tramadol

i think tramadol isn't a traditional opiate. it works by modifying your neurotransmitters much like an antidepressant. I've heard reports from people that it is less addicting but also reports from people that it is much MORE psychologically addicting because it is such a long-lasting med.

It's interesting that you say that the cortizone alters your personality. I recently had trouble with a hemorrhoid and I asked my LLMD if he could presribe me a cream to help with the stinging pain. He said that hydrocortizone cream should NOT be used with lyme patients because it weakens the immune system.

If you are in severe pain, I wouldn't suggest taking Tramadol all the time. It does not help me at all when the pain gets really bad and I've been on it for two years. What my doctor is doing now is letting me stay on the Tramadol for the days the pain is tolerable and he prescibed Oxycodone for the days I am hurting really bad. Maybe you can ask your doctor to do that.

Razzle,

My family doctor told me that Tramdol was like taking candy. I admit that it does work some. It takes the edge off, but for severe pain, it does nothing. Even if it did work for nerve pain, I couldn't imagine a doctor prescribing that.

Hi
tramadol is like an inert substance, for me, Maybe it does something for others, i hope so. Razzle!! mine didn't taste at all!!

Thanks gang. Yes All seeing Eye your doc is right about cortisone but some of us are so way down the pike here that we were given even prednisone for the various autoimmune disasters created from the Lyme. I finally got off the prednisone and still take cortisone . I don't know how low I can get on the cortisone. I'm taking too much. 20 mg twice a day. I'm getting down to almost half that but whipped out.
Cajun the Roxy is oxycodone 5mg for instant break through pain. It is the only thing that kills my nerve pain. I stay away from time release anything. My system isn't consistent in the breakdown. When I need to find my brain and some energy I take 5mg adderal.
Too much pharmaceuticals. Plus I take at least 5 different supplements a day.

It's so distructive taking this crap and thinking I'm gonna get myself well.
Now all I do is everything to counteract the side effects of the pain meds.
Constipation is worst thing and takes your energy down. And the depression in the lungs and emotions is so debilitating.

I'm really tired of the whole thing and don't see life as making sense.it has gotten to be a very questionable existence.

At this point, unable to sustain a relationship or work it gets harder to find an excuse to fight. I am not myself on all these drugs and still always sick.

I don't even know who I am anymore.

I'm going to try heating up my room and do hot yoga. And maybe work my way up to being able to do it without being sick for a week.

Thanks Razz, I ordered the birion belladon and hypercium an menorrihium at my doc today. She gave me hanuman brand menorrihium today 200 frequency an d didn't feel anything and I always do with boron brand.

What do you think it means if my blood levels are high in AM and PM cortisol?
You think my immune system is fighting back?

You think it easier to drop off ??

I also have been taking Tramadol for over a year. It helps me a great deal when it is only moderate pain. If the pain is severe, I have to double the dose for any effect at all and then I have side effects (feel kind of drunk, like what gabapentin does to me). Gabapentin seemed to work well for the pain, but I couldn't tolerate the side effects. So many of these meds totally depend on the individual for how well they work and the side effects; what works great for one doesn't work at all for another. Doesn't mean one person's pain is any worse than the other's, it's just how each individual meshes with the particular drug; same goes for dosing - a large dose doesn't necessarily mean worse pain, just what that particular person's body needs to meet the need. Sometimes people get caught up in how many milligrams of whatever they need, not realizing a lot depends purely on their own physiology, not necessarily the degree of severity (I had this explained to me by my doc, I didn't come up with it on my own). Tramadol also gives me bad headaches, so I always take it with a couple of ibuprofen. Usually ibuprofen does nothing for headaches for me, but I think it works because I take it before the headache sets in. Don't like taking Tylenol unless I have to because it's harder on the liver and I figure we have to baby our livers a bit with all the stuff we are taking!

Yes. What one tiny woman takes for a migrant can knock a football player flat out.

Raz, yes I am trying to taper off cortisone but it increases pain and exhaustion.