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Has anyone used Tramadol?

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Rheumatoid Arthritis
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Posted 6/18/2013 6:26 PM (GMT 0)
Hi! I hope you're all doing as well as possible. I'm feeling rough, off and on...typical! My daughter-in-law has been given Tramadol, for back problems. I was wondering if anyone on here has taken it. I looked it up online, and it says that it is prescribed for RA.

My Rheumy never wants to give me pain medication. He prescribed Celebrex, knowing that I've had episodes of heart irregularity and ulcerative colitis...the commercials say not to take it if you have any problems with intestinal bleeding.

Just curious. What pain medications are you using? I know I need something.
Posted 6/18/2013 9:23 PM (GMT 0)
I was tried on tramadol and it made me nauseated, so I stopped it. Since I had the back pain before being given an RA dx I've been on Vicodin and now Norco for pain. However, there is an interaction between Norco and methotrexate so that's probably why norco is not prescribe rountinely for people with RA and on the mtx day I do have to rely on half a norco because of the mtx interaction. I use a combination pain med and muscle relaxer for my back pain control plus a topical at night...For pain control you need to talk with your RA doctor and maybe see, if he or she will refer you out to pain management, I'm in pain management and I'm functional with my meds but I won't lie, it could be better... Also, if you have a heart condition a muscle relaxer might not be able to be prescribed, there are so many factors you doctor has to think about with pain control. I was in a car accident in 1997 which injured my back, at that time doctors in the ER said I had sprained the whole left side of my spine, upper back got better, lower back never did...also, be mindful steroids are also used as pain control...Lyrica has been used to treat nerve pain...I tried that one and I couldn't leave the bathroom for over 12 hours of throwing up...never will I do that medication...
Posted 6/19/2013 8:16 AM (GMT 0)
I was doing usually badly before since the Rituxan, MTX and Morphine Sulphate were not working. I had lost a lot of weight, could barely walk or lift 4 pounds because of muscle loss and weakness plus my ESR was high. Everything hurt! That was my last bio.

My Rheumy took me off those drugs, kept me on the Indomethacin, raised my 7 year low dose(5-7mgs) to 16 and 20 of Prednisone(tapered to 10mg now) and I'm still taking Tramadol after about 1 year.

I felt great May to present. I walked to the store today and shopped for a couple hours and walked home and feel good. My ESR is now down to 4 which is normal and I've gained 8 pounds. Yay! I needed this pain relief after 7 mostly painful years. Unfortunately, I know it's mainly the raised Pred. dose that is helping me. I wish I didn't need it but I do. Most RA drugs are crappy and can be dangerous with long and sometimes short term side effects including the biologicals.


The Tramadol is an opiate as you know, but it could be helpful in your case for the inbetween rough spots depending on the dose. I couldn't use it as my only painkiller cuz it doesn't work that good for me. Side effects that I had so far are drowsiness the days I take it, insomnia which I had from Pred already, and a few times it felt like the floor was shaking like a minor earthquake, at one store and elsewhere. We all have to try different drugs to see which ones work for us, if any. Good wishes in your search.

(There are patches that I was considering but those are higher up meds.(potent stuff)).

Post Edited (msOuchie) : 6/19/2013 2:22:13 AM (GMT-6)

Posted 6/19/2013 1:04 PM (GMT 0)
Tramadol is a synthetic opiate. This drug has Serotonin Norepinephrine reuptake inhibitory effects like many antidepressants as well. People who take SNRIs or SSRIs for depression or pain relief (or fibromyalgia) would likely need dosage reduction. Some people report electric shock like sensations when starting or discontinuing this medication....Worth mentioning since many here are on Biologics and these are concerning symptoms that require investigation for those individuals. Many people get dizzy initially as well. Nausea and constipation are other issues, but this is true for most narcotics. These effects get better with time. Theoretically, Tramadol should provide pain relief like other narcotics designed to relieve moderate to severe pain. I looked into taking it, but wasn't really excited about the SNRI part. It is also habit forming, like narcotics. I take Percocet occasionally, because it does not have the SNRI effects, and it is short acting. I cannot take it at work, so long acting narcotics are out for me. There are some people that have trouble withdrawing from Tramadol, not only because of the opiate portion, but also due to the SNRI properties. Many people also have trouble withdrawing from antidepressants like Effexor (which is similar to Tramadol) or Cymbalta.

Celebrex is a cox 2 inhibitor with anti inflammatory properties. The nice thing is it is non narcotic. Of all the cox 2 inhibitors, it supposedly has the lowest propensity to cause GI bleeds. I have taken it. It is somewhat helpful for mild to moderate pain. I don't have inflammatory bowel issues, though. It has approximately the same risk of causing stroke as the other cox 2 inhibitors. Ibuprofen carries this risk as well. It is a small risk. The risk with Vioxx was slightly higher, which is why it is no longer on the market.

I hope you are able to find something that works for you. Good luck
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