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Tramadol ER Alternatives

acrosstheveil

Senior Member
Messages
373
My doc started me on topamax a couple weeks ago for pain and I couldn't take it due to a terrible allergic reaction. He is now giving me Tramadol ER but I have having horrible side effects as well. I feel tense, and having bad chest pains, and my hands are trembling.

Is there a good long-acting pain medication he might be able to prescribe instead of tramadol? He doesn't like prescribing schedule 2 meds but he may be willing to if there are no alternatives. It is getting frustrating with all these side effects and medications. I was on hydrocodone before and it worked well with no side effects but needed to take so many and he didn't like that fact.


Thank you
 

Misfit Toy

Senior Member
Messages
4,178
Location
USA
How about Torodol? My doc just prescribed that to me for pain and migraines. It's a nasal spray. I react to everything, but am okay with this.

Also, Ketamine can be compounded at a compounding pharmacy for pain and it works. Its about $50 and gets me out of pain. Many doc's will not prescribe this, but it has worked like a charm, at times, for me. It's a horse tranquilizer that they have found works great with people. I was able to do much more on it.

ps) Tramadol also made me sick. I was only on 12.5 mg but stopped sleeping on it. I also lost weight and had zero appetite.
 

acrosstheveil

Senior Member
Messages
373
i take neurontin sometimes but try to avoid it due to severe withdrawal effects when i'm off of it.

haven't heard of toradol. I will look into it.

i have taken ketamine before and it does work well for pain. i don't think my doctor would prescribe that to me though. I guess I could ask.

this tramadol is terrible. my heart feels like it's beating out of my chest and i feel like i'm on speed or something. Kind of kills the pain but not really. hard to describe. i don't know what the big deal is with conventional opiates. Those have always worked for me.
 

Misfit Toy

Senior Member
Messages
4,178
Location
USA
Are you on it for a specific pain? Everyone is talking about narcotics and just how hard they are to get. It's so crazy. Come live where I live...all of my docs want me on them. I am one who can't take them!

Ketamine can be hard to get. My physician is super open that way.

Do you have any charcoal? That could help you with this. @zzz may be able to help you with this. I didn't have that reaction, but I wasn't too good on it towards the end. I can't take Neurontin...I become so depressed on it. Again, the misfit toy that I am.
 

minkeygirl

But I Look So Good.
Messages
4,678
Location
Left Coast
Lyrica and Neurontin both can cause major weight gain so beware of that. One Lyrica and I eat everything that is not nailed down the entire time I'm awake. I gained 60 lbs on Neurontin in 8 months.
 

acrosstheveil

Senior Member
Messages
373
i took neurontin for a long time many years ago and went practically psychotic coming off of it for a few months. I never want to go through that again.
 

heapsreal

iherb 10% discount code OPA989,
Messages
10,089
Location
australia (brisbane)
With neurontin and lyrica I have found just using it at night, this is when the pain bothers me and affects my sleep. I think this has helped me avoid side effects and withdrawal issues.

When I first used lyrica it was twice a day as recommended and it did put weight on me and had some withdrawal issues when I stopped this in the past. But I found it effective and taking it nightly only has helped. That's my experience.
 

minkeygirl

But I Look So Good.
Messages
4,678
Location
Left Coast
I took one lyrica at night to sleep and the next day I did not stop eating the entire day. You're lucky you can tolerate it because I think I slept ok with it.
 

acrosstheveil

Senior Member
Messages
373
i can't take lyrica due to an allergy but gabapentin I think is very similar. I'm fine when i'm on it but when I don't take it makes me pretty crazy. i feel hyped up and out of control and can't sleep for days.
 

heapsreal

iherb 10% discount code OPA989,
Messages
10,089
Location
australia (brisbane)
gabitril is another anti seizure type med that could be helpful, its suppose to be a gaba reuptake inhibitor.
I dont have any personal experience with it though. Sounds good on paper.
 

acrosstheveil

Senior Member
Messages
373
i'm going to ask him about buprenorphine or anything else he might recommend. can't do all those crazy anti-seizure meds. they are worse than opiates for me.
 

CFS_for_19_years

Hoarder of biscuits
Messages
2,396
Location
USA
I recently started taking 5mg of Paxil (paroxetine) and it has greatly reduced my need for Vicodin and morphine. It also helps a lot with sleep. However, a large component of my pain is fibromyalgia, so if you don't have fibromyalgia, it may not work the same way for you.

The smallest tablets are 10mg, so I have to cut them in half.

I also felt very sick taking Tramadol. I'll never take it again.

About a year ago when I was taking a lot of Vicodin (hydrocodone/acetaminophen), my doctor put me on extended-release morphine (15mg). It was prescribed for taking twice a day, but most of the time I could get by with taking it once a day, and occasionally twice a day.

Now that I'm taking Paxil, I much prefer it to taking morphine, especially since it helps with sleep.