Tramadol Experience

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Stainless
Posts: 274
Joined: Tue Dec 01, 2015 9:30 pm

Tramadol Experience

Post by Stainless »

My neurologist gave me a script for 50 or 100 mg of Tramadol. I tried it a few nights, didn’t feel any different except some insomnia and all day mild headache that wouldn’t go away with Tylenol or Advil. One time the headache lasted two days. I only tried it 4 times, 3 at the low dose. He added this to Clonazepam and Lyrica I’m already on. I am seeing another neurologist to get a second opinion this month but do not expect much.

My RLS has evolved to bad PLM while I sleep. I wake in pain up like I’ve run a marathon. I can sleep and am not tired for some reason. I don’t nap or I wake in pain. Once I get up and around the legs get better but feeling does not just go away like it used to.

Is anyone using Tramadol successfully? I see neurologist next week. Once he takes it off the list we don’t go back there. Out of options. Thx Rick

Rustsmith
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Posts: 6476
Joined: Sat Sep 28, 2013 9:31 pm
Location: Colorado Springs, Colorado

Re: Tramadol Experience

Post by Rustsmith »

I have been switching between tramadol and methadone for several years now. I switch because each eventually causes unacceptable side effects so my doctor has agreed to allow me to swap between them when needed. When I am on tramadol, I take the ER form so that I only need to take it once a day (like methadone).

I found that tramadol is weak enough that I need to be near the max dose instead of the absolute minimum for methadone. I take 200mg/day (the limit is 400mg). As for as I am concerned, there are two issues with tramadol for me. The first is that I haven't found a doctor yet you understands that it is both an opioid and an SNRI anti-depressant. This is important because stopping it abruptly not only causes opioid withdrawal (which I can tolerate for a day), but it can also cause a condition known variously as Serotinin Withdrawal or SNRI Withdrawal Syndrome. This is very similar to having PTSD for several months (nightmares, extreme anxiety and depression, restlessness akin to RLS). The only way to treat it is with an anti-depressant and I do not respond to anti-depressants.

The other side effect is limited to men. Another use for tramadol is to treat premature ejaculation. If you do not have PE, it still reduces sensitivity and causes problems. I only found this out during a visit to a urologist. It would not be an understatement to say that I wasn't pleased after suffering for months.
Steve

https://www.mayoclinicproceedings.org/a ... 0/fulltext
Opinions presented by Discussion Board Moderators are personal in nature and do not, in any way, represent the opinion of the RLS Foundation, and are not medical advice.

QyX

Re: Tramadol Experience

Post by QyX »

Tramadol is the worst opioid to take for RLS. See if you can get a script for Codeine or Dihydrocodeine. Codeine is just about as potent as Tramadol and Dihydrocodeine twice as strong.

If you are already used to Clonazepam, a low dose of Tramadol might not do much for your RLS anymore.

What made your doctor add the Tramadol?

Stainless
Posts: 274
Joined: Tue Dec 01, 2015 9:30 pm

Re: Tramadol Experience

Post by Stainless »

Thx for the response QyX. I’m getting significant and sometimes severe pain particularly during sleep even on Clonazepam and Lyrica. I wake up like in pain during the night and the next morning. Sometimes it’s like needles, sometimes like running a very long distance and sometimes it’s like getting hit by a baseball in both thighs. Then as the morning goes on it usually subsides in a few hours but sometimes lasts all day. Then the next night I go through it again only different symptoms. The Tramadol gave me all day headaches so that didn’t last long. Now we’re trying something else. We are only trying to address the pain because we have no idea how to reduce the RLS / PLM.

Yankiwi
Posts: 548
Joined: Wed Sep 10, 2014 7:20 am
Location: West Coast, South Island, New Zealand

Re: Tramadol Experience

Post by Yankiwi »

I took 100mg slow release Tramadol at bed time for years. About a year ago I had acute kidney failure due to a botched prescription. The kidney failure came on slowly and I was not aware of it, then quickly as too much calcium built up in my bloodstream. By the time I knew what was happening I was literally near death and in hospital for five days. Immediately the hospital specialist took me off of Tramadol because it affects kidneys in peculiar ways. He said it is a very dirty drug and other doctors have said the same thing. The slow release worked well for my RLS but not wanting more problems I have stayed off it.

Stainless
Posts: 274
Joined: Tue Dec 01, 2015 9:30 pm

Re: Tramadol Experience

Post by Stainless »

Thanks Yankiwi. I think Tramadol is in my rear view mirror too.

QyX

Re: Tramadol Experience

Post by QyX »

Stainless wrote:
Wed Apr 14, 2021 12:43 am
Thx for the response QyX. I’m getting significant and sometimes severe pain particularly during sleep even on Clonazepam and Lyrica. I wake up like in pain during the night and the next morning. Sometimes it’s like needles, sometimes like running a very long distance and sometimes it’s like getting hit by a baseball in both thighs. Then as the morning goes on it usually subsides in a few hours but sometimes lasts all day. Then the next night I go through it again only different symptoms. The Tramadol gave me all day headaches so that didn’t last long. Now we’re trying something else. We are only trying to address the pain because we have no idea how to reduce the RLS / PLM.
I see. Something like 5 mg of Oxycodone probably would work best in this situation then.

Good thing you are finished with the Tramadol.

What does your doctor want to try now? Will he even be open to a more potent opioid?

When he is already prescribing Clonazepam + Lyrica, that is already quite a combination. So I would not be surprised if he would consider it an option.

SherrieLynn
Posts: 1
Joined: Thu Apr 01, 2021 3:42 pm

Re: Tramadol Experience

Post by SherrieLynn »

My neurologist in Florida won’t prescribe any opioids for RLS saying they are just too bad for you, too addictive, blah, blah, blah. I moved from another state that did give me Tramadol and it worked for me. There aren’t any other drugs I can take that are on the market now for RLS that work for me. They either do nothing or just kick the RLS up. I can take the Neupro patch every once in a while for about three days before it stops working.
Luckily I have a bad back and can’t take Ibuprofen so I have a pain management doctor prescribe Tramadol but now reading this I’m wondering if I should see about changing it to methadone? I don’t want codeine because I hate the side effects. I heard methadone doesn’t really have any side effects. Is this true? What are the long term effects?

Rustsmith
Moderator
Posts: 6476
Joined: Sat Sep 28, 2013 9:31 pm
Location: Colorado Springs, Colorado

Re: Tramadol Experience

Post by Rustsmith »

There are many people with severe RLS who take methadone for many years without increasing the dose or having side effects. Unfortunately, I am not one of them. After about six months, methadone starts causing me to be depressed. I switched to tramadol ER and then started experiencing side effects after about a year. So I worked out a plan with my doctor where I will periodically switch between them. Tramadol for a while and then methadone until I start feeling down and then back to tramadol. The only problem with this is that stopping tramadol is more difficult than other opioids because it is also an anti-depressant. That aspect requires a taper rather than a straight out replacement with methadone.
Steve

https://www.mayoclinicproceedings.org/a ... 0/fulltext
Opinions presented by Discussion Board Moderators are personal in nature and do not, in any way, represent the opinion of the RLS Foundation, and are not medical advice.

ViewsAskew
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Posts: 16570
Joined: Thu Oct 28, 2004 6:37 am
Location: Los Angeles

Re: Tramadol Experience

Post by ViewsAskew »

SherrieLynn wrote:
Fri May 07, 2021 2:15 pm
My neurologist in Florida won’t prescribe any opioids for RLS saying they are just too bad for you, too addictive, blah, blah, blah. I moved from another state that did give me Tramadol and it worked for me. There aren’t any other drugs I can take that are on the market now for RLS that work for me. They either do nothing or just kick the RLS up. I can take the Neupro patch every once in a while for about three days before it stops working.
Luckily I have a bad back and can’t take Ibuprofen so I have a pain management doctor prescribe Tramadol but now reading this I’m wondering if I should see about changing it to methadone? I don’t want codeine because I hate the side effects. I heard methadone doesn’t really have any side effects. Is this true? What are the long term effects?
As Steve said, there are always outliers. Most people do not have tolerance with methadone...but I do. Do still be careful with it and know that you may have itching, tolerance, or other issues - but likely you will not. Just pay casual attention, keep your dose as low as possible, and likely all will be fine. If not, we're always here to help.
Ann - Take what you need, leave the rest

Managing Your RLS

Opinions presented by Discussion Board Moderators are personal in nature and do not, in any way, represent the opinion of the RLS Foundation, and are not medical advice.

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