Tramadol and Constipation: What Users Say (Page 2)

• Ben...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• August 26, 2015

For Chronic Pain "Was prescribed 100 mg time release, then 200 mg for severe chronic lower back pain, and it has changed my life. Was taking Percocet but wanted to change to something less habit-forming and am glad I did. Quality of life has drastically improved and has allowed me to avoid risky surgery (3 herniated discs and dual sciatica). I stop taking it about once every 3 months to 'check in' on dependency and effectiveness but have been taking it steadily for 4 years now. Some light side effects including slightly decreased libido and hard stool, totally manageable. Not everyone reacts the same (my mother suffers from a similar problem to mine, and it doesn't work as well for her). Recommend you try it for a week, then evaluate. Loopy for the first 2 days. :)"

• GCP...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• June 24, 2019

For Chronic Pain "I've been taking tramadol for years (arthritis, all over, spine, etc.), but it doesn't work as good as it used to. Have to take 2/3 to get relief, but I am still good with it. Anyone having constipation issues should take a swig of mineral oil every day! It works wonders! It has no taste, and pills didn't help me."

• Ibz...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• April 7, 2016

Tramadol for Chronic Pain "I use Ultram/Tramadol 50 mg for breakthrough pain usually. Normally in that capacity, they work okay. Prefer them to having to use a second opioid that makes me drowsy or more constipated. Right now, it has become my only pain med, and taking max dose of 150/8 hrs is a joke. If you have real pain long term, I find a common opinion among chronic pain sufferers that this is true."

• Ste...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• December 22, 2024

For Back Pain "I’ve had three back operations, and I’m still in pain. Tramadol is the best medication I’m on out of everything: 8 50mg pills per day. It takes the edge off my pain, and I know when I need more. I’ve tried so many other meds that don’t work, or I can’t function on or hold a conversation. Tramadol helps with my pain, and I can function with it and with other meds as a mix. I do get slightly constipated with it. That’s the only downside. Other meds help me with that. I’ve now been on this for over 10 years. It’s the best for me. It’s very easy to take with a glass of water."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 15, 2016

For Back Pain "Helps with pain. In the beginning, it made me constipated, but only the first 2 weeks. I slept more, at least 8 hrs a night. For me, it worked together with Flexeril and Lyrica. I was taking it 3 times a day, and now it's 1/2 pill twice a day. I am off of Lyrica and trying to get off tramadol too."

• Anonymous
• December 28, 2008

For Pain "This may sound overdramatic, but this drug has changed my life for the better. It was prescribed for mild back pain, along with Buspirone for anxiety (this has become a growing concern in my demanding job). Tramadol brought a sense of calm and focus (and pain relief) I've never felt, nor imagined, with only the occasional sense of dizziness. Ironically, it keeps me up at night, and there is the occasional constipation. I try to skip the occasional day to avoid dependence."

• Sev...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• August 12, 2015

For Chronic Pain "I take it for severe lower back pain. I have to take the maximum dose of 400 mg a day, and you must take it on a regular basis every four hours. You may not feel the full effect unless you've been taking it consistently. I am 50 years old, very active, and travel often. The only side effect that I have is constipation. If I don't take it on time, my body tells me because then the pain reoccurs. Within 10 minutes of taking tramadol, I feel fine."

• Tra...
• March 28, 2008

For Pain "Good med for moderate pain and can help with anxiety, but will cause headaches and constipation, but not as bad as opiates. The #1 problem is if you have to stop, then you MUST taper off over weeks, especially if taking a high dose over 200 mg a day or for more than 2 weeks, or you will experience some wild withdrawals, like not sleeping and tingling down to the tips of your fingers and other horrible feelings. If you're lucky to have it, you can take the drug LYRICA, and it will stop most of the withdrawals, especially the nerve tingling."

• Anonymous
• November 25, 2019

For Back Pain "I have been on this tramadol for just a few weeks for permanent nerve damage and sciatica. I've been tried on a few medicines, and one worked before but has come under restriction in the UK as a controlled drug (gabapentin) due to people abusing them, so now I am on this tramadol, they work great in removing the burning, numbness, and severe pain that travels from my butt to my toes on my left side for the best part of the day at least. But, they have not been without their side effects! I had bad nausea when trying to get to sleep, bad constipation, and delayed emptying of my gut, hemorrhoids due to the constipation, over-tired during the day when trying to do my work (manual worker), feel bizarre sometimes, like I am high, vibrating inside lol. Been told by my doctor to bear with it, my body will eventually settle down, and it is just I have never had opiate meds before. I hope he is right, but I am also told that they are very addictive, this worries me a bit!"

• Anonymous
• January 12, 2010

For Pain "I use Tramadol for migraine headaches, and it works great for me. It takes the pain away, helps me relax, it's almost like a happy pill. It also helps me sleep, and what I love most about it is that I don't find myself having to up the dosage at all, even though I take it almost every day. I've been taking only 50 mg and don't need any more. It actually lasts for most of my day, and it doesn't make me drowsy. It just seems to really be a great alternative to more harsh and habit-forming pain relievers. I experienced some constipation for a few days when I first started taking it, but then it went away. I would recommend this to anybody who doesn't want to develop a habit for stronger drugs."

• ste...
• October 30, 2009

For Pain "Works great for me, a little constipation and itching, but that's all the downside effects I have. I feel like my life is mine again, don't care if they are addictive as long as they keep me out of the amount of pain I was in. Read all the horror stories on the internet, for me they work a treat, gave me a life again. Thank you, Tramadol."

• Anonymous
• December 21, 2011

For Pain "Prescribed tramadol 8 x 50g (400mg) daily for TN (trigeminal neuralgia). Advantages: Reduces pain by about 80%, so can function on a daily basis. Appetite suppressant. Don't feel the need to drink alcohol to excess. Much calmer, happier, and more focused. Disadvantages: dry mouth, itching, slight constipation, and occasional insomnia. Advantages far outweigh disadvantages, in my opinion. Would recommend."

• SL ...
• October 12, 2010

Tramadol for Pain "I was prescribed this medicine for moderate pain after surgery. My incisions bothered me, and I took 4 pills a day for the first 3 days, then usually 2 a day. However, the side effects: nausea, palpitations, dizziness, drowsiness and sleeplessness, constipation and mental vagueness were really too unpleasant to be rid of minor pain, so after a week I stopped taking it. It is annoying that after stopping it, I suffered nausea, palpitations, and weakness/drowsiness after large meals-possibly due to withdrawal."

• fif...
• July 25, 2016

For Pain "I was prescribed Tramadol by an emergency room doctor until I can get in to get my wisdom teeth removed. I'm supposed to take one pill every six hours, but I only take one pill whenever I have absolutely unbearable pain that doesn't go away within one hour. The pain relief is quick, within 20 minutes, taking it from a 10 on the pain scale to about a 5. Terrible nausea, shakes, lightheadedness, and sweats if I don't eat plenty before or right after taking this medication. Constipation is also caused, clearing up two or three days after ceasing."

• Anonymous
• March 14, 2008

For Pain "I used this for significant body pains and had great results. Tramadol was described by my doc as a 'notch below' Vicodin. The more you take, the queasier you get, and my appetite was suppressed, so I lost some weight. Yes, it caused MAJOR constipation, which made me miserable at first, but this was resolved with 3 flaxseed oil capsules, a couple of Fiber One bars, and a lot of water every day. (Seriously, this was my miracle cure.) The tramadol also had me waking up every hour at night."

• BCo...
• May 31, 2014

For Chronic Pain "I take it for gastrointestinal pain, and it works fairly well. My pain often gets to the point of me wanting to punch everything in sight, and tramadol helps to quiet it. The only downsides are that it takes a little longer to start working than I need it to, since this unbearable pain can arise in a few minutes. Additionally, it causes constipation even in low doses, which can contribute to further gastrointestinal pain."

• Har...
• September 11, 2009

Tramadol for Pain "This is an exceptional drug for pain relief, but the side effects far outweigh the pain-relieving benefits. I took Ultram ER, 300 MG for 3 months for low back pain, and like I said, it was a savior for my pain. However, I started to have some strange dreams with muscle spasms, constipation, and extreme fatigue. I stopped the drug about 10 days ago and have finally started to feel better. I am 73 years old and in good health, except for the back pain."

• DHJ...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• July 19, 2016

Tramadol for Chronic Pain "I have been taking Tramadol ER 100 milligrams 3 times a day for over 6 years. I have found out that in the beginning it helped, but now as my pain has increased and my disease has become more severe, it doesn't help at all. I have never experienced any side effects other than constipation when I add it with the rest of my meds, such as Vicodin, to help with the pain. I do realize that when I am taking the Vicodin, it does give me the itches. Other than that, I can't say I've experienced any other side effects."

• Jak...
• July 3, 2015

For Back Pain "For a few years, this drug really worked well. Not many side effects, but you must be aware of the constipation! It can be severe. If I had not developed nerve problems in my back, I think tramadol would have been enough. I have ended up in dreadful pain in my back at this time in my life, and I'm going to replace tramadol with a step 3 medication."

• tai...
• June 10, 2011

For Back Pain "I was in a car accident a few weeks ago, and it turns out I have a fractured tailbone. My Dr. prescribed Tramadol so that I could get pain relief during the day, as I need a clear head in order to do my job (I am guessing almost everyone does). So far, I am noticing slight constipation and a little anxiety. I feel like it does help with the pain a little, but I find myself ready to take a second pill as soon as 4 hours have passed, and I do think that it helps if you take it before you feel the pain, like another reviewer said. I guess I feel like it is a good alternative to something stronger, but I am always ready to take my Flexeril at bedtime. I feel like it helps more, but I can't take it during the day."

• Lif...
• July 24, 2015

For Chronic Pain "I've been on tramadol for 5 years after surgery on my knee. I now have tendinitis in my right shoulder that I take it for. I take 50 mg 3x a day. It really helps with the pain. I don't like that it constipates you. I experience sweating at times. But the pain is very manageable."

• nap...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• March 20, 2019

For Chronic Pain "I've been used to defending tramadol when I see negative critiques in the press, no longer. I have long-term pain from imperfect lumbar stenosis surgery and used it to get some sleep. At first wonderful, after a couple of months, not so wonderful. Now, 2 to 3 years down the road, I stopped cold turkey. Its very common side effect is constipation, as with other opioids. A few weeks back, this problem suddenly escalated from manageable to horrible. I got a UTI, which I attribute to the overall sluggishness of my system under tramadol. Bloody awful. I stopped tramadol immediately. Now I discover from the net that the commonest long-term withdrawal problem is chronic constipation, too. I've also discovered it made no difference to my pain, i.e., it had stopped working. I feel relieved to have got over my fear of stopping this stuff. Getting better. Currently sleeping with NSAIDs and a hot water bottle. Thank you, God, for rubber!"

• MHB...
• May 26, 2010

For Pain "I have a herniated disc in my lower back. The pain was intense. I had a series of injections that really helped, but some of the pain gradually returned, but not as intense as the original pain was. I usually take one 50 mg tablet of tramadol and a tablet of diclofenac every morning, and it gets me through the day. The only side effects I seem to experience are slight constipation and a loss of appetite. Those minor things are well worth the relief I get."

• Sep...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• March 15, 2021

For Restless Legs Syndrome "I am a 54-year-old male, and I have suffered from RSL since I was in my late 20s. Over the years, I have tried various medications as well as every type of alternative therapy I came across. Most of the usual medications had unfortunate side effects, including altering my mood and personality (according to my wife), and none of the alternative therapies had a noticeable effect on my RSL. I was given tramadol for pain when I came out of the hospital for an unrelated condition, and I was surprised to find that it also completely removed all my RSL symptoms. I have now been on tramadol (50 mg) just before bedtime for over 8 years now and last year managed to reduce the dose to 25 mg (liquid preparation), which still amazingly gives me a good night's sleep. Outside of constipation, I have no other noticeable side effects from tramadol. I would highly recommend anyone try tramadol (maybe start with 25 mg). It has truly been a lifesaver for me."

• Anonymous
• November 24, 2009

Tramadol for Pain "I took Ultram for over a year after herniating a lumbar disc. Apart from fatigue, a little dizziness, and the usual constipation that seems to accompany most pain medicines, I had no major side effects. It did not eliminate the pain but decreased it enough for me to function for the most part (sit, drive, sleep). However, over time, my system became accustomed to the drug, and it did not work for me anymore. Thankfully, I had minimal withdrawal symptoms. I have since tried Neurontin (Gabapentin), Nortriptyline, and Topamax for chronic pain, with mixed results and significantly worse side effects. Still no long-term solution for the pain."