I have killer headaches every day. I've been taking Tramadol for about 7 years. A doctor prescribed it to me for my backpain, at the beginning I took 2 50mg pills and then 1 every 8 hrs. They took care of the pain for quite some time, but then I had to increase the dose, taking 2 at a time. It was then that I felt this wellnes like I was a little drunk, so I kept taking them.
Now 7 years later, I take 5 to 10 pills a day, they stopped helping me with the pain really, and I wake up and go to bed every day with this horrible headache. I have somach problems to, I think that is due to the constipation Tramadol causes.
My questions are: does anyone suffer frim headaches from Tramadol, or could it be somethin else? I had all kinds of medical exams and everythings seems normal.
I have chestpain and backpain too, I went to a cardiologist and nothing is wrong with my heart.
Im sick and tired of taking this medication. Im tired of being dependable, of have to go the drugstore so often I have to drive to different drugstores because Im embarrased that they notice my addiction. I live in Mexico and here you don't need a prescription, and it is VERY cheap the generic kind, it cost $3.50 dlls for 10 50mg pills, so I go figure how many can buy without affecting my pocket.
I really want to quit, but Im affraid of the pain of my back, the headaches, the mood swings, the spleelessness.
How many days takes to get this medication out of your system? Is it better to quit slowly or cold turkey? Have my chest pains and headaches related to tramadol? Please I need any help I can get
Tramadol - can it cause severe headaches, How long does it stay in your system and how can I quit?
Question posted by ClaudiaE on 14 Nov 2010
Last updated on 29 May 2019 by Trammj
7 Answers
This is an old thread but I wanted to comment. I’ve been on T for (gulp) five years now. I started getting migraines around a year ago that have become progressively worse. I think it’s the fact that T is a norepinephrine uptake inhibitor. Meaning you keep more of it in your brain and that’s what makes you feel good.
Tyramine is a major known migraine trigger and can cause nerve cells in your brain to release the chemical norepinephrine. Having higher levels of tyramine in your system — along with an unusual level of brain chemicals — can cause changes in the brain that lead to headaches. So if you consume tyramine which is natural in so many foods, and then have high levels of the norepinephrine it’s a recipe for migraines.
I also feel like for me that’s it’s blood sugar levels teetering. I’m going to try to keep my blood sugar more balanced. I may still get them but it will lower my threshold and make them less likely.
I have been taking tramadol for 5 years now for chronic body pain initially taking 4 50mg pills daily which I have cut myself down to 1/4 to 1/2 of a 50mg pill daily and suffer from daily headaches for the past 3-4 yrs. I also feel this is from tramadol, a very addictive drug although my doctor told me it was not and did not have withdrawal symptoms which it does.There usually is no rhyme or reason for my daily headaches although at times are triggered by salty foods, a glass of wine etc. but for the most part I would say they are attributed to tramadol. I also am very frustrated with tx for my headaches over the years, neurologists, chiropractors with no long term satisfaction. I am still struggling to get off of tramadol completely but I suggest strongly you take it very slow, cut yourself down gradually. Good Luck to you Just noticed your post is 2 yrs old so hopefully by now you're well.
i barely been on tramadol for a good week, and only take one at night for my l lupus pain, and i have noticed horrible headache since ive started tramadol.. i dont know if its just a coincedence and i have a bad migrane, or if it is in fact the pills!
Yes, it causes headaches! If I take more than 3 50's a day, I will have a long lasting one. I don't smoke or drink and tramadol is the only med that I am on. Also after taking just 3, I wake up with a hangover and have to take 1/2 with my coffee to overcome that. My last headache lasted 3 days and was severe. I took 5 that day. The only reason I ended up on this site was to find out "WHY" it causes headaches. I feel your pain. I am trying to wean myself off of these as my last episode was scary. I am down to 2 1/2 a day and feel much better but I have tried this before and it is hell to quit cold turkey. This time I'm going slower and will have some tylenol with sleep aid to help with the gruesome nights. This stuff replaced my Norco as I was allergic to it and my dr said this was not much stronger than tylenol or advil. I don't think so! Good luck.
I had the same problem Tramadol is not just a pain pill like oxy or vic it also acts as an ssri. Your problem is from taking to many too quickly or just taking too many. Tramadol causes seretonin not to be suck back into the receptors in your brain hence giving you a long term sense of well being. The opiate receptors are hit like and opiate would do but not as much. When you take too much your body gets flooded with seretonin which in small amounts is good but in the amouts you take will cause some very serious side effects. You have to decrease your dose and take some ibubrofen with it. Your body will literally fry from this much seratonin at one time floating around in your system. I would not be suprised if you feel as if you have been hit by a truck. Trust me I just went through the same thing I could not figure why i took more and felt worse and worse when it seemed to help so much at first.
Go back to two in the am and one every 8 hours for at least two weeks you will see how much pain you are not in. TRUST ME. I kept going to the doctor and they would run blood test do x-ray and always say everything is fine. I felt like a knife through my skull constantly and it would only get worse when i took more. I even got a horrible rash from it. I was convinced i had psoratic arthritis until I fould the way it effects you seratonin. Your body if constantly firing do to this causing extreme pain fatigue unhappiness stop taking it for a day or only take it once a day for a couple days and i Promis YOU WILL SEE Good Luck to you
It take seven to ten days to get out your system, its not good to cold turkey, you run a risk of heart attack .
This is from a person, not a doctor. It is possible the headache and stomach pain are from the dependence of the tramadol. The headache is probably a rebound headache, one caused by too much of it being taken too ofter. The stomach pain may be the effect of this on your stomach lining. We are just now starting to see a lot of questions about coming off tramadol. If someone has a permanent problem where they will always have pain, Methadone is one way to treat the pain but get off tramadol. If someone merely wants to come off opiates without much withdrawal and wants to control the craving for the opiates, Suboxone or subutex is an option to get off the opiates. Even though Tramadol is not a true opiate, it feels like it in withdrawal. You can also google the Thomas Recipe opiate withdrawal for a list of over the counter meds and supplements that treat the various withdrawal symptoms.
If you go to YouTube.com and put in Tramadol withdrawal, or quitting Tramadol, you may be able to find some people who posted videos about what helped them. Don't watch videos that are too upsetting, you want to look for one where someone was successful and upbeat about being off. If one starts getting upsetting, turn it off and try another. I'll say a prayer for you. Pattishan there are some people who put vids on about suboxone or subutex. I suggest SuboxDoc and Maple2609. Maple is a patient on subs and he explains it really well.
I am a fibromyalgia patient, not a practicing health care worker. I have been using tramadol 50m, to little or no effective pain relief, since Summer. I also take with it, aceteminophen 625m , ibuprofen 200m , and naproxen sodium 200m, two at a time, twice a day, every day. The tempororary pain relief used to make me fall asleep sitting up in the chair when i was supposed to be leaving for an appointment. The dr said, stop the inbuprofen, and try savella. I seldom if ever get headaches, Now, suddenly, coincidentally, i suffer severe headaches to the extreme of nausea. I have eaten nearly 3-5 meals in as many weeks and keep a clean bucket next to me bed. I have been eating little more than bread and butter, cola or ginger alle for a month. I was told to come back in three months, so i made a one month appointment, which means i have already been waiting for four weeks calling the dr's offices every week, sometimes more than once.
I finally asked the pharmacist, who said, 32% feel NO pain relief at all and combined, (which they should not be), savella and tramadol may cause severe migraine pain and nausea as well as other fun side affects.
Now, i i feel like my old fibro self again, ugh. Since i told the dr's nurse, "No, lets do it this way, i will stop using the tramadol, continune at the low dose of the savella for a few days and report the results." Which are still a headache present, not quite as severe, stomach pain continues, nauseau still present but lessesened. Pain at maximum and i feel like i have been jumped and beaten by a gang and woke up with the flu. Thanks Modern health care nurses who will not let me talk to my dr. Thanks FDA for not allowing my dr to be my champion to help me, but challenge me on every discussion. What country is this? Surely not the USA i was born in! I feel like i should move to a tropical island or primitive jungle to meet their old fashioned drs for cures! Now, i will try anything once -as long as it is not alive or kicking. I told the nurse, two days agao, tell my dr i want something to replce the tradmadol for pain, and i want off the savella and lets try something else. The nurse said, i will advise that you continue the savella. (WTF? Are you even listening to the words coming out of my mouth? ) No one called yesterday, i am calling back today, and asking for my dr.
Related topics
headache, pain, tramadol, addiction
Further information
- Tramadol uses and safety info
- Tramadol prescribing info & package insert (for Health Professionals)
- Side effects of Tramadol (detailed)
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