after using Tramadol for several months with limited success I have now been prescribed Amitriptyline also to aid sleep. I was constantly waking up at night in pain but this is seeming to work thankfully.
Is it a concern though that it does knock me out and I do work night shifts.....
Perhaps I need to change my shift pattern temporary?
I've been taking a low level of amitriptyline (10 - 20mg daily) for chronic pelvic pain for about 5 years (possibly longer). Recently, my specialist suggested I change to Nortriptyline (10mg daily) as it has less side effects - particularly the 'foggy-head' feeling in the morning that I often experienced.
I spoke at length to my GP about this and they assured me that I could just switch from one to the other, which I have done. Whilst I am definitely feeling less zombie-like in the morning, I find I can't sleep at night. With the ami, I zonked out quite easily, but with the nor, every night since I switched, I haven't slept properly at all. I'm quite run down at the moment so I'm a bit concerned that I'm going to make myself ill if I'm not sleeping.
I began tramadol in June 2014 after surgery. It subsided the pain and made me feel good. Like happy and optimistic about my recovery. I couldn't drive while recovering, so I walked everywhere, including to physical therapy appointments. That was all of last summer. I stayed on them until January to help with physical therapy discomfort. Then I suffered an elbow injury also in January, so stayed on them. My surgeon who originally prescribed them began cutting down on what he prescribed, so I found them elsewhere. This past spring, I began drinking alcoholic beverages after taking my last dose at around 5pm. Two months later was a disaster. Since, I have learned two very important things about Tramadol. One is that it's also an antidepressant and two, alcohol makes them even more addicting. This I learned through all the research I desperately sought. I am now 11 days without taking Tramadol and It's been hell. I spoke to a detox facility and they said that my insurance company would not pay for treatment for Tramadol because it is...wait for it... NOT ADDICTING. So here I am still trying to get this poison out of my system. It stinks because it is now I need something to calm my symptoms. Which is the lesser evil? I have no energy, depression, muscle weakness, no motivation and can cry at any given moment. Why me, why any of this? Doctors need to know what Tramadol truly is as do the insurance companies.
View 4 RepliesI'm 14 years old and yesterday school started after two weeks of holidays. I went to bed at 11 PM and woke up at 4 AM. I tried to go back to sleep but I just couldn't. At 6 AM I got up and got ready for school. After school I was really tired and took an hour long nap, but I was still extremely tired. I went to bed at 9 PM and fell asleep in a second. I woke up at 2:30 AM and tried my best to fall asleep, but it didn't work. Its 6 AM right now and Ive done some homework, as I couldnt do them yesterday because I was so tired. The thing is, this didn't happen in my holiday, and I get really cranky when I don't get enough sleep. Do I have insomnia?
View 3 Repliesi want to know what is better to take first subo and after tramadol or first tramadol and after suboxone
View 2 RepliesLast Friday (16/Sep/11) I had an op to repair an umbilical hernia (overnight stay). On being discharged the nurse gave me a packet of 50 mg Tramadol capsules to ease the pain, although the pain wasn't that bad. I had been walking to the toilet (in hospital) within 4 hours of recovering from the op.
Anyway, I got home on Saturday and what with the fairly long walk from the hospital to the taxi, plus getting in and out of the car, I was starting to feel some twinges, so I took 2 Tramadol. Much later that evening I started to have really weird side effects. They are so difficult to describe. A combination of panic attack, dizziness, extreme fatigue, and difficulty nodding off to sleep. I'd nod off, like one does, then I'd immediately have these images in my head - people I'd seen on TV that day, cars, animals, all jumbled up.
Then I must have fallen asleep for an hour or two only to come awake with a start after having this veritable nightmare of there being someone in the room and when I opened my eyes (in my sleep just before coming awake) there was this extremely tall guy, 9 feet tall, his head was literally brushing the ceiling. Then "he" walked across the room to another bed (my mind thought it was still in the 4-bed unit in the hospital ward) and disappeared! As if in a puff of smoke. And at that point I awoke feeling hot and sweaty.
So those were the last Tramadol *I* was ever going to take, I can tell you. And then, yesterday, Thursday I had severe itching at the surgical wound site. This had nothing to do with the Tramadol I'd taken on Saturday, which must have been out of my system by then. Anyway, apart from the itching there was still a bit of an ache, so I thought I'd take just a single Tramadol capsule.
The itching went; the dull ache went. But this morning, very early, about 04:00am, I awoke feeling anything but refreshed. I had some numb feelings in my hand and thigh, they kept coming and going. I got up at around 05:45 am, make a cup of tea, then suddenly felt very weak. Jittery, fast pulse, zonked. Since then I have just lain on my bed in between going for a short walk and am drinking glasses of water in an attempt to flush this [b:095f76e716]POISON[/b:095f76e716] out of my system and am starting to feel a little better.
Earlier in the week on doctor's recommendation I booked an appointment with the nurse for this afternoon to have the dressing changed and the incision checked (it's a long, vertical cut about 4 inches long; they found two hernias), and in order to save on taxi fares I booked one of the free pick-up buses to take me and bring me back. However, I've just cancelled them and have ordered a taxi instead as I cannot face the lengthy zig-zag route these buses often take as they have to pick up numerous other people. I'll talk to the nurse about Tramadol and see what she says. I don't need any pain killers now and if I still get one or two twinges in the next few days, I shall take only paracetamol if necessary. (Not allowed to take ibuprofen or similar NSAIDs as I have a tendency to gastritis and duodenal ulcer.)
So, I am never going to touch Tramadol ever again and this time I mean it. I would not recommend it to my worst enemy. If some people take it just to get "high" they must be stark, raving mad.
I was prescribed tramadol 6 weeks ago, but having read in the forum how addictive they are I am considering stopping them, although they do help with my back pain. Has anyone being given an alternative to these drugs, and if so are they effective.
View 27 Repliesone of the few meds I haven't tried yet. Anyone have good or bad reactions to it? Is there anything that actually works?
View 32 RepliesI've been prescribed a low dose of Amitriptyline for IBS (10 mg per day). Can anyone advise if they have taken this for IBS and what the outcomes have been?
View 2 RepliesIs anyone else getting this? If I come of the amitriptyline will it stop?
View 28 RepliesI had a laparoscopy yesterday (2nd December 2015) and have been given Tramadol painkillers which a working amazingly well!! They're incredible, not gonna lie! Helps with not only the surgical pain, but the stomach aches that i've had for 4 years now all day every day! I'm virtually pain free! It's amazing! Anyway, I've taken 100mg yesterday evening at about 7, 100mg at 11 last night, and 100 mg at 8.30 this morning. At about 8/9 last night I drank a whole bottle of Ribena. I put Ribena in a bottle so I don't have to keep leaning to pick up a glass. It's easier to have a bottle on the sofa. I never drink that much in one go! Ever! But I drank a whole bottle, and a cup of tea within about 15 minutes. I heard of! I was still so thirsty, so I drank another bottle later on! This morning I woke up and was dying for a drink. Drank a whole 2 bottles of Ribena before 9! No matter how much I drink, I'm still so thirsty. Is this a common side effect of Tramadol? Has anyone else experienced this?
View 1 RepliesI'm so ready to get off everything and I wish I could hit rewind. I want to try Suboxone. I have an appt on Tues to get a script. I am currently on 50mg Norco, 150-300 mg Tramadol (usually 150) and 1-2mg Xanax per day. I was on 450 mg Tramadol for 10 yrs (150 mg day previous five years). Norco escalated up but daily last two years (sporadic before that) hence why I dropped down Tramadol. Xanax for 3-4 years.
So..with those meds will the doctor give me Suboxone? Will he take me off both Norco and Tram at same time (my hope)?
Also..if all goes as planned and I start on Suboxone, how long before I can stop Sub? A friend was only on it two months and then just stopped. I do not want to be on anything. At this point the way I feel is worse than the pain..and actually Norco in increased doses makes me hurt more.
I'm really disappointed in myself i'm 26 years old and suffer sciatica really bad in my buttocks nerves going down one leg and along my back. I recently changed my doctor to one closer to home. On my first appointment my doctor made it clear I needed weaned off the 400mg of tramadol and 400 mg I take a day I was prescribed them two years ago along with Sertraline 100mg a day for my anxiety. The doctor and I never discussed me becoming addicted ever, I haven't tried to stop taking them as it was never suggested before my current doctor told me I was most defiantly addicted I have to be considering the dosage I've been on every day and the length of time I've been on them.I have not had them for a few days once as I'd ran out and it was the weekend I wasn't too fused and knew I would get them on the Monday morning I felt fidgety and anxious didn't know ok w what to with myself all of Sunday and when I slept on Sunday night I had the sickest terrifying dream I woke up sweating and scared I don't know what I was scared of by I was for hours. Can this be withdrawal symptoms.
View 6 RepliesI am going to be getting myself off it immediately. Not to mention I am starting to get the 'brain zaps'.
I've been taking around 150mg/day for the last 4 months. I was on 200mg/day but a couple months ago, I cut myself back to 150mg/day.
I get a refill on my meds next week but I think I'm going to pass on it and just taper with my remaining supply. I have about 40 50mg pills left.
What's the best and SAFEST way to taper with these?
My initial plan:
100mg per day for 10 days
50mg per day for 10 days
25mg per day for 5 days (cut pills in half)
12.5mg per day for 5 days (cut pills in quarters)
... and then be done w/ a few left over for an emergency pain day. Will that prevent withdrawal? Is that a safe way to quit?
will tramadol help ease my methadone withdrawal
View 5 RepliesI am new to this forum but was wondering if anyone could advise or help me. I don't know why but every night when i go to bed i manage to fall asleep but after a couple of hours in wide awake again hence me typing this now. I will manage to get back to sleep but then i am up with my alarm at 6.30am for work. It's driving me mad that i can never have a full night's sleep without waking up.
View 2 RepliesI'm diagnosed sleep apnea and since it's onset, have been unable to wake myself up. This includes alarm clocks, opening windows, setting a sleep schedule, etc. The ONLY way I can wake up is by somebody physically waking me up and that only works after the first couple of tries. First issue is when I hear an alarm clock, I move from whatever dream I'm in to a separate dream where I think I've woken myself up, but I keep trying to turn off the alarm clock and it won't turn off. Sometimes I realize I'm dreaming still and "wake up" into a 3rd or 4th dream that seems more real and have the same issues. Secondly, my body seems to require 13-16 hours of sleep in order to feel well rested and wake up naturally. I am using a cpap machine, however, I sort of sleep walk and remove the machine in my sleep. Any ideas on how I can become independent and wake up on my own?
View 1 RepliesSo I'm 8 months into my latest debilitating 24/7 dizziness. After a clear MRI, a neurologist suggested my imbalance might have a migrainous element to it. There is such a thing as vestibular migraine.
At this point, I'm willing to try anything, so the Dr has out me on Amitriptyline as a migraine preventative. I've been taking 10mg per night for the last 5 days (I can go up as high as 60mg by gradually dosing up).
I know it can have side effects that take a while to wear off and that it might not become effective for several weeks. But honestly, it's making me feel much worse already. I wake up every morning with a pounding head as if I'd drank a bottle of vodka, which is worse than the cannonball-head feeling I had already. Plus, I think it's making me woozier and dizzier than before (which was already so bad I've been off work for 3 months).
Has anyone tried it? Does it get better? I'm finding it really hard to cope with the side effects on top of how I'm already feeling. Many thanks.
Was on 600mg Gabapentin 3 times a day for peripheral neuropathy to little effect. Was prescribed Amitriptyline, took 25mg for 3 days then 50mg for 5 days - replacing the 2 Gabapentin at night. Reduced Amitriptyline to 25mg after awful side effects. Took for 2 days with 300mg at night (in addition to the 600mg in morning and new GP said stop Amitriptyline and increase morning dose to 900 mg. Was OK for a while, but then feet and lower legs started severe pins and needles, difficult to walk. Disturbed sleep last night and feet and legs still bad. Is this withdrawal from Amitriptyline? How long will it last? GP rang and said gradually increase Gabapentin to 900 mg 3 times a day and if necessary go to 1200 mg 3 times a day. Any suggestions? Will this gradually get better?
View 3 RepliesI'm taking clindamycin 300 mg every 6 hours and tramadol 50 mg every 6 hours (unless i'm a work it makes me sleepy) and the pain from my tooth abscess has gotten worse and now the swelling is spreading and my throat hurts. The pain from the tooth abscess has spread from the far left corner of my jaw to my ear and even under my chin. I can't see a dentist till next week and this is only getting worse. I already went to the er that is how i got these meds. The clindamycin is also making me very sick to my stomach. I ate some soup to take it last night and ended up hugging the trash can at my job for little over 20 min till nothing was left to come up. Please help this is getting out of control i can't even hardly help take care of my 2 month old baby because it hurts when she ends up touching the left side of my face!
View 2 RepliesHi I have just joined the forum and would like to know if anyone feels the same as myself or am I going mad. Was diagnosed with crohns in 2010 after doing the over 50 bowel screening ( I am 55) have been on several medications and had a very nasty abcess where you dont want one and had to stay in hospital 11 days. Last november I had been in infliximab for 2 years having infusion every 8 weeks and also taking mercaptopurine and tramadol for the pain, I now have infliximab every 10 weeks still taking mercaptopurine which I have been on for 4 years, the doctor asked me to try and stop tramadol but I only take 2 per day 4 on a very bad day, I have tried several times not to take these but when I stop the next day I feel bloated, very sick and its a struggle to get out of bed and as a full time carer for my disabled husband thats no good, it happened today so I took 2 tramadol and crawled back to bed and within an hour I felt a lot better, have explained this to 2 doctors and 1 wants me off tramadol and says symptoms are due to them and the other gives me a prescription and says if I need to take them to do that I am so confused. I take them because the option not to makes me feel so crap (pardon the pun ) has anybody got any advice please I hate this crohns
View 4 Replies