Hi, I suffer from a torn rotator cuff and am in constant pain especially at night. My doctor prescribed me four 50mg tablets of Tramadol a day or as needed. She told me to take two at bedtime. Will I be okay taking three? And what's the max mg I can take every day?
I just took three tablets of 50mg Tramadol. Will I be okay?
Question posted by chaoskaye on 28 Dec 2014
Last updated on 10 December 2023
The information on this page reflects personal experiences shared by our community members. It is not reviewed for medical accuracy and should not replace professional medical advice.
49 Answers
jammark
10 Dec 2023
Yes, you will be fine.
I suffer from fibromyalgia and I take three tramadol first thing in the morning 4 days a week and two tramadol first thing in the morning 3 days a week. One or two tramadol pretty much does nothing to help me. Three tramadol does help, but only for about 6 hours. After that, I am pretty much down for the count for the rest of the day and night. It's no way to live, but better than the quality of life I did not have before tramadol. The maximum daily dose recommended for fibromyalgia is 400 mg. My doctor will only go to 125 mg, not even half! Every time I think about it I get angry because I know what works for me and all I'm asking for is pain relief and a better quality of life. The tramadol does not make me high. I have been taking benzodiazepines for a dozen years and never had any problem with addiction. I don't get why my doctor prescribes only enough to get me through 1/3 of my day.
I hate to admit it, but I even looked into other ways of getting the medicine I needed. Ultimately, I wisely decided against it. Some days I just think I don't want to live because of the pain which means no quality of life for 2/3 of the time.
Thank you all for letting me vent. Funny thing is that a friend of mine who has cancer recommended I try extra strength acetaminophen along with my tramadol, so I am experimenting with that. And when my tramadol wears off and I'm not allowed to have any more that day I will experiment with acetaminophen those times as well.
rhcuda426
9 Dec 2023
Yes, works for my back, it's the only thing that can help my back. I don't take it every day, no need, but when I do it's 3.
Lahoftx100
8 Aug 2022
I took Tramadol, as needed, for Fibromyalgia. It did nothing except keep me awake all day and night. I couldn’t nap and my insomnia was much worse than it was already. I had to stop and begin using another medication.
jammark
10 Dec 2023
I also have fibromyalgia. May I ask what your doctor switched you to?
Pdeck
7 June 2022
you should take what you are prescribed for. best answer is ask your doctor if you can take 3. I take tramadol 4 times a day. Once every 4 to 6 hours. Only bad thing about overdosing tramadol is higher risk of seizures and you dont want that. I have to admit i took 3 by mistake before and I was fine. The relief is about the same as 2 so not much different.
TransAm1
7 June 2022
You will be alright
Jilly41
5 June 2022
I was on Tramadol for 5 years. My last doctor over prescribed me this med. She told me to take 12x50mg pills daily for pain. So I took 4 in the morning, 4 in the afternoon and 4 before bed. After being on this high dose for a week or so and feeling out of it and loopy... I was rushed to the hospital twice for seizures. Thank God my son called 9-1-1 both times after finding me flopping on the floor like a fish. So to answer your question... I'm more than positive you'll be fine for taking 3.
I havent been on Tramadol for 2 years now, and my doctors still want to put me on it for my chronic pain... even after I tell them what happened!!! Sometimes it's best to just go with your gut.
What dose are you supposed to be taking? 1x50mg a day?
jammark
10 Dec 2023
The reason you had those seizures is because your doctor prescribed twice the highest recommended dosage! 400 mg per day, which is 8 tablets, is the maximum dosage. Tramadol has helped a lot of people, including me, but your doctor should have their certificate or license pulled for prescription of this drug. That is a gross abuse and negligence. I don't know if you have sued for malpractice but I certainly would. You don't know what long-lasting effect those seizures will have upon you. My own doctor, sadly, does not prescribe enough to relieve my pain during all my waking hours. I have fibromyalgia.
jammark
10 Dec 2023
Sorry. Almost twice the highest recommended dosage. But certainly way way too much!
cenzo5739
10 Feb 2019
You will be fine maximum dose age on tramadol is 150 mg a day and it also depends how your body metabolizes the
Drug it’s relatively not a high dose but I would not go to 200 at one time
Rich the Genius
12 Dec 2018
Chaoskaye... it really depends on the person taking it. I’m prescribed 90 50mg tablets per month with the script calling for 3x daily as needed. I have lymphoma cancer and a very bad lower back problem. There have been a few times when I took more than prescribed ( such as 3 or even 4! at one time).
Just be careful and if need to, contact your doctor and see if you can get either an increase in mgs or more a day prescribed.
Charmk56
9 Sep 2018
Because tramadol is half narcotic and half antidepressant I wouldn't play around with doses unless you consult your doctor.
Sanjuan1
9 Sep 2018
I take 3 all the time. They’re too weak and don’t work so for me to feel relief I take 3. I think maximum is 300mg
Becca5
18 April 2018
Max single dose is 400mg so 3 will not harm you. You're body may feel light and tired. Don't fight it. Go to sleep. Ok
dandylion67
24 Oct 2019
But some on that high dose will never wake up again.
Utecity1
14 April 2018
I to take Tramadol 2 50mg 3x a day. The worry with Tramadol and taking too much is seizures and breathing problems. The emergency rooms were hit big with people taking too much Tramadol and they couldn't breath well. I guess they thought it was like hydrocodone or one of those drugs. Anyway just be careful. I know this is old comment by the way
Geri123
13 April 2018
I had a shoulder SLAP tear operation 9 days ago and the last 2 nights have been the worst sleeps of my life... I managed to sleep the first night as the block in my shoulder was still effective, however since then I have not had more than 2 hours sleep total per night. My initial post op medication was X2 30mg Codeine 4 times per day, x2 500g of Paracetamol and x2 200g of Ibuprofen both 4 times per day... the pain is tolerable during the day time provided I’m not active too much. However as soon as I try to sleep the pain really kicks in. Then last night without warning my pain went from a constant 2-3/10 (which is fine throughout the day but just enough cause me to wake up at night) to an 8/10 over a period of about 10 minutes for about 15 minutes.
I nearly lost my mind, I purposely stayed awake all that night so my mind had other things to think about (trying to use my brain by watching a quiz show helped a little) bringing it back down to a 5-6/10 for the remainder of the night. The following morning I rang for an emergency appointment as soon as my local docs was open. I was seen to straight away and was prescribed tramadol in replace of the Codeine.
For the first time in over a week I was virtually pain free (1/10) for the rest of the afternoon. I even managed a short sleep... Feeling much better but still way behind on sleep I was confident that the tramadol was working and that tonight would be the night I could possibly even manage a full sleep. But here I am once again awake at 02:00 occupying my brain with other means to take the pain away, but the pain is only 3-4/10 instead of last nights Excruciating 8/10 (by the way for my definition of extreme I would consider having your leg amputated without any anisthetic as around a 9.5/10).
In the last 15 minutes of writing this, the pain has gone back down to around a 2-3/10 most likely because my mind is occupied, I’m sure as soon as I try to sleep it will creep back up again.
In response to will you be ok taking 3 x 50mg Tramadol in one dose, I hope the answer was yes as I too seem to feel better with 2 tramadol... But within 2-3 hours it wears off again and the pain comes back, but I can’t take more meds for another 2 hours or so as I’ll risk over dosing.
Interested to hear any other stories on how they managed to get through their pain. And also if anyone’s had a shoulder Labrum repair and how they got on?
Addydawn
2 Feb 2018
I see this question is a few years old, but I will answer it, anyway.
Well... there’s a lot to know to answer this question.
What other meds are you taking?
They can have an interaction with tramadol. Tramadol actually has a Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor action like Prozac or Paxil. Too much Serotonin causes Serotonin Syndrome. Many people and some doctors don’t realize that.
Do you have any kidney or liver problems. They can affect how quickly or slowly you metabolize the drug.
Are you taking any other pain meds along with time tramadol?
Do you drink alcohol or take other drugs that are not prescribed? They can have an interaction.
Truthfully, 3 Tramadol isn’t a lethal dose by far.
Truckman69
21 Nov 2017
Have been on pain meds for many years, Norco 10/325. My doctor no longer prescribes these meds, so I get tramadol now. I take 6 of the 50's twice a day with no side effects. Not saying this is good, but it gives me a little relief. Never suffered any side effects. I have a very high tolerance to pain meds. As a reference, I have taken 4 of the Norco 10/325 at a time on many occasions with no side effects. Guess I am just different. Better than Tylenol... but not much. Good luck.
Related topics
pain, tramadol, chronic pain, doctor, prescription, constant pain, tablet
Further information
- Tramadol uses and safety info
- Tramadol prescribing info & package insert (for Health Professionals)
- Side effects of Tramadol (detailed)
Similar questions
Search for questions
Still looking for answers? Try searching for what you seek or ask your own question.