Tramadol and Dizziness: What Users Say

• Sal...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• February 14, 2020

For Back Pain "Please be careful while taking Tramadol as I became addicted to them! Wish I never took it. I was given Tramadol by my doctor after I was in a serious car accident which led to severe back pain. Yes, it did work and yes, I felt great on it, but I started to get dependent on it. As my back started to heal and I started to take less of them, I hated the way I felt - tired, dizzy, no energy, so I continued to increase the dose so I could feel normal. I was on them for 3 years and started to develop depression. I decided to come off them so I went “cold turkey” - not the right decision, but I was too embarrassed to tell the doctor I was addicted to them. It took me 16 days to come off them with the most horrendous withdrawal symptoms. I am over it now and feel so much better that I can get on with my life without the craving of Tramadol. I just want to share this to let people know, if you are on Tramadol, please be careful."

• Run...
• January 8, 2011

Tramadol for Back Pain "Good at relieving pain for a short duration (4 hours at a time) with few side effects. I found that at 200mg/day my pain was cut in half and I had increased energy and a brighter mood. I have used this medicine for 4 years now and find that it is very effective for about four months, and then effectiveness decreases. At that point, my doctor switches me to a narcotic for three to four weeks and then I can continue with the tramadol over again with a 'reset' in the effectiveness factor. The strongest negative for me is getting off the tramadol... withdrawal effects include major mood swings, insomnia, and dizziness. But overall, it is quite effective and has very few bad effects for me while taking it."

• Alm...
• February 15, 2014

For Fibromyalgia "I managed my fibromyalgia pain for many years with exercise, rest, and stress management, although always in some pain and with fatigue. I was prescribed Tramadol three months ago when the morning pain, back pain, and overall fatigue was greatly diminishing my quality of life (ability to roll over or get out of bed, exercise, do housework, focus on the job, and feelings of helplessness). When I took it, I immediately realized how the rest of the word lives - relatively pain-free, with better mood and more energy. My morning pain is horrible, so I may need to take it in the night or get another medicine to help, I am usually relieved of the pain and stiffness within an hour and a half after taking it. Amazing! I do feel a little dizzy and lightheaded."

• LTu...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 8, 2020

For Chronic Pain "I’ve been using tramadol 50 mg for around 5 months for chronic low back pain and peripheral neuropathy in hands and feet. I have tried Palexia and oxycodone in the past, but they offer me minimal pain relief with lots of side effects. Tramadol is the only thing I’ve found to keep my pain levels down. I take both SR and IR forms. The only side effect is that they keep me awake at night, so I don’t take them near bedtime. I don’t experience any nausea, dizziness, etc., like with other pain meds. I can stop these and don’t experience any withdrawal. To work, these are dependent on you having specific liver function to process the breakdown of active ingredients. I’m lucky that these work well for me, but if you don’t have the right liver enzymes, then these may not work at all for you or cause nasty side effects, as some have noted. You won’t know though unless you try."

• Fis...
• October 11, 2013

For Restless Legs Syndrome "I have been on Tramadol for eight years now and could not function without it. I have uncontrollable movement sometimes all day long if I don't medicate starting when I wake up each day. Presently I have to take the threshold amount of 400mg each day and now I need to take more to control the symptoms but I don't care because it works. I was taking gabapentin as well but it makes me dizzy, gives headaches, and can't stay awake. Prefer tramadol. Worried what I will do when it won't work any longer because of the volume I need to take for effects. My restless legs syndrome is so severe I couldn't live or want to live without a prescription to control it. Such a feeling of nerve pain it is intolerable."

• Nic...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 2, 2014

Tramadol for Back Pain "Started taking it for back pain. I took two doses and ended up in the hospital with hallucinations, dizziness, and feeling faint. Shortly after that, my body started shaking uncontrollably from the inside, making my legs feel like I had run for days."

• jo ...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 26, 2016

For Back Pain "I've been on Tramadol for 6 months for back pain. I can't take narcotics like codeine, oxycodone, etc., as they make me terribly dizzy and nauseous, as well as give me pounding headaches. But I can take Tramadol without any of those effects. Tramadol also doesn't give me a 'high' like many painkillers, so I'm never tempted to take extra just to get a buzz. I've been afraid to go beyond the 150 mg/day prescribed by my doc, but there are days when 150 just doesn't feel like enough, so I need to talk to my doc about an increase at times. Overall, this med does a fair job at controlling chronic pain without causing side effects. It's worth trying to see if it will work for you."

• Mun...
• October 26, 2015

For Restless Legs Syndrome "I have had RLS since I was a child, they didn't know what it was then and called it 'growing pains.' I would cry when it rained or was cold, my legs would hurt so bad. Then, 15 years ago, as an adult, I was given Ultram for a neck injury [three ruptured discs], and my RLS just vanished. I couldn't believe it! At first, I kept waiting for it to come back, but it didn't. Now I take tramadol 100 mg three times a day for nerve pain and RLS, and it completely controls the symptoms without obnoxious side effects [like nausea, vomiting, insomnia, and sinusitis from Requip, loss of coordination and falling from gabapentin, headaches, blurred vision, nausea, and flank pain from Lyrica-ugh, those drugs were awful!] I sleep well now and feel rested."

• Bob...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• March 30, 2016

For Pain "I was found to be type 2 diabetic after I went to the doctor complaining about pain in my feet and hands. My blood sugar was found to be at that time 500. They told me the pain was diabetic neuropathy. They tried several drugs that did not do very well and caused me to still be in pain and also dizzy. I had fallen and hurt my back. The back doctor gave me tramadol. An unexpected outcome of that was that my foot pain went away! I told my primary doctor about it, and she changed my medication to tramadol. Tramadol is a godsend to me! It stops the pain, and I don't feel dizzy or woozy."

• TJa...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 5, 2018

For Chronic Pain "I have been diagnosed with bulging discs, a pinched nerve, neuropathy, and osteoarthritis. I've been to specialists and did weeks of physical therapy. I have tried many medications, and hydrocodone was the only medication that gave me any respite from the pain I experience 24/7. Because of the opioid crisis, my doctor prescribed tramadol. I got absolutely no relief; I did become incredibly dizzy and feared falling, so I quit taking it. It's sad that because of the drug abuse by so many, those of us in need must suffer."

• Anonymous
• November 3, 2009

For Pain "62-year-old male with long-standing osteoarthritis. Under my doctor's supervision, tried many arthritis medicines with varying results. She took me off the one that worked best due to possible conflict with my heart disease. Now taking tramadol 50 mg as needed with good results. I occasionally have some symptoms which might be side effects, such as sweating, dizziness, interrupted sleep, decreased appetite, and others, but they are so mild and infrequent that I can ignore them. The dose works about an hour after taking and lasts for about 4 hours, giving me a major mood lift along with the absence of pain, a real spring in my step that lets me enjoy gardening, exercise, and work instead of just limping around. A major improvement in my life!"

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 19, 2012

For Back Pain "I started using this a week ago. I have gone from chronic high pain to a level of 1 to 2. I can function like a person again. While this is only until we address the actual problem causing the back pain, this has made me look forward to having days with very little pain. The difference is like night and day. I still have the pain if I stand for too long, or if I do too much physical activity, but I can now sit for extended periods of time pain-free. I have a slight upward tic, nervousness, and at times dizzy. I take this with food. For me, it is a relief to be so pain-free after dealing with the problem for over 18 years without any real relief."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 10 years or more
• March 16, 2014

For Chronic Pain "I have been taking it for 15 years for a variety of chronic pain, mostly cervical degeneration and neuropathy, alone and in combination with NSAIDs. It did not do much for severe low back pain, but otherwise it works well, and I would rather not be taking Vicodin. It does leave me with severe cotton mouth and possibly some dizziness (could be due to other issues, though). I consider it inexpensive and relatively effective. I don't experience any kind of high from any of my pain medicines, including Vicodin, so my experience may not be typical. It is sure worth a try if you are having pain and not finding a good medicine to help you with it."

• nor...
• December 31, 2016

For Back Pain "I have been taking anywhere from 50 to 150 mg of Tramadol per day as a part of my pain management regimen. This regimen includes 3600 mg Gabapentin and 15 mg Meloxicam per day. I've been on this regimen for 4 years for a back injury and fibromyalgia. My pharmacy switched the manufacturer of my Tramadol, and I immediately noticed that the new pill doesn't work! I don't mean just in terms of pain relief, there's not even any side effects such as the warm fuzzy feeling, dizziness, slurred speech, or cottonmouth. The 50 mg white oblong pill marked 377 is complete rubbish because I have to take 4 of them at a time (200 mg) to feel the same amount of relief I would get from the previous manufacturer pill (50 mg white oval 93/58), which worked great."

• MDM...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• April 12, 2018

For Back Pain "Was given this pain killer by my doctor due to a back injury. The doctor didn't really tell me much, just said it was a good pain reliever. Taking 8x50mg daily, the pain reduced, but felt that I was becoming dependent. If I missed a dose or was running late, I would start to feel sick. After 6 months, I have now started to reduce tramadol. PLEASE - If you can find another pain killer able to manage your symptoms, use it. Tramadol is difficult to stop. The withdrawal coming off tramadol is terrible. No sleep, diarrhea, dizziness, restless legs, cramps, sweats, unable to function, headaches. Tramadol is really not worth taking when you weigh up the pain relief and the withdrawal. AWFUL. PLEASE SPEAK TO YOUR DR OR PHARMACIST ABOUT THIS DRUG BEFORE STARTING. EVEN IF THEY SUGGEST IT, GET ANOTHER OPINION. I feel like an illegal drug addict trying to stop this."

• bet...
• January 30, 2012

For Back Pain "Started taking tramadol (50 mg) for a bulging disc that was discovered after an X-ray and MRI in 2011. I didn't take 50 mg/day consistently until November. Tramadol worked extremely well for my back pain and elevated my mood quite a bit. (Always a great thing for the husband and kids.) I stopped taking it altogether 3 days ago because I'm convinced it lowered my libido, and it was making me gain a few pounds. I'm not a big person at 5'2" and 112 lbs. Someone had told me that it does aid in weight gain. The side effects of withdrawal are true and include (for me anyway): body aches, irritability, mood swings, sweating, and dizziness. Unfortunately, my back pain has returned."

• Iri...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• July 10, 2016

For Back Pain "My personal experience: it helps my back pain for a couple of hours, but I just have to keep downing 100 mg every 2 hours, and I'm not doing that. You get high off of it with little pain relief. My side effects: severe headaches, nausea, dizziness. **If you are taking antidepressants, research serotonin syndrome.** Can also increase depression. Stay safe and check this site for drug interactions. Doctors prescribe tramadol for pain they don't consider severe enough for, say, Percocet or Vicodin, but severe enough that it still needs an opiate to manage the pain. Tramadol is the little brother of the opiate/opioid family. People don't talk about 'tramadol abuse,' but it is very addictive, and for tons of people, it simply does not cut it for chronic pain."

• lje...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 24, 2015

For Back Pain "I had a horrible experience with this medicine, took only 100 mg once in the morning for severe low back pain and could hardly function. I became so nauseous, vomiting, disoriented, dizzy, my head was clouded, all I could do was try to find a place to lie down. I guess this is what they call high intolerance/allergy to certain medicines. If you know you have a sensitivity, be very careful. It helped my pain some but made my day absolutely miserable."

• Ken...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 23, 2019

For Back Pain "I tried Tramadol a few times to quell the pain in my lower back. It did help my back just a little but still had the pain. Every time, even after the first dose, I felt very nervous and dizzy and felt as though I was going to pass out. I found that some neurologists will not give it to patients. I now take Hydrocodone 5 mg a day, and it completely eliminates the pain. My doctor says this med has no side effects like Tramadol."

• 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."

• Mtn...
• January 16, 2015

For Pain "Was given tramadol for extreme pain from kidney stone that would pass. Couldn't get into specialist for a week. Very thankful it really helped with the pain. Side effects for me: sleeplessness, mild itching on face. Only made me tired and dizzy for the first hour or so."

• goo...
• September 14, 2011

For Back Pain "I was prescribed tramadol when diagnosed with a herniated disc at the start of this year. I have found tramadol to be an effective painkiller, but at a price. Following my operation, I suffered very bad withdrawal, the hot sweats for the first couple of weeks were, quite frankly, awful. I was taking 100 mg three times a day. Unfortunately, post-op, I am still suffering pain and occasionally take 1 x 50 mg once or twice a day. Again, I suffer awful sickness, dizziness, and headaches. At night, I suffer from nightmares and generally do not feel myself. For those prescribed tramadol, please be cautious, as while it is a good painkiller, the side effects are very unpleasant."

• Pen...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 9, 2022

For Anxiety "I've been on several anxiety, depression, and panic attack meds for as long as I can remember. After having COVID, the panic attacks got so severe that I had them daily. (I'm a smoker, so that doesn't help any.) I was even getting only 3 to 4 hours of sleep at night. After talking to my doctor about this, she put me on a low dose of 25 mg of tramadol. I have been taking it for 2 weeks now, and my mood, anxiety, depression, and even sleeping has improved some. I would seriously recommend it. I do have the side effect of some dizziness at times, though."

• Akc...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 7, 2019

For Pain "This medicine, tramadol, is horrible synthetic. I have never felt worse in my life. Yes, it eased my pain, but the side effects were textbook for me. Nauseous, dizzy, hallucinating, felt like I was in a gyroscope when I would close my eyes. Stomach cramps beyond belief. I am sweating a cervical reconstruction surgery, and this medicine did not work for me. I would rather deal with the pain than the side effects."

• 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."