Tramadol

It helps some people with their pain and others don't get any benefit from it at all. It takes the edge off my pain so that I can relax and function. Costo pain can be intense so it probably won't make you pain free but may help you move around and sleep. I don't think anything can help with the sharp pain you feel sometimes when you move. I find that it relaxes me which helps with my muscle pain. At first it made me drowsy and helped me sleep but now it doesn't make me sleepy.

You need to be careful what other meds and OTC supplements you take with it. You can have problems with certain antidepressants and things like St. John's Wort and 5-HTP; basically anything that effects serotonin. If you take any of these things, look up the symptoms of 'Serotonin Syndrome" so you know what to watch for.

Tramadol is said to be non-narcotic but it sure seems like a narcotic. I get a "high" from it but some people don't. If you stay on it for a while, you should taper down when you stop. You need to stop slowly or you may have severe withdrawal symptoms. I wouldn't worry about the withdrawal because if it doesn't help, you won't be on it long enough to worry about it and if it does help, you can worry about that later. Again, some people don't feel high or have withdrawal symptoms, but some do.

Tramadol sometimes causes stomach upset, take it with food if it does. It can also be constipating like most narcotics so pay attention to that. Make sure you drink enough water.

Good luck.

thanks for responding guys.
Cajungrl: i have 50milligram pills---i dont know how many to take. i took one, but that hasnt helped at all. is there anything else anyone recommends for pain? it's almost unbearable.

Does nothing for me for pain. gave me energy though

Deejavu,

I wish detoxing would have helped me with the rib pain but it didn't. The pain pills barely touched it. It is very hard to control once it starts and it hurts very bad. I pretty much just dealt with it and tried to stay as still as possible.

Hey deejavu,

Oh no, I didn't do it that much. I think my rib pain starts everytime I twist wrong. I crack my back, which I know is wrong, LOL, but I think that's how I irritate it. Sometimes, my entire rib cage gets inflammed.....front and back.

I will try detoxing more next time and see if it helps. I never believed in detoxing until I was diagnosed with Lyme Disease. It does work.

I really wish I had a high pain tolerance. My youngest daughter is like that.

Hmmmm....I have had Lyme for 9 years. The pain in horrible at times. But I am a strong believer in not using pain meds. They cause 10 times more negative symptoms!

I have found the VERY best way to deal with all this is to get a plan.

Wake up 6 am and stretch a little. Then drink tea. Then walk fast for 20 min. Then after body is warmed do 30-60 min of exercise that makes you sweat. Then eat a nice meal with no meat and lots of green whole foods.

then.........in afternoon go swimming or something that will allow you to exercise for 60-120 min.

Seems its all about diet, lots of sleep, mental stimulation, exercise and my biggest suggestion is study Buddhism.

Forget the pain meds.....really bad for you and your spiritual growth. Lyme Disease is a teacher to help you become a spiritual master. Pain meds are a way to hide from your true "self". Taking pain meds is like quitting on life.

CajunGrl the reason I walk in the morning is so my joints losen up. Also if you do not eat Wheat or Flour your symptoms will be dramaticly reduced.

My pain is often a 9 or a 10 and the stiffness is so bad I can barely stand it.

Main issues are extreme fatigue, numbness in limbs, headaches, pains in ribs, sweating, 1 week a month entire body feels like hormones or body chemistry is seriously off. Fatigue is so intense I could sleep on the sidewalk. I'm an Ex-Navy SEAL and experience Triathlete, Marathon runner, avid outdoors man and I can tough broken bones, pains, etc. but extreme fatigue and weight gain is very difficult. My joints are so stiff I can barely kneel on the floor or bend over to tie my shoe laces. My job is software programmer and I am having extreme difficulty with memory and concentration. My brain is often foggy as if I were smoking marijuana all day even though I do not take any drugs. I do not take nor want pain meds. I do not take nor want depression or sleep meds.

I feel sometimes that these forums encourage people to take pain meds and depression meds, instead of fighting and studying the mind. Its all about "mind".

You have to grit your teeth and stand up tall with inner strength when the pain gets tough the tough get going!!!

Im sorry, really sorry but I cant agree with all of this medication philosophy.

All I know is that Tramodol scares me because it is a synthetic opioid and I have a friend who had to go into a hospital to get off of Tramodol.   Yes, she became addicted to it.

Also, one of the possible side effects includes seizures as well as other unpleasant side effects:

http://www.drugs.com/tramadol.html

Forestcall, I understand what you are saying and I also don't believe anyone is "encouraging" people to take pain medicine.   Perhaps you meant by people agreeing about pain meds that is encouraging them.   I don't know. 

I guess I am one of those lucky people who can go to the dentist to have teeth pulled and I don't even use novacaine or any numbing agents, I use my mind and don't feel a thing.  I wasn't always that way, when I was a kid I got those numbing shots so I wouldn't feel any pain but my Dad fascinated me in how he would never use anything and I always wondered how he did it until I learned myself.  

Funny, one day my Dad got up early to go trout fishing in northern NY and when he arrived he slipped on a rock in the stream and broke his nose.  Did my Dad seek medical help?  Nope.  He continued to fish all day and on his way home that night, he stopped at the hospital to have his nose set.    So the mind is a powerful tool as I learned from my Dad.

Denise

I definitely understand where Forestcall and Deejavu are coming from. I hear you both loud and clear. I didn't want to put more chemicles in my body. My poor liver has enough to get rid of. And believe me, if I could have just stayed on natural supplements, I would have. It just wasn't possible though and this is where I am now. Those pain pills help me out of bed every single day. They help me function. The minute I open my eyes, I am blown away by extreme pain. I feel like I need them for now and when I start feeling better, I will get off of them....just like I did with Lexapro. I was also told back then to be careful with Lexapro because it 'could' cause heart conditions. Well, I just did what I had to do back then too. I will wean off of Tramadol when I am ready. I have all the information I need, thanks to you guys:) I just feel that everyone is different. Some people can take pain and others can't.

Lymelady,

Has the rib pain gotten any better? I've been trying to stay as still as I can again because I feel like mine are going to flare up again. My left side has been sensitive again when I lay down.