Anyone on Tramadol please?

[MedusaIsHavingaBadHairday]

I have diverticultis and am currently having a hideous painful flare up with a partial bowel obstruction and general pain.(Although I am also being sent back to gastro docs to check for Crohns too)
I'm on antibiotics and have been prescribed tramadol for the severe pain I'm in.

I'm a bit worried about taking it.. I don't need constipation as that makes the pain worse, but I do need pain relief. I have taken one tablet and currently feel a bit nauseous and spaced out. Will this wear off? I have to drive to work on Monday if I possibly can be well enough.

I can't take codeine as that makes me very sick and also stops my bowels completely.. so my options are a bit limited.

Has anyone taken tramadol, and especially for Diverticultis/IBD? Thanks.

I've often wondered if Tramadol wasn't invented to make people with what they're pleased to call "mild to moderate pain" decide that actually they prefer the pain thank you very much.

IME Tramadol is vile. Nausea, dizziness, heavy headed spaced out misery. The few times I've had to take it (for different reasons) I could scarcely walk, wouldn't have left the house and couldn't have considered driving. And I'm afraid I don't remember these effects diminishing over time.

I do sympathise with anyone suffering badly enough to need them - but personally I found clamouring for surgery was preferable.

I would certainly not drive whilst taking it. It makes me vomit and spaces me out. I can't work without pain relief, but can't work whilst taking tramadol either. Horribly addictive too, you'll get withdrawal when you stop taking it.

I would go back and discuss it again.

I've taken tramadol lots of time for a spinal condition and, unlike cocodamol, didn't find anything unpleasant about it and it was good for the pain. Just my experience

Wow QoK - you must have a metabolism of steel!

Some people are fine on it others are not. Dizziness and nausea were enough for dr to take me off it. Have you tried v high dose of paracetamol and Ibruprofen (1000mg and 600mg)? I find that this works well with a top up of Oromorph when really needed - but this is for lower spine problems. You will struggle to find any strong enough pain killer that won't have some effect on bowel movements. Just keep your liquids up and take a prescribed laxative.

I took three Tramadol tablets over the course of several hours, nausea and feelings of being spaced out. The next day was horrendous I was very sick and ill. I would say since you are already feeling sick not to take any more today.

Tramadol works well for me - on high, non SR doses it can make me a bit sleepy, but not spaced out. I've been taking it (not continuously, just when I really can't cope) for 4 years now

I took one last week for post op pain - had no side effects, but also didn't touch my pain.

My sister takes it for IBS pain - it makes her very nauseous and spaced out but works better than anything else for her pain. She doesn't take it if she has to drive.

I hate it

It makes me extremely sick, dizzy, and hallucinate. Also have heart palpitations on it. Vile stuff.

Ive taken tramadol previously for pain for a spinal condition, yes to begin with it makes you spaced out BUT you do fairly quickly begin to have a tolerance towards it. Ive taken 400mg per day previously of it and am now on more drugs that could sink an elephant.
It will wear off but will make you spaced out and wobbly/sleepy for a while whilst you take it. Good for pain though.

Take some senna tablets for bowels.

I'm on Tramadol, I have the 50mg tablets and am supposed to take up one or two up to 4 times a day. I have been known to purposely take more than that when the only alternative is a visit to A&E for IV medication.
I hate them. They make me very nauseous and wobbly. I've been prescribed cyclizine which helps a bit with the 'sicky' feeling, so you could ask your doctor to maybe give you those.
I don't dare to drive on them though, last time I tried, a few weeks ago, I felt very unsafe & had several near misses - almost reversed into one man & couldn't park properly or work out how far from the kerb to drive. It scared me & I haven't driven since.
My tolerance has definitely gone up, one 50mg tablet used to knock my kidney pain on the head no problem, now, 400mg a day isn't really touching it.
When I started on them I was pretty constipated, I used to eat prunes & liquorice like they were going out of fashion! The constipating effects have worn off somewhat now.
In short, they're a brutal but fairly effective short term painkiller but they do render you a bit nauseous, wobbly & unable to function.
Can you try Naproxen or diclofenac? I have diclofenac suppositories which work quite well. But you can only have one a day!
Hope you feel better soon.

According to a friend it can interact badly with some antidepressants. Coming off the tramadol can precipitate a load of unpleasant symptoms (flu- like and psychological distress), so careful if you're taking anti-depressants.

I can't take Naproxen or Ibruprofen or any of those NSAIDS as they make the diverticultis flares worse:( but the Tramadol constipation probelsma re not brilliant for me already having a partial obstruction due to strictures :( Guess I will double up the movicol, add some senna and see what happens. So far the one dose has made me feel a little nauseous and very spaced out but it has taken the edge off the pain..just a little. No anti depressants here luckily, but I am on gabapentin also for Trigeminal neuralgia.

I want a refund on my body!! It is rubbish :D

Thank you for the replies though.. gps don't tend to explain much!

I would be careful taking senna if you haven;t used it before,it gives me the most horrendous cramps and pain and makes my intestines bleed, it works by irritating the lining of the bowel - which may not be suitable for you with your medical condition. It might be fine - but I wanted to warn you of my experience, as I'd hate for you to end up feeling worse.

I would stick to movicol which you are used to, and up the dose.

It knocks me for six,I definitely wouldn't drive taking it. In fact the only way I could take it was to take it and go to bed.

I havent had issues with the senna on tge other hand,im on gabapentin too although taperjng off as ive been on 1800mg per day for too long and its not working that much im switching to pregablin, v nervous. Good luck with it all

Made me vague and talk even more repetitive rubbish than usual

Coming off them I felt very edgy and twitchy especially at night when trying to sleep.

They did work for severe pain though.

I had Tramadol for when I broke my leg. It sent me to sleep, and I certainly wouldn't drive using it. My df has it prescribed, and won't drive whilst on Tramadol.

Read the instructions, it specifically says not to drive.

Medusa, dh and I often joke about trying to get a refund on my body too! If you're successful, let me know!

I use tramadol every day, I don't get any side effects, but I 'moved up' from less powerful pain killers.

I was on it once for about three days due to hideous (ended up in hospital) tooth pain after a slightly botched extraction. It was the only thing that touched the pain! Wasa absolutely fine and didn't feel unpleasant (or particularly pleasant) at all - just got rid of the pain. Wouldn't have chosen to drive on it though.

Piglet, me too,I had to come off them gradually over a month. I'd only been on them 3 weeks and was completely hooked, the sweats/shakes /anxiety etc the lot!! I was like something out of Trainspotting

I found them good for pain relief and no side effects ( also less constipating than codeine)

However stopping taking them was horrendous!

Another here who was spaced out in the early days and did find the last one difficult to kick at night time.

However it was an amazing pain reliever. Life changing. Let me sleep. I didn't drive on it for the first couple of weeks but everyone is different, and the spacey feeling did largely wear off.