Anyone have any experience with Tramadol pain medication?

[RogerDat]

Ahhh hard to take a leak. Reminds me of the definition of old guy. Hair is getting thinner as prostate is getting fatter. I get drowsy after taking Tramadol. But then I take it when the pain is worse and that is usually from being too active so tend to be pretty whipped anyway. Drive to doctors is 20 miles, sitting in lobby waiting, then sitting in exam room, then 20 mile drive back. The car ride is the worst. Riding in the car the muscles of the lower back are constantly flexing to accommodate movement. That would be the muscles they cut for surgery so it really irritates things.

Get home from that and I'm in pain and pretty tired out so the two together mean nap time attacks.

[gatortommy]

With all that stuff, the less you can take the better.

[Lloyd Smale]

well ive been taking it for about a week now. Had another bad back flare up and found out from ct scans that I have 5 new bulged discs. I told the doctor no narcotics. I don't like the way they make me feel and the terrible constipation. After a week ill say this. Do they help? yes. Are they as good as narcotics? I don't know. I guess id have to take both at the same time to compare. Do they alleviate the pain? No. They take the edge off but just like narcotics if taken in the prescription dose levels (not the hospital levels) they don't eliminate REAL pain. Id say I was happy with the results if it weren't for the fact that they constipate me as much as the narcotics. Doctor prescribed some laxative yesterday but I'm about sure that's going to be one of those ticking time bomb things like most laxitives are. I even tried stool softeners and they didn't help @@@@ I don't know whats worse the pain or the constipation! Doctor said maybe with time my body would adjust to them and id be regular again but the opiates never did.

[TexasGrunt]

As far as the constipation. Eat a big bowl of raisin bran for breakfast. Eat an apple or two every day. Take senna two senna tablets twice a day.

I'm currently taking 45 mg of morphine SA twice a day. I've also had 35 radiation treatments for prostate cancer which also affects the area around the rectum.

By following the above I rarely have any constipation. The key is LOTS of fiber and LOTS of water to help the fiber.

[Lloyd Smale]

I do eat a bowl of raisin bran every morning and do eat at least one apple a day. I also take a couple stool softeners every day. Must just be my system. Maybe too like the doc said if id give it a chance maybe my system would level out after a while.

[RogerDat]

Yeah people are different. Same drug that will help one person a whole bunch won't touch another persons pain. Or drugs to treat anything for that matter, some people get a lot of improvement, others not as much, and some get nothing. Don't forget the study that found it effective was based on overall. If some people got a lot of relief it covers a lot of people who got no relief. If 50% got relief and 50% got nothing it still works out to average as effective at reducing symptoms 25% in the test group.

I'm a little pissed, the surgeon said he would have been fine with advil a week after surgery provided my incision was healing well. Advil has very minor impact. Tylenol has none so preferred not mandatory. Heck I bet Advil would have even helped with the mild withdrawal symptoms.

I got a fair amount of relief so far glad I got the surgery. Do get a back ache from doing too much, and some pain in the hips but so much less, and some of that should improve with time.

[woodbutcher]

Pain meds CAN be a two edged sword.Let me tell you about a friend in Alabama who was badly hurt at work because of an idiot coworker.Had a lot of pain after going home from the hospital.Did`nt like the way he felt taking the pain meds.SOOOOOOOO he quit taking them.After a bout 10 days his wife noticed that he was not really looking well.Was very grey faced.Took him to the emergency room.Just lucky his doctor was there.Boy did the fur hit the fan when he came in to see him.VERY elevated BP,and his doctor told him he was about 4 hours from a massive stroke because of it.He was told start taking the pain meds or I will no longer be responsible for your condition.He started telling his wife that he was going to take his pain meds from then forward.He said it would be easier to get off pain meds than to crawl out of a grave.
Good luck.Have fun.Be safe.
Leo