I had taken it, and it didn’t make me feel like I was taking a prescription pain reliever. (If anything, it has the feeling of too much caffeine.) Just be careful on dosage."

• 123...
• January 9, 2017

For Fibromyalgia "Switching to tramadol has given me my life back. My pain is not gone, but it no longer is a significant interference in my day-to-day life. I had previously been on about 100 mg of codeine/day for a year prior, and it had not even compared to the relief tramadol gives me. It also helps when I have tension headaches. I've been on 50-100 mg/day for about 9 months now, with minor tolerance buildup since the first month. No withdrawal effects if I go off of it for a few days, either. No noticeable side effects, though I'm lucky in that I don't frequently have bad side effects."

• Tra...
• March 28, 2008

For Pain "Good med for moderate pain and can help with anxiety, but will cause headaches and constipation, but not as bad as opiates. The #1 problem is if you have to stop, then you MUST taper off over weeks, especially if taking a high dose over 200 mg a day or for more than 2 weeks, or you will experience some wild withdrawals, like not sleeping and tingling down to the tips of your fingers and other horrible feelings. If you're lucky to have it, you can take the drug LYRICA, and it will stop most of the withdrawals, especially the nerve tingling."

• Bet...
• December 29, 2019

For Pain "Tramadol was prescribed by the orthopedic surgeon who fixed my knee in 2011. He guaranteed it would not cause constipation or addiction. While it was helpful for the surgical pain to some degree, it wasn't enough to allow me to complete physical therapy. It gave me abdominal pain and a permanent megacolon with constipation. It gave me headaches and increased my shoulder pain. Never lowered pain from arthritis/fibromyalgia better than 9 down to 7. I quit that awful drug in 2014 on my own, and the detox was horrific."

• Maj...
• July 9, 2015

Tramadol for Pain "I just started this med yesterday for osteoarthritis and fibromyalgia. After reading the other comments, my experience is pretty normal. I'm itching like crazy, had a bad night-no rest, nausea, and mild headache. With all those side effects, it appears to have knocked off the edge of the pain. I will continue using it for a few days if I can handle the itching. I want to give it some time because I cannot use narcotics. I end up in the hospital with dehydration from vomiting when I use any narcotics."

• Lon...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• December 1, 2016

For Back Pain "I have been taking tramadol for over 10 years now. I take 2 50 mg pills 3x a day. I have found a huge difference in the generics. I thought Mylan was the best, but the last few months something has changed. It's almost like the Mylan pills are fake. They don't work at all. They only give me a headache. I used to take Amneal until those stopped working. So this month I went to a different pharmacy and got the Zydus brand even though I have read bad reviews of Zydus brand tramadol. After 1 hour of taking my first dose, it was like night and day. These work great. It was almost like the first time I took hydrocodone. I had little pain, my pain went from an 8 to a 2. I don't take these to get high, but I had a warm fuzzy itch all over my body."

• MDM...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• April 12, 2018

For Back Pain "Was given this pain killer by my doctor due to a back injury. The doctor didn't really tell me much, just said it was a good pain reliever. Taking 8x50mg daily, the pain reduced, but felt that I was becoming dependent. If I missed a dose or was running late, I would start to feel sick. After 6 months, I have now started to reduce tramadol. PLEASE - If you can find another pain killer able to manage your symptoms, use it. Tramadol is difficult to stop. The withdrawal coming off tramadol is terrible. No sleep, diarrhea, dizziness, restless legs, cramps, sweats, unable to function, headaches. Tramadol is really not worth taking when you weigh up the pain relief and the withdrawal. AWFUL. PLEASE SPEAK TO YOUR DR OR PHARMACIST ABOUT THIS DRUG BEFORE STARTING. EVEN IF THEY SUGGEST IT, GET ANOTHER OPINION. I feel like an illegal drug addict trying to stop this."