should i ask for more tramadol?

[tramadolnights]

I was prescribed tramadol for severe pelvic pain, there has been some investigation, some talk of it being endometriosis, noone quite seems to know, the one thing they did know was that it was certainly cyclical, so I have had the implant inserted to try and tackle it. My GP offered me tramadol for the pain which I took over the next 2 months. I have run out now and not gone back for more as I do not get the pelvic pain anymore. However, i seriously would like to go and get some more. I can honestly say I have not felt so happy, capable, full of energy in years as I did when I took this drug. I dont know what is up with me but aside from the pelvic pain, despite the fact I am in my 30's I ache and creak like an old woman, when i get out of bed in the morning my joints hurt, my back hurts, even my feet hurt after a night sleep, it got really bad after the birth of my 3rd child whereby i was hobbling down the stairs in the morning. Taking the tramadol made me leap out of bed early in the morning like I was a kid again really excited about the day. I will admit it gave me a bit of a buzzy feeling by the evening which I liked, and it helped me stop drinking so that probably helped things a bit as well. I actually recently was looking at a website about hypermobility and realised that going by the requirements there are to have it, I do, it felt like a bit of a wow moment because everything i read about it rang true to me, but if I go back to the doctors, it might sound like an excuse to get more? Im not sure what is the best thing to do. Do I put up with the general achiness that Ive had for years or go back for more tramadol. I am very aware of tramadols addictiveness, and when I stopped taking it I certainly did have some very uncomfortable nights with dancing leg syndrome and sleeping felt difficult again but I dont know whats worse. I feel like I was shown what its like to feel normal again, because for years Ive put up with the pain thinking to myself that it cant be normal, and now its been taken away from me...but then again, I dont know if that makes me sound like a junkie!

Please please take my advice.

What you are describing is classic of someone who has this reaction to opiate based or opiate mimicking drugs.

Its a very dangerous reaction in which instead of just having pain relief, you experience euphoria. I have alot of knowledge in this area and know how addictive all these drugs can be. Tramadol is not really something you should be taking long term anyway as it is mentally impairing (you may not think it is but trust me it is).

Its clear from what you have described that you have already experienced some withdrawal. If you go back and get more, you will become fully addicted. Sooner or later your doc will clock on and remove the tablets, and my god will you know about it. Any form of opiate withdrawal is horrific

You should return to your doctor if you have a good relationship. Explain about the creaking joints ect and how you felt so much better in yourself. Try and be honest and get something else that will help you. If you can, explain how these drugs made you feel so that he will not dole them out again. you will be thankfull in the long run. Good luck

I agree. I used to be part of a large marketing team that promoted an opiate and Tramadol is being withdrawn (tried, at least) from lots of trusts because of it's abuse potential.

DON'T get drawn in but go back to your GP to address the issues that you are trying to mask with the euphoric 'high' you get on tramadol. Hope that helps.

Ok, I cant help but feel a bit disappointed as I thought my problems may be solved! Looking more into hte hypermobility and I am certain that I am hypermobile, and one of the methods of pain relief is tramadol. How bad is the long term effects, I dont feel euphoric, I just feel better. What I dont understand is that if it is so addictive why did he prescribe it?!

Having taken tramadol before I can understand why you feel the way you do but I have to agree with the others and think you are best not taking them, especially if you don't need them medically.

Nooooooooooooo!!!

tramadol is very addictive and has other side effects.i have known a couple of patients have rather horrible reactions to this stuff.It is often given as the painkiller of choice before the step up to morphine it is pretty strong stuff.Ok for short term usage but not that good long term.

It's fine for acute pain - that is, pain that diminishes as you heal, but not great for longer chronic conditions - it's the length of time that makes you in danger of addiction. Your body get's 'used' to the drug, you need to take more to feel the same effects and on it goes. Best person to speak to is your GP and be totally, totally honest with him.

I would like to be totally honest with him, but will that make him think i have an addictive personality. It concerns me because I want to work in hte medical profession in hte future and would hate anything on my record to go against me. Are there other drugs that can stop long term pain that isnt addictive? What horrible reactions mavis. What did you have them for sirzy? thank you for all replies, it is very helpful

i cant write 'the' for heavens sake!

I had them for my knee. I have ongoing problems with it and take them when they are at there worse.

I stopped taking them at all when I had DS as I figured the "fuzzy" feeling I got with them wasn't safe for me to use when looking after him. I have spoken to others who didn't get that same (great!) feeling though!

When saying euphoria its not meant in the same way it sometimes is, I dont mean your floating around and dancing like you are on LSD.
The happy feelings ect you described are the reactions some get to opiate drugs, and this makes you much more vulnerable to addiction.

You say it helped you stop drinking, in what way, were you drinking excessively?

Really, if you want to take it for hypermobility or any other long term condition, you need to be aware that it wont be "long term", it will be forever. Because you will never be able to hack the pain of coming off them after years of use. These drugs make you "foggy" as someone has said, impair your mental functions, damage your insides, cause chronic constipation, night sweats, itching skin, the list goes on .......

love the apt username!
I would tell them the difference you felt with tramadol, ask them to test for hypermobility, and see what they can suggest as an alternative to tramadol.

Yes I know it's yummy but you can't take it forever, you just can't. Wouldn't take too long before you got a tolerance, experienced withdrawal quicker and soon you would be taking it just to feel vaguely 'normal' (meaning not suffering awful withdrawal)

I really do know what I am talking about

Oh, Im so confused right now. Part of me is thinking I dont care about he addiction, if I can carry on taking it. It was so nice, my life for a short while felt so much better, I wish it could always feel like that. Not massively happy, just like more rested, more in control and more efficient. I did have side effect of itching, although weirdly it wasnt unpleasant. I could walk up the road at pace and it not hurt, and that was so lovely.
I think I was drinking excessively. I get night panics and palpitations that are very frightening. If Ive had a bottle of wine I just go to sleep and dont notice them. I dont like drinking so much but find it very frightening lying awake having palpitations and trembling (this started before the drinking by the way, its not a result of drinking, I had it all through pregnancy and then for the year after very severely while I was breastfeeding) I found it a lot more bearable while on the tramadol. Really, I just feel like my life feels so hellish when not on it that I may as well be

tramadol nights I do understand what you are saying.

The palpitations ect may well be anxiety, drinking and tramadol would be very enticing if you were a sufferer of anxiety as in the short term they would stop it. you would feel calm and more peaceful.

But look at all the posts. they are there for a reason, this stuff is not an answer. That nice feeling is exactly what makes them so F-ing addictive in the first place. they and others like them, morphine, dihydrocodiene, ect act on your brain in exactly the same way as heroin. And we all know what happens to heroin addicts.

Just one more thing to help you decide.....If you go back and get more tramadol, ill give it about 6 months before you never feel that "nice" feeling again. Your tolerance will build to the point where you no longer get the buzz, you just need it to feel normal. Is it worth it for 6 months?

'we all know what happens to heroin addicts'

Yes they end up on mumsnet advising on addiction ishoos!

Is that a statement or a confession .....

I don't think you should continue taking it. Surely it's more important to find out the cause of your pain rather than using drugs to mask it? I would go back to gp and demand further tests/investigations. Keep demanding until you get the treatment you need.

Hello
I am on tramadol too. For awful arthritis. Quite a lot - 200mg 12 hr slow release.

They don't make me feel brilliant. But they do numb the pain a bit.

Should I ask for something else? Waiting at the mo for humira but meanwhile I can't operate without something pretty heavy duty.

I was prescribed them after a thyroid op went very wrong, had major surgery on my throat whilst fully awake and without pain relief. The tramadol was fantastic. Two years later, I have fibromyalgia, aching bones, sharp pains in my spine, general misery and I take one, maybe once a week, when I really cannot cope.

The reason is, after the first lot, I felt like you, happy to carry on taking them, loving the blissed out feeling and no pain. When I ran out of them, the night sweats, the itching skin, nightmares, constipation and insomnia were just horrific.

Please be very careful. If you are atall worried about your will power, don't take them. The gp needs to help you with your hypermobility better, maybe some physio and amatryptyline or something. Tramadol is just not a long term solution.

thank you everyone, im seeing what you say, am not going to sak for any more. although today i have a horrific pain on my shoulder tip! Im just a bit not right really. I find gp's impossible, they send you for lots of tests but then when the test come back inconclusive nothing happens from there on. I have had lots of tests for things, like the palpitations....this led to me having heart monitors twice but nothing. Ive not said anyhting about the hypermobility yet, its not something I realised I had until a few weeks ago...amazing!
Poor you with arthriits, what is humira...see this is whaat I dont understand. Arthritis is a long term condition so why do they prescribe it if its so addictive? Bonkers if you ask me.

OP your symptoms sound an awful lot like mine and I have fibrommyalgia and Graves disease (thryroid disorder). Especially the stiffness, pain and palpitations. Google fibromyalgia symptoms, see if any of it seems to fit.

I developed this trembling from the neck up whilst I was pregnant 3 years ago, its quite scary and sometimes feels like my heads going to pop. After the birth of my little one, and all the pain and stiffness, cold all the time etc I went to my gp because I also had this feeling of fullness in my throat constantly. He said that I had goiter in my neck (you could see it it was quite pronounced) however, all the tests they did came back negative for anything to do with my thyroid. It comes and goes now but I always know that if I have the hard to swallow feeling then thtas when I also start to gain weight, my skin goes all crepey and the trembling at night gets really bad. Every night I lie in bed thinking that im sure it cant be normal but really dont know what elses to do!

I have the swallowing thing too. It's awful. I had a massive goiter but even though my thyroid has been removed (sub total thyroidectomy) I still have the sensation.

The problem is, when they do the bloods to check thyroid, it can read normal one day, a day later be raised. Those sound like underactive symptoms. Hard to get a diagnosis if you are borderline.

Keep on at them to take bloods more often. Horrible illness, especially the choking feeling.

I have been taking Tramadol for over a year. Not every day but most days for cronic lower back pain following severe SPD with my DS. He will be 2 next month. I use a crutch to walk and sleeping aids so that I can get out of bed and sleep in a position that doesn't hurt as much.

Thing is, they don't really work that well on the pain anymore, my body is used to them.

The next step for me is an epidural into the sight of the pain. Or morphine based drugs.

You need to manage your pain how best suits you, so that you can still function throughout the day. I care for my son full time as he has SN so some options are closed to me.

You can be referred to a pain management clinic by your GP. I also have regular physio and hydrotherapy treatments at a local orthopaedic hospital.

Living with pain, day in, day out is soul destroying but there are options out there. Keep going to see your GP and get as many referrals as you can to help you.

Sorry that you are in so much pain even walking or moving. xx