Tramadol and Crazy Dreams

[kd82286]

So I am once again in a really bad flare. The Humira has stopped working and while I am scheduled for my third colonoscopy next month I still have to get through till then on my regular meds. The problem is I am in a lot of pain and while I have plenty of Tramadol available I don't want to take it because it gives me terrible crazy nightmares! I told my GI about this and he said that tramadol was such a unique drug and that it was really my only non narcotic option outside of tylenol(which lets face it... At this point they may as well be tictacs for all the good they do!). Does this happen to anyone else? My GI has never had this complaint from any of his other patients so I was just wondering if any of you had any experiences like mine?

 

[Terriernut]

Funnily enough, a nurse told me she had the same problem with tramadol. Me, when I take it I cant sleep at all.

I so sorry you are having a horrible time of it. I would think the Dr could try something else to help you manage pain. I'm really very sorry Humira seems to have stopped working.

 

[kd82286]

Me too:-( But to be honest I dont know that it was ever really doing the whole job. I was still getting sick pretty regularly. But my Doc offered to try some stronger meds the only problem is I cant take them while I am working and I am already so tired all the time I don't want to risk anymore exhaustion you know?

 

[Terriernut]

:kiss: Yes, I do know. I have to work full time and try and not miss any work. You can give it a try and see how you go, its all we can do.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

[kd82286]

:hug: Thank you! I have considered it. I will just have to see how it goes. My boss tries to be understanding but he is one of those people that will leave work early because he has a headache but doesn't understand why you can't leave the toilet long enough to come to work lol.

 

[Jennifer]

I can't handle Tramadol either. Made me throw up the next day. I take Tylenol 3 now as neeeded (not for Crohn's pain, its for my back) and I can function a little better on it but it still makes me tired (I can handle Norco too but we're trying to stay away from habit forming drugs). My GI said to go ahead and take Advil if it works but it may cause ulcers. Left it up to me basically over what I think is best. So what I'm doing is trying to find the cause of the pain and eliminate it as much as possible while taking Advil and Tylenol 3 (both as needed and I wait till its really bad before I take either). If yours is from inflammation then you may benefit from a steroid (I go for Entocort before Pred cause my heart does better with it) to help relieve the pain. I'm currently on Entocort and I'm hoping it will help with the arthritis pain I've been having lately.

 

[Terriernut]

:hug: Thank you! I have considered it. I will just have to see how it goes. My boss tries to be understanding but he is one of those people that will leave work early because he has a headache but doesn't understand why you can't leave the toilet long enough to come to work lol.

Typical!

 

[Spooky1]

Yes, Tramadol keeps me awake 22hrs per day, nightmares, or at least hidiously vivid dreams for two hours. i try not to take them. Have you tried the addictive dihydrocodeine?

 

[Spooky1]

I understand where your coming from!!

 

[ctrl z]

I hate Ultram. When I do try to sleep, I'm stuck in this weird half-sleep state. No thanks!

I can't remember if I ever had any nightmares while taking it.

 

[kd82286]

I'm telling you guys they are wild! It's the only med I have ever taken that gives
me that reaction. I wake up with super vivid memories too which is odd for me because I usually don't remember my dreams at all. LOL I guess I'm just weird!

 

[Spooky1]

I go into a half sleep with temazapam sleeping tablets so i can't really take them either. i hate meds like that

 

[nevilletanner]

i have tramadol and find them strange at best, taking a single tablet tends to dull the pain and makes me feel pretty good for 30 mins then i crash out.

Last night i was pretty ruff with pain and i had to resort to taking two tramadol ... WOW now im flying - light headed, spinning, cant walk in a straight line, tingling all over but still get the pain

docs today and i explained that the tram is not so good now so he has given me DIHYDROCODEINE - there surpose to be 1.5 to 2 times the strenth of ordinary codeine which in all honesty i would say is putting it mildly - pain has gone completely, light headed and cant stop talking

anyways what i wanted to say is that for the first few times of taking tramadol or codeine or DHC i make sure i only take one and that i always take them with food,
the reason being is they make me sick and very dizzy ( just like being very drunk), apparantly all opioids do this the first few times of taking them while your body adjusts to them.

dont give up on the meds just try a single tablet or even half of one with food for the first couple of times, then see how it goes at the proper dose.

 

[tots]

If you do try pain meds- try to take 1/2 a pill at a time. Sometimes thats all I need. I dont like the way they make my head feel. There are those times where a hole pill is a
must and thats just not fun.


Lauren
:wink:

 

[Punisher329]

this bad dreams with tramadol is news to me. I don't like it just because is does absolutely NOTHING for my pain level at all. If you have problems with sleep and
painkillers i would try, just do a trial run of low dose painkillers as they actually help me with my pain...good luck i hope this helps

 

[Silvermoon]

I use Tramacet (in Canada - Tramadol and Acetaminophen) and it works fine for me, but all meds works differently for all people (ie Crabby does fine on T3's but I find they give me bad/weird dreams... so go figure...lol)

Anyway, there are quite a few people that have found that Elavil (amitryptaline) works VERY well for them, in that it helps them fall asleep, stay asleep, and can even control some of their pain (even though it is not listed as a "pain killer" but rather an "antidepressant/sedative") - low dose: 5 - 10 mg at night......

May be something you might want to discuss with your doctor... it may not help with "daytime" pain, but some people find that it does!!

I hope you find something you can work with .

 

[nevilletanner]

i can relate to the itching - with tramadol there is none, just light headedness and sleep, with cocodamol (30/500) in usa you call them tylenol 3 they contain codeine they make me slightly light headed and slightly itchy,

my new ones DHC (dihydrocodeine 30mg) i get terribly itchy - feels like there are ants crawling all over me but since there 2 times as good as tylenol 3 i aint complaining

p.s. i have it that 30mg DHC converts to 10mg of morphine in the body - so i guess that any of the opioids will create the itching

 

[Spooky1]

i hate the itching with dihydrocodeine, but yes, they're the best as they help with the worst of D. i agree that cocodamol isn't effective. the pain is still there with tramadol, i just get the altered state of mind and being high and awake for 22 hours a day.

 

[nevilletanner]

spooky1 hehehe my husky is called spooky lol - totally unrelated but thought you shoud know.

have you tried taking a antihistamine tablet with the DHC - i have been prescribed CYCLIZINE to stop nausia but there a strong antihistamine and help stop the itching, just be warned though that there both liable to cause drousiness, both together and its quite hard to stay awake - certainly cant drive when taking both together.

 

[Spooky1]

what a good idea!!! hadn't thought of that, and yes i would think that i too would fall asleep.

spooky was my wonderful cats name. she went missing one day and i miss her very much. i think the name spook would well suit a husky though lol