Tramadol..

[KissMyFatArse]

Does anyone have any experience of tramadol? I know common side affects are drowsiness, knocking people off to sleep etc but I think I'm having the opposite.

Cannot sleep and really itchy? Maybe just a coincidence tonight but has anyone else had problems sleeping when using this?

Apparently the itching is a common side effect - try an antihistamine with it (but check with a pharmacist that it is ok to use with the tramadol and any other meds you are taking)

Insomnia is not a listed side-effect, but is sometimes seen in patients who took high doses, long term use and during withdrawal. I suspect this is not the case here. Are you taking any other medication? Ask your pharmacist if there are any drug interactions that could be causing the insomnia. They will at least point you back to your GP if there is no obvious cause of the insomnia.

I also take solpadol but occasionally need to use tramadol instead. I'll check with pharmacist tomorrow (in morning now!) and see what they say as think this has happened a couple of times before when using tramadol but as you say insomnia isn't a side affect I've read about with tramadol so I'll pop into chemist in morning. Thanks for replying.

Yes, I know someone on here who gets 'wired' by tramadol if she takes it too late. It sometimes gives me disturbed sleep or psychedelic dreams but not so much any more.

Itching is common in opiods, I'm not sure an antihistamine helps much IME. I've had it with other meds though not tramadol.

Matilda yeah that's how Id describe the feeling, wired!.

I suppose it's something I'll just accept as its a brilliant painkiller and that's the important bit. Thanks for replying

I guess this doesn't count in the middle of the night but tramadol makes me way too chatty. Even when I know I can't stop myself.

Does codeine not help the pain as an alternative?

I used to take Tramadol and even the slow release ones kept me awake. Codeine made me dopey and didn't do much for the pain.

I took tramadol recently on an empty stomach and spent the entire day dizzy and throwing up bile it was awful. Nobody had any sickness ? Apparently they're renowned for it. Codeine is now my pain killer of choice.

I use solpadol which is cocodemol and paracetamol at the high dosage but that doesn't help when the pain is getting really bad, the tramadol is better then, just apart from keeping me awake!

My mind goes into overdrive and I feel wide awake in my head even tho my body is physically exhausted

Do you mind telling us the nature of your pain? Solpadol sounds as if you are buy it OTC? Judicious med mixing can be far more effective for pain control than big doses of one thing. And trying to prevent yourself from getting to the pain peak in the first place says the woman who tries and fails at this despite having done the courses and read the books.

Not he solpadol is prescribed because I don't think you can buy that strength otc? It's the 30/500mg.

I have a stomach condition called Gastroparesis where part of my stomach doesn't work and makes me sick when I eat too much or fatty/high fibre foods. That along with IBS makes me get unbearable stomach spasms and pain.

Have been prescribed tramadol and solpadol to use alternatively but really only use the tramadol when it's gets too much.

I really sympathise, chronic pain sucks. I don't know anything about your condition so please feel free to ignore but codeine must surely make any bowel problems even worse? Would diazepam help as an antispasmodic? It sometimes saves me when my back has truly seized up.

As I say please do ignore.

I get the exact symptoms with tramadol. Its annoying because I have to take them at night when the pains worse. I didn't manage to get to sleep till four last night.

Hate Tramadol. I had meningitis (which was grim) and which was diagnosed via a badly executed lumbar puncture (much more grim). The resulting pain in my head meant that for 5 weeks, if I so much as tried to lift my head off the pillow, I passed out from the pain.

I was given Tramadol and spent night after night, lying awake, hallucinating. It was terrifying. In the end,might went for a less potent pain relief as I hated it so much.

Matilda yeah it's not great for the bowels that's true but I also use movical regularly to combat any issues.

At least I'm not alone with the side affects! It's hard one because it's such a good painkiller but the sleeping issue is a killer. I didn't get to sleep till 10am this morning. Thank god wasn't working today and DS at school but even when I do eventually drift off its a disturbed sleep?? Not sleeping threw and weird images/visions/dreams.

Thank god I don't need to use it that much.

you talking 'bout me matilda? I get wired on tramadol. it makes me ultra awake, like 'ping!' awake, can't take it passed 2pm or so, else it keeps me awake for hours at night. If I take it at say 5pm onwards, it's night over for me.

I don't get itching, but I do get more cleaning done , which is not necessarily great. It makes me talk far too much, which is also not great, as I talk a lot anyway.

If I take more than my usual dose, I get a woozy feeling, slow motion movement type thing and feel disoriented, but it never ever puts me to sleep.

I know lots of people get itching with opiate based meds though, so that's not unusual.

I take slow (modified) release tramadol in the morning as the side effects are more gentle, less seesawing of up/down, and then top up as required at 2pm with normal release. After than, I switch to codeine as although that also doesn't put me to sleep it doesn't wire me as much.

slightly oh no, CSF leak? Sounds like it, I had that post spinal surgery in January, but luckily for me, the sickness/headache etc lasted for a week or so and only had huge tiredness after that.

It might be worth asking your doc to try the modified release tramadol, if you have to take it at night, it might be more gentle on the sleep issue and work the whole way through. Although, problem is, side effects ease with regular use, so if you use it sporadically, the side effects may always be a problem.

I also wonder if diazepam would work for stomach spasms? It's a muscle relaxant, and it will not cause the same problems with sleep as tramadol. It's gentle on the stomach I think, unlike NSAID anti inflammatories. Tramadol is a great pain reliever, but it blocks the pain, rather than deals with it, unlike meds like diazepam which actually 'do' something. Might be worth mentioning to GP for discussion, especially if you only need to take it occasionally.