Tramadol - Angel or Devil

I took Tramadol post-op for a few days in hospital and thought it was the most wonderful thing ever. That was over 14 years ago.
After recent surgery I was prescribed codeine which I refused to take as it is far more addictive- luckily paracetomol did the trick which is not addictive, has no side effects if you follow the guidelines, and is very cheap.
Unfortunately it is often not enough for really severe pain.
I know I was on a thread recently about the over-prescribing of drugs on the NHS and patients accessing repeat prescriptions long term which may no longer be suitable.
Accessing the drugs and alcohol service is the go-to option for GPs in this situation, maybe you could give them a try?
As you say, anyone can become addicted and I think warning people about this is a very laudable thing to do.

A Nursing chum, needed a Hip replacement.. She got it done, but it took her over 6 months to come off the Tramadol post op, she really struggled.

I was given it after surgery. I'm sure it's why I was hallucinating every time I closed my eyes. Weird, colourful spinning circles. I can't say I enjoyed it much.

DH had them for severe back pain. He didn't have the same side effect.

I was prescribed it for my hip pain I took one and I was out of it for nearly 20 hrs, I just couldn’t wake up it was awful I’d never take it again. I can imagine it could be dangerous and addictive.

MissOops was prescribed this after an op, she had the most awful withdrawal symptoms, she has said she will never take it again.
Her GP wants her to take it for her Erosive Arthritis but she refuses, there is no cure and she could potentially be on it for life.

I was prescribed it and it gave me the worse headache I had ever had and it gave me the sensation that the room kept spinning. It didn't help the pain. My friend hallucinate on it but it was fabulous for the pain. Another friend took it and it was good for thr pain but no difficulty coming off she just stopped. Other people have needed mo the of slowly cutting down.
It is certainly one of those drugs that seems to affect people very differently.

It makes me really sick, I was given it for the pain of a badly broken wrist. I preferred the pain.

I took three doses of it after I had my second trapeziectomy done. I found it very good for pain relief, but it made me feel terribly sick and gave me horrendous constipation. I stopped taking it. I’ve still got the box somewhere in my cupboard.

Agree with you 100% DecoDiva. I was given Tramadol for disc trouble about 12 years ago. It helped the pain and also gave me energy (that I couldn’t use because of my back) but also took away my appetite. I lost two stone in a few months. I decided to stop taking it once my back started to improve and told my GP (back in the day when you could go in person to see one, the same one) and she said oh you’ll need them, I’ll leave them on repeat. I knew I needed to stop taking them so I cut down by taking one less tablet twice a week, then three less the next week and so on. I didn’t feel a thing when I finished taking them which I attribute to cutting down slowly.

tanith

I was prescribed it for my hip pain I took one and I was out of it for nearly 20 hrs, I just couldn’t wake up it was awful I’d never take it again. I can imagine it could be dangerous and addictive.

Exactly the same for me tanith it was scary. Tramodol is prescribed a lot here in France, I always refuse it now.

I was given one after my hip op , luckily I wasn’t sleepy and managed to tell the nurse I couldn’t cope with it , unless she wanted me to be rambling all night , it’s a dreadful feeling taking this drug

One of our GPs calls them the devil's own pills . Other GPs prescribe them .

I wouldn’t advise anyone to take tramadol. I took it for about five years for back pain and finally had spinal surgery. I took it after that for the pain following the surgery and found it so difficult to come off it. Terrible withdrawal symptoms. It took months to finally get off it. I would never take it again.

Took two for a bad back , horrendous, hallucinations , fever , shakes , dreadful experience , never again !

I have been on Tramadol for many years now, 2, 4 times a day.
A few years ago I was in hospital for a suspected stroke and because I was having trouble swallowing I couldn't take them, l was going crazy with leg pains and shakes, thankfully I was eventually given them.
After leaving I had an appointment with a neurologist who badly told me off for taken them for too long and taking another one of my tablets along with them, said they had given me brain damage.

I had morphine after my gall bladder op in hospital, but it honestly didn’t seem to do very much. I was given Oramorph when they wanted me to start walking, and it felt like magic, being able to walk without any pain!

I was recently offered amitryptyline by the GP for chronic pain, but refused it as I’d had it before to help with what turned out to be arthritic pain, and it messed up my head completely. I had really bad brain fog, and felt as if I could hardly think straight at all. My arthritis became very painful about a year ago, and the GP prescribed codeine to have with paracetamol for more effective pain relief. I’m very wary about the addictive properties of codeine, and space it out so I’m not continually on it.

I’ve never had tramadol, I’d try it if the pain was bad enough, but I’d be wary, like I am with codeine.

Just as a matter of interest are you taking one or two on those occasions? Ive tried 2 which the gp recommended but i felt nauseous and also very very parched. I take one 3/4 times a day to get through the pain of osteoarthritis and tennis elbow

I was prescribed tramadol for a back injury a few years ago. They worked well on the pain but I suffered the most horrendous nightmares. They were truly horrific and left me feeling very shaken. I stopped after a couple of days and the doctor prescribed co codamol. Thankfully I only needed to take them for three weeks and so never felt dependent.

I totally agree my DF was prescribed Tramodol by his GP after taking them he started to become really ill. His Gp insisted nothing to do with the Tramadol. He had to be admitted to hospital due to this medication. I was told by the Medics we don’t prescribe that medication in here!

I am so sorry to hear you have had such a rough time.

For me the answer is it's the devil.

I broke a vertebra in my lower back which set me up for 7 years of pain. At one point I was put onto Tramadol and Valium together. The result was spectacularly bad. I have never felt so awful. I stopped after 4 days.

Think carefully before taking it.

After I broke my hip I was given cocodamol for the pain, I was prescribed up to eight a day, although I never took quite that much. I started to reduce them over a week or so when I noticed the persistant cough I have had for 10 years started to come back. I spoke to my GP about it as I needed another course of steroids, and he told me codeine was a cough suppressant and advised me to continue with the cocodamol as it was preferable to frequent steroid courses that I had been taking. Since that I have taken 2 cocodamol a day for the cough, I have never felt the need to take more and have now been on them almost 2 years with no ill efffects and no steroids.
Some years ago I was on morphine patches for spinal problems for a couple of years but stopped them because of the digestive problems they caused. I never had any withdrawal symptoms from that either, It seems I can manage to not become addicted to any drugs I've ever needed to take so I suppose I'm quite lucky.

I don’t think I’ve ever taken tramadol, but after surgery for a badly broken ankle, I was given cocodamol three times a day for the week I was in hospital. It completely took away the pain, and although I was given more to take home I didn’t take them. I had no withdrawals at all, but they turned my bowels to concrete, something I was quite grateful for at the time as I was on total bed rest!

I was given Tramadol after hip operations and strangely, it did nothing - not much pain relief and no other adverse effects - so pretty useless- 😂😂for me anyway. I was fine with codeine - no addiction and works well - have to take lactulose of course - at the same time.

my husband almost died when he was given tramadol after a replacement hip operation in a private London hospital. His bp went so low that the emergency team rushed in.

Later I got him a warning wrist band so people would know

Tramadol is the devil