tramadol headache

flossy47 · 20. Jan 2012, 11:34

Hi again.
I've been on tramadol for about a week now. The headaches aren't as bad now but I'm not still in pain and not sleeping. Not sure if I should up the dose as suggested by the doc. I'm worried that the headache will return and I will still be in pain. Couldn't get any help at the docs today as they had no appointments available as usual.
This is starting to really get me down now. If I carry on like this I'm going to end up back on the anti dependants which I have just weaned myself off on the advice of a different doc.

dreamdaisy · 20. Jan 2012, 12:04

It's sometimes very hard to know what to do, isn't it? We are at the mercy of the doctors' opinions and the more docs you see the more you hear. I try to stick with just two GPs (my practice has sixteen now, and if you can't get the one you want you can just see anyone but I try to avoid that if only to save me time. :roll: ) I take it that you are still in pain, still not sleeping (due to the pain?) but the headaches are decreasing. This could mean that you are adjusting to the tramadol and that if you up the dose the headaches will return but the trade-off could be at least some reduction in pain. I am still on the anti-depressants as my rheumatologist says they help with pain, which makes sense - would you consider going back onto just a small dose of those to see if that helps? Obviously that has to be discussed with your GP, they are best placed to advise. I am sorry I cannot be of more help. DD

flossy47 · 20. Jan 2012, 13:07

Hi DD.

I was only on a low dose of the anti depressants and they didn't help the pain anyway. Also checked the leaflet that came with the tramadol and online and the ones I was on react with it so don't think that is an option. Thanks for the suggestion though. Will have to wait till Monday now to try to get an appointment to see the doc who advised me to come off them. He is the joints specialist at our surgery and I try to see him when I go. I only saw the other one as I was so desperate to get some pain relief.

I will give the increased dose a try tonight and hope that it helps.

dreamdaisy · 20. Jan 2012, 13:11

I apologise, I wasn't clear. :oops: My anti-depressants do nothing for the pain, it's more they help me cope with it. If I am feeling better mentally then I can physically cope better, which is true: I pulled a band of chest muscles earlier this week and that is a whole different set of pain!

My GP gave me diclofenac for that and yes, it has helped, but the hurt is still there. It hasn't pulled my mood down, however, and I reckon that is a good thing. I take 20mg of Citalopram every day. DD

flossy47 · 20. Jan 2012, 13:19

I was on citalopram for 4 years so the doc thought I probably didn't need it anymore. Only on 10mg so it was easy coming off it. Apart from my joint pain I feel ok mentally. I just need sleep. The sleep problem has been ongoing for about 3 years and not just pain related. I wish the docs would try to work out what is causing it but they seem to think that it is all in my head. It probably is..... but it would be nice to know for definite that I'm not imagining it.

kellerman · 20. Jan 2012, 13:40

Hi,
There's nothing worse than sleepless nights.I went through a phase where I couldn't sleep but I put it down to my mind working overtime as I have had a lot going on with family problems.
I was given Tramadol and although I didn't get headaches they made me like a zombie.
I did tell my doc and she just said don't take them if you feel like this,so I haven't.
I did speak to her before I stopped,although I hadn't taken that many.
Probably they were just too strong for me...who knows.
I'm no expert and obviously drugs have different effects on each of us.
I do hope you manage to get some sleep...you must be shattered.
May

flossy47 · 20. Jan 2012, 13:48

Hi May.

I've been getting about 1 hour per night recently so yes I am shattered. The tramadol don't make me feel quite like a zombie but that lack of sleep is starting to. I will take 2 tonight and see if it helps the pain. Just hope the headache doesn't kick in again.

dorcas · 20. Jan 2012, 14:14

Hello Flossy

Not being able to sleep can really drag a body down... and when coupled with pain is a nasty combination which takes it's toll physically and mentally :roll:

Lots of good advice already given by the good forum folks....

I had a l-o-n-g spell of sleepless/ disturbed nights due mainly to chronically painful joints.... and it took a few attempts at different med combinations before my doc/ rheummy hit on the most effective treatment for me
I've been taking Amatriptyline, Oxynorm and Tramadol for several months now.

It's important though to emphasise that what works for one person doesn't always work for someone else..... much depends on the cause of pain (eg.joint. muscle, nerve pain) and whether there are other factors affecting sleep. (worry, stress, depression, financial difficulties..... to name but a few)

My advice? would be to make an appointment with your doc (a double appointment if possible) and discuss your symptoms and concerns about taking Tramadol and whether there are alternatives/ combinations that might work better for you.

It can take time to strike the right balance and find what suits you best and is most effective ... so don't give up!

Let us know how you get on?

Iris xxx

flossy47 · 20. Jan 2012, 14:43

Thanks Iris.

I have tried several pain med and so far nothing has really worked. As I mentioned in my previous post I will try to see my usual doc on Monday and discuss everything with him. Hopefully we will eventually find something that helps.
I have been under quite a bit of stress in the last few years looking after my husband who is now in full time care. That is probably when the sleepless nights started but I had hoped that this problem would have started to ease by now. I feel a long discussion with the doc is on the cards.

Fingers crossed we can get to the bottom of this problem.

flossy47 · 20. Jan 2012, 18:40

Ok I've taken 2 tramadol tonight and am waiting to see if the headache kicks in. I hope not as I seriously need to get some sleep. Will let you know how it goes in the morning.

flossy47 · 20. Jan 2012, 22:07

Yet again only managed one hour. Wide awake with a pounding headache.

frogmorton · 21. Jan 2012, 04:45

Hi Flossy

you poor thing

Like Iris l find amatriptyline helps me to sleep. There are other meds you can try you know. Tramadol did suit me at one point way back, buit now it makes me very very sick for a long time after l take it...into the next day.

I hope you can get an appointment with your joint doctor as soon as possible and talk thorugh all the different options.

Hang on in there. I wish l could say more to help you.

Love and HUGS

Toni xx

dreamdaisy · 21. Jan 2012, 05:05

Oh dear, our poor Flossy: not only do you have your health to contend with, there is the stress of your husband too - it's no wonder your sleep is disturbed. I hope your GP will really listen to you and start devising a better plan for this: the trammy is obviously not helping as it could, but as frog said there are alternatives, it's just a matter of hitting on the right one (or combination of 'ones') for you. I too have had years of disturbed sleep and it does have such awful knock-on effects with feeling woolly-headed etc. It's horrid. (()) DD

flossy47 · 21. Jan 2012, 05:28

Thanks everyone. I managed to catch another hour earlier so slowly catching up. So tired today that I am staying in bed. Visited husband yesterday and that upsets me. Wish there was something I could do to help him but he is in the best place as I could not cope anymore with him at home. Didn't take any tramadol this morning just paracetamol to try to get rid of the headache.
I hope I can get an appointment soon as I'm not sure how much more of this I can take. At least the sulfa is keeping the IA under control. Think there is more to my pain than just that.

sulkycat · 21. Jan 2012, 10:46

Hi Flossy,
Absolute sympathy, lack of sleep is awful. I have had chronic insomnia for about 20 years, sometimes go three nights with absolutely no sleep at all (my colleagues at work always knew when it was getting bad!).

Have you tried sleeping tablets? I take Zopiclone - the Dr told me to have it once or twice a week. When the RA pain increased the RA nurse advised taking it up to four times - as she said, if your body isn't getting any sleep then your defences are down and you cannot fight off any pain.

I know there are risks of addiction etc, but being sensible and have a good Gp helps enormously.

Other things that (sometimes) help:

lavender (but too much is a stimulant)
warm bath before bed
no internet etc before bed
no caffeine etc for at least 2 hours before bed
a lettuce sandwich (tis true!)
routine, cool room

I take Tramadol but also get the headaches. I wish I could suggest something more reliable sleepwise, I really do. My brain goes into overdrive on a night, with utter rubbish usually.

Best wishes.

silverbirch · 21. Jan 2012, 12:07

I take two Co-Dydramol at night, read for an hour and I get a good 7 hours sleep.

Good Luck Flossy.

flossy47 · 21. Jan 2012, 12:28

I've tried co-dydramol and it also gave me headache.

Don't think I'm ever going to find something that works without either upsetting my stomach or giving me a headache.

I've tried all the relaxation things but had no success. Maybe I just have to accept the pain and give up trying to ease it. I'm sure my body will get used to having less sleep eventually.

Sorry if I sound a little down but that's how I feel at the moment.

sulkycat · 21. Jan 2012, 12:33

You are allowed to feel fed up.

There's a reason why they use sleep deprivation as an extremely effective form of torture, it completely screws up your mind and body.

flossy47 · 21. Jan 2012, 14:02

Decided not to take the tramadol tonight and see how bad the pain is. If it is too bad I can always take something later.

Thanks for all the suggestions.

amboritic · 21. Jan 2012, 14:25

I have always found I get rather bad insomnia if I take Tramadol too near bedtime.

Have tried amitriptyline lately on advice from rheummy and I have to take that several hours before bedtime as it leaves me zombified in the morning.

We are indeed at the mercy of our GP's opinion to an extent.

Aswell as our rheummy opinion.

For example I would rather try steroids than the previous sulpha and the current methotrexate but my opinion is always discounted.

Additionally annoying when you consider my ankles, wrists and left knee where asymptomatic till the sulpha.

woodbon · 22. Jan 2012, 08:28

Hi, Sorry you feel so bad. I take tramadol and I must admit during the first few weeks they knocked me out. I was on the point of stopping them, when my system seemed to get used to them and I was back to normal!

If you don't feel you can take them, go and talk to your doc or nurse or the Pharmasist at the chemists, they may be able to help you. Pain killers don't, for me anyway, take all the pain away, they dull it down and make it easier to bare.

I hope you can find something to help you soon, their are lots of drugs you doc can give you if that one doesn't work.
Lots of love Sue xxxx

flossy47 · 22. Jan 2012, 17:05

So far I've had naproxen(upset stomach), co-codamol(headache),diclofenac(serious upset stomach and heart palpatations), acupan(didn't do much)and now tramadol(serious pounding headache). Don't think NSAID's and opioids agree with me at all. Not sure what else there is to try.

Last night was painful. My hands are the only things that weren't hurting. I don't get that many flares in them these days so I think the sulfa is working. Don't think the rest of my pains are arther but could be. Have to try to get in at the docs sometime this week.

Not going to take anymore tramadol.

flossy47 · 24. Jan 2012, 13:37

Managed to get an appointment for Thursday but not with the doc I wanted to see as he is not here this week. Hopefully this one will be better than the one who gave me the tramadol. She wouldn't listen to me.
Fingers crossed even if it is a bit painful.

dreamdaisy · 24. Jan 2012, 15:50

It can be very hard to find a drug that suits and also does what is promised. I can count on one finger the number of times I have slept through the night in the past thirteen years - God knows why it happened that night (12 July, 2011), I still felt grotty in the morning (ungrateful cow, aren't I?

) but somehow sleep was achieved for a staggering nine hours, even though I woke up in the same position and stuff hurt even more!

Apart from that night sleep is no longer a good thing, it's shallow, disturbed by pain, not restful or peaceful but it matters not. Like many things in life proper sleep is a luxury for the healthy who don't have a clue how blessed they are. It's so true isn't it? You don't know what you'll miss 'til it's gone. Here's to a better night for both of us, and everyone else on here too. DD

flossy47 · 24. Jan 2012, 16:00

So true Dreamdaisy. I've forgotten what a good nights sleep is. It's not just the pain with me though. I haven't slept well since my husband got ill. I don't have to look after him now as he has gone into full time care but I suppose old habits die hard.
Hope everyone on here has a good night tonight.
This forum has helped me so much over the last few weeks so I must say thankyou to everyone who has given me advice.

tramadol headache

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