Last week my rheumatologist prescribed Tramadol 50mg (Ultram) to take 3 times daily as needed for pain due to RA and osteoarthritis in my knees. I tried taking it after a meal and at bedtime hoping I wouldn't feel the nausea while I was sleeping, but it (the nausea) just kept me awake most of the night. Does it take time to get in my system and the feeling of nausea will eventually go away? Any suggestions would be appreciated?
Anonymous How do I beat nausea while taking Tramadol?
- Posted:
- 4 Nov 2009 by Anonymous
- Topics:
- ultram, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, pain, nausea/vomiting, tramadol
Details:
Answers (21)
itsmetoo24 Nov 2009
http://www.drugs.com/sfx/tramadol-side-effects.html
Side Effects of Tramadol - for the Consumer
Tramadol/Acetaminophen
All medicines may cause side effects, but many people have no, or minor, side effects. Check with your doctor if any of these most COMMON side effects persist or become bothersome when using Tramadol/Acetaminophen:
Constipation; diarrhea; dizziness; drowsiness; increased sweating; loss of appetite; nausea.
______________________________________________________________
There are many, many drugs out there that you can tolerate. You should not suffer.
Have you tried Eating something like Activa with your medicine If this does not work, really talk to your physician ans he/she must have something in his bag of tricks.
Lizardoli4 Nov 2009
Talk to your doctor and see if they can prescribe a medication that will help, it sounds like the chemo drug side effects I deal with, I take the medicine in the morning and take a drug called Onadasetron!
If you want to try a natural remedy that works for me, use ginger root in your tea or try ginger gum, some people it does not work for though!
Delila5 Nov 2009
I was nausea's while taking tramadol for about 2 months! The only reason I continued taking it was because, despite the sickness, it killed my pain, and made me feel good! Not everyone has sickness for this long, but beware, it can last a while!
Be careful, although tramadol is not 'physically' addictive, it certainly is psychologically, it affects your seritonin levels, and once your hooked, it's not good!
pfcpremosgirl
11 Jan 2010
Tramadol is most certainly physically addictive. There's the danger. So many people think that this drug is NOT addictive. It is physically addictive. It can screw up your whole life. Just as much as any opiate derivative drug can. It just takes a few more pills to get there. Don't be deceived by this drug.
ncblueyes
18 Apr 2010
Yes Tramadol is very addictive.I was on it for 2 years and found myself taking more than perscribed in a day.Well to make a long story short i could not check into a detox center because it is not considered a addictive drug.So i detoxed at home and it took 3 weeks for the severe effects to go away but a good 2 to 3 months just to fill better all the way around.For the 3 weeks at home i had to take 2 to 3 showers a day because of sweating so bad and the smell was awful.I could not sleep at all at night and had to be put on sleeping pills just to sleep during the day.I had everything from severe leg cramps more than just my RLS,Severe Diarrhea and Vomiting,and I felt like i was locked inside myself,with no control over anything,kinda like a massive fog!I had more pain from stoping the medicine than i had before or even now.So please,please think twice before getting on this med,either take it for a few days if needed or stay on it or not at all.It works well i think for pain just ...
hertsandb...15 Dec 2009
Tramadol is a very powerful pain killer. although I have to agree that its very good for killing arthritic pain in the knees etc,it does not suit everyone, it has to be taken with food as does all strong pain killers, can cause problems with your stomach if taken regularly. I think if you have given it a fair trial and it still is making you feel naseas then you should consult your doctor. There are other types of medication for pain caused by arthritic problems, my mother has ani inflamatory tablets. they help to reduce the pain, but dont cause sickness. Hope you find the right medication for you, that eases the pain without the sickness.
Mare919
18 Mar 2010
Some people i suppose to addicted easily, ultram is addictive, but because
it takes longer to take effect than most pain meds, and is not one that gives most a high, it is one of the safer ones.
Mare91918 Mar 2010
Tramodol can give you some nausea, but it passes, or at least in my case it did. Just don't take prozac with it, even after years of taking both i had a siezure 3 weeks ago. They said they think that is what caused it anyway.
Anyway, give ultram some time and you should be ok. Maybe they can change meds if not better soon. With RA i'm surprised ultram even helps
you. Glad it does tho. As for addiction, very small chance as far as i have researched, and have had no problems after stopping a few weeks ago.
Good luck to you.
Mare
Nik. Nikita
20 Mar 2011
mare919, Research is great, but not as good as experience up close and personal. I'm only going to say this to warn everyone. Ultram or tramadol which is same thing, is very, very, physically addicting. Worse than some of the strongest opiates out there!!! It's horrible to withdraw from. The sickness you will feel when you withdraw is so bad that you will wish someone could knock you out for several months. nausea, cramping, uncontrollable diarrhea , sleepless nights, sweating, chills, leg cramps, and that is the easy part. Then you have to deal with your mind telling you to take some more, maybe just one and you'll feel better. But don't do it!! If you take them, get off of them. If your thinking of starting to take them, don't. They are terrible!!! NIK
missy218 Mar 2010
i've never taken tramadol but if you want an over the counter nausea medication that doesn't cause sleepiness you may want to try a liquid called EMETROL it comes in 2 flavors mint and cherry let me warn you they both taste ok to good but they are very STICKIE i quit using a spoon just a little squig from my personal bottle. missy
subzero5818 Mar 2010
hi, i was put on ultram, and then ultraset.all i could do is keep a bag with me eveywhere i went. for 2 days it made so sick it was hell. my doc then told me to put it on a list of med allergies. guess its just not for everyone. the worst of it all was that stuff worked on my pain, for 2 hours. then wore off. but the nausea was too much to handle.
craig7979...19 Apr 2010
When I first started taking it, it made me sick too. It is a matter of lowering your dose at first until your system adjusts. After raising your tolerance level, you wont feel it as bad. I would still get sick now if I took 150 mgs at one time. Try splitting the pills and taking them six times a day instead of three. This might ease the impact on your stomach as well. Hope this helps.
melissab(...
heidihoe
22 Jan 2011
Yes maybe this is a better option, is it addictive long term???
25 Feb 2011
Ultam-same A's tramadol causes nausea and vomiting. It is not listed A's a controlled drug yet, but will be in the future. It is just A's addicting and sometimes more than a narcotic!!! I know that for a fact. If you must take it, request Phenergan 25mg. Tabs to take with it. This will eliminate the Nausea for you completely. But be very careful with this drug. Do not increase your dose. Withdrawal from Ultram is extremely uncomfortable. Anxiety, nervousness, restlessness, diarrhea, cramping, you get the picture. Anyhow, be careful with it. NIK
Nik. Nikita
20 Mar 2011
Triskeyash, that is because of the benadryl that is in typm. Be careful what drugs you mix together. It's not safe to take benadryl a lot during the day due to it's hypnotic effects. you could try Dramamine, the car sick drug. NIK
triskeyash
21 Mar 2011
I did it for years... Im on day 9 off of all of it though... the insomnia and restless leg syndrome, or body syndrome in my case is Horrific... but I tried 3 other times and never got past day 3... Im not going back this time. I got on it for a foot injury..but couldnt get off of it
cooksii27 Mar 2011
Ask your doctor if it's okay to take one of the following with your Ultram:
Phenergan (Rx only, gen. name promazine; causes significant drowsiness)
Meclizine (brand name Antivert, Dramamine II; non drowsy)
Dramamine I (gen. name dimenhydrinate; a bit of drowsiness, but probably the best choice. Sometimes half a tablet works.)
(It's kinda hard to carry a bottle of Emetrol around in your purse... or pocket.)
One of the more interesting drug interactions of the older antihistamines like Dramamine I is an APPARENT potentiation (increase in the painkilling effect) of narcotics, though this is a subjective, not an objective observation of many people. In my opinion, the way it MIGHT do this is by getting rid of some of the nasty narcotic side effects... making people FEEL better.. or at least more normal... when they're not feeling like they're about to lose their lunch.
But do talk to your doctor even about adding OTC drugs to your pain regimen. S/he should know about the nausea problem.
-cooksii
blaze2228 Apr 2011
At one time I was on this drug for extreme pain and a problematic spinal after giving birth to my 3rd child who is now 8 and I was prescribed ultram I think that it was to off-set my nausea... It did work however powerful, and I was a stay at home mom... I was not doing alot of driving, heavy lifting and visiting alot after my 3rd birth... all that needs to be taken into consideration when combining these two, they can make you feel almost drunk and very woozie... blaze22
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Anonymous, as far as the nausea goes, you could take Phenergan 25mg tabs. it works really well, but does make you tired. Please be careful with the drug tramadol/Ultram, doctors will tell you it's harmless, but it isn't. This drug is just as addicting as any other opiate. it's not a control drug at the moment, but it should be. I took it for many years for migraines, and even though it does relieve pain, see how you feel when you stop taking it after you have taken it for a while. OMG!!W/D. Just like from Percocet. It should have been labeled a controlled drug a long time ago. it effects your opiate receptors in your brain just like any other opiate. it doesn't work as well as Percocet, or give you the same amount of euphoria, but unfortunately,it does have the same and sometimes worse, withdrawals as all of them. be careful is all I'm saying. NIK
I have been onand off it for a little now and once it is in your system the nausea does tend to go away. Please be careful taking this drug because it is addictive. That's why my GP keeps taking me off of it and putting me back on.
Phenergren, may be the way to go, I have heard that it does work well, and I myself and am starting to be concerned about the klonopin/Celexa combination, for what ever reason for the last 4 days it has been nothing but strait forward nausea, feeling just awful. Can't keep much down and that is very bothersome, has got to be something else aside from the other medications... Good luck to you... It is a trial and error thing. Blaze22
I have just stopped taking Tramadol for arthritis pain. My prescription was for 50MGS to 100MGS every 6 hours. It mad me nauseous at first and the nausea
kept getting worse over time to the point that i was unable to walk very far without throwing up. This was unexpected, since I underwent a hip replacement 2 years ago and was on a heavy regimen of opiates (Vicodan and Oxycontin and felt no nausea. I just went to an orthopedist who gave me Tylenol 3's which I have switched to and have provided more pain relief with no nausea. I very seldom (never really) have experienced side effects from a drug. Besides the nausea the Tramadol also gave me dizziness, shortness of breath and memory loss. I am dropping the GP that prescribed the Tramadol and refused to take my complaints seriously. My new orthopedist said nausea was very common with Tramadol.