Tramadol and Headaches: What Users Say (Page 3)

• mas...
• March 5, 2015

For Pain "Tramadol doesn't work for me. I'm very sensitive to any medications, but I suffer from fibromyalgia, back pain, neck pain, and depression. This med makes me feel dizzy, a rash on my cheeks, and headaches."

• Anonymous
• September 4, 2017

For Chronic Pain "I was on hydrocodone 10/325 through my pain management doctor. Mind you, it didn't take away my pain completely, but it helped a lot. I was sent to a different pain doctor, and he started me on tramadol 50 mg every 8 hours. The worst medication I have ever taken! Not only does it not do anything for the pain, it has made me feel ill. Severe headaches and just an all-around feeling of being unwell."

• Tov...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 23, 2019

For Chronic Pain "I have severe degenerative disc disease in my back. I have chronic pain all over, and I will take half of a 50 mg tramadol when I cannot stand the pain any longer! It helps me sleep for a couple of hours, and then I wake up with a horrible headache! My body feels like every nerve ending is thumping, and I have a migraine! I don't know if it's worth trading out those symptoms for getting rid of back pain for a short time!"

• Anonymous
• August 6, 2009

For Fibromyalgia "I have fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, and have had two back surgeries, the second one 22 years ago. Tramadol did not reduce my neck, shoulder, or lower back pain noticeably. I hadn't recognized that my increased symptoms of nausea, headaches, lethargy, irritable bowels, or poor sleep might be related to the drug. I took myself off tramadol (no warnings from my doctor about side effects taking Ultram or going off Ultram) and felt worse. More nausea, pain, irritable bowels, headaches turning into migraines. Desperate, I changed my diet. Low carbs, lots of green veggies, high protein, healthy fats, small amounts of whole grain rice. Pain is still there, but I feel more in control. I still take Voltaren and Flexeril."

• Fat...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• July 17, 2017

For Pain "I was put on tramadol 100 mg SR about 9 months ago for a very painful hip bursa and thin tendons. I was too afraid to get a cortisone injection. It made me feel strange at first and caused bad headaches. I already suffer from depression, and it seemed to help me out there, as well as soothing my pain. I had no idea it was addictive. I have read so many horror stories about this drug that I don't want it anymore. I'm now taking myself off it slowly. I was only taking one tablet each morning and sometimes one at night if the pain was bad. I've started taking one every other day, and my lord, even that is so noticeable. Now I'm in pain and also very highly strung, I'm going to build it up so I can go more days without it until I'm off it. Please think very hard before taking."

• tro...
• July 26, 2015

For Chronic Pain "I was supposed to take 2 x 50 mg tabs at bedtime. I did, and I had horrible racing heart, nausea, and vomiting, and then a mild headache. Last night, I just took one and had no problems. It didn't get rid of all pain, but enough to be able to get some sleep. I'm not using it every day."

• Anonymous
• July 12, 2009

Tramadol for Pain "I have used Ultram at night along with Xanax. It does allow me more sleep than before, usually around 4 hours. I do notice a headache, especially if I take a second dose later at night. I will wake with a headache. I've been taking it for about a year but do not notice any withdrawal if I miss any doses."

• Ano...
• January 27, 2021

For Pain "I had to take a second dose of misoprostol for my missed miscarriage, and the first time was painful, so I asked my doctor for something to relieve the pain, and she prescribed tramadol. I took it in the morning of January 24th, along with the misoprostol and regular over-the-counter ibuprofen that my doctor recommended I take with it. Everything seemed to be fine until I went to bed. I watched maybe 20 minutes of a TV show, then panicked out of nowhere, with my whole body feeling like a jolt, and then I hid, so I would say random paranoia. It scared me because I wasn't in control of my body nor my thoughts since there wasn't a reason for me to feel scared. I woke up at 4 am throwing up with a terrible headache. I woke up again at 7 am with the same feeling. The nausea went away, but I still have a headache two days later. I would be cautious taking this medication."

• Ohh...
• April 28, 2017

For Pain "Was prescribed for pain related to colon cancer. Not taking any other meds yet. It arrived at 3 pm today, took two 50 mg tablets. Within 20 minutes, the pain was gone, within an hour, I was high as a kite. Couldn't focus, but felt good. Went to bed at about 6:30 pm (I work graveyard shift), woke up at 10:30 with the worst headache ever and very dizzy. At about 11:00 on my 5-minute drive to work, I had to pull over due to dizziness and nausea. Ended up dry heaving on the side of the road for a few minutes. Started sweating profusely. Finally got to work, still dizzy. Can't focus on my work and having trouble getting my eyes to focus... 12:08, had to stop typing halfway through the last sentence to run to the bathroom to vomit... Will not take more."

• Ran...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 8, 2018

For Chronic Pain "Caused constipation, bloating, gas, diarrhea buildup, pain in extremities, back pain, near migraines, severe headaches, twitching in hands like a palsy, shaking leg pains, et cetera, i.e., almost every side effect listed in 10% up categories."

• Ast...
• February 9, 2009

For Pain "I was prescribed this medicine for a bulging disc and sciatica in April of '08. The doctor told me to take 2 x 50 mg tablets of Tramadol along with one 800 mg of Skelaxin and an 800 mg of Motrin. The first day, just after taking the 2 x 50 mg pills, I started sweating, felt faint, and wound up vomiting. I spent the rest of the day in bed. The pain was gone, but I had flu-like symptoms for two days following. I called my doctor, and he told me to lower the dosage to just one 50 mg pill of Tramadol a day. I didn't vomit, but I had the same side effects again. I'd feel fine for a few hours, then for the next day or two, I couldn't focus without getting an intense headache. I couldn't walk without being dizzy and losing my footing."

• cro...
• May 4, 2010

For Pain "I took this medicine for pain in my shoulder. Took 2 pills every 4-6 hours. I had severe side effects: really dry mouth, loss of appetite, could not sleep, nausea, headaches, felt like a really bad hangover."

• Bev...
• November 12, 2019

For Pain "I take tramadol for arthritis in my left knee, and it does not relieve the pain as well as Norco! And to everyone who has RLS, try Requip! It is a lifesaver for me. My RLS was so severe that I was about to go out of my mind. I didn't have pain, just could not keep my legs still at all. I was in the hospital recently with a severe headache (I thought it was a TIA), but it was not. They wanted to admit me and do an MRI the next day, but I had RLS so badly and I could not get a Requip fast enough. But every time I asked for it, they would say the doctor hasn't ordered it yet, and I was in such a state without it, to the point that I checked myself out of the hospital so I could come home and get relief with my Requip. It was a horrible experience. You can bet that if I have to go back to the hospital, I will take my Requip with me!"

• Anonymous
• October 2, 2009

For Pain "I am currently taking Norco 10/325 for neck and lower back disc problems. It works right away but is short-term. I tried tramadol 50 mg and found it takes a while to kick in and makes me feel sluggish. I also had to take more than instructed to get similar relief, which gave me a headache. Please be careful, as the withdrawal effects are very unpleasant and make you sick. I am staying with the Norco, as it works for me."

• Min...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 26, 2021

For Pain "This medicine is junk. Stay away. I've been vomiting anything I put in my mouth, including a sip of water. I took it for stomach pain, and now I have the worst headache ever. I also feel slightly stoned. I only took two, as advised by the doc."

• Bra...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 4, 2021

For Chronic Pain "30 years ago an accident smashed me up big time, 22 breaks in 1 leg, broken back, wrist, pelvis, etc. etc., never been a person to take meds I just accepted this was my life. Somehow I heard about tramadol and thought, why not? A 100 mg changed my life. It didn’t take all the pain, but it stopped me thinking about the pain 24/7. Side effects are constipation, small headache, and bad feet pain. I'll stay on it though, 3 x 100 mg every day, I feel I deserve a rest after 30 years of severe pain."

• Anonymous
• November 15, 2009

For Pain "I have had success with using tramadol for neck pain. But recently, after about 6 months of use, I am exhibiting some of the common side effects, which include headaches, trouble sleeping, and sweating."

• Jes...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• August 24, 2018

For Pain "Taken with an antidepressant, I had a gradual increase in serotonin syndrome symptoms. I was misdiagnosed by my hospital, many tests later, they said I had psychiatric issues. I almost died in the waiting room of another hospital, I went into shock. A further three more hospitals misdiagnosed me. I had dysautonomia, severe headache, racing heart, almost collapsing all the time, short of breath, tremor, mild temp, shivering, and confusion for weeks. Why are doctors prescribing this with other serotonin drugs when it’s clearly and often associated with severe serotonin syndrome, which is potentially fatal?"

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 15, 2022

For Chronic Pain "Have a badly damaged shoulder… breaks, tears, the works. Tramadol has zero effect for me… Can’t understand people who say it helps with the pain? I took oxycodone before and was judicious with it, only taking 1-2 pills a day… and it worked fast. No comparison. I also feel like Tramadol is giving me a headache."

• so ...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• January 13, 2025

For Fibromyalgia "Tramadol is a lifesaver for my fibromyalgia pain. I take 1 50 mg pill, and the effects often last 48 hours. So, I take it every other day or every third day. Extremely helpful in reducing pain, extremely helpful in giving me my energy back. Lifts my mood entirely because it’s such a relief not to be exhausted and in pain all the time. The only downside for me is that it does dehydrate me quite a bit, so if I don’t drink a ton of water, I will get a headache by the next morning. But that headache is worth the pain relief in the body."

• pin...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 5, 2021

For Chronic Pain "A nightmare opioid! Do not take if you have other options for chronic pain. I am 12 hours out from taking a 50 mg dose and have had such intense dizziness, nausea, headaches, ringing ears, and it’s caused me tremors and hypnotic jerks. I cannot sleep no matter how exhausted and desperate I am to, as I am woken up from scary jerks that haven’t gone away 12 hours later. Although it took away my chest pains and other body chronic pains, it’s caused just as much pain from not allowing me to sleep or function properly. I felt so out of it, I was trembling to walk and slurring my words during the day. Skip this opioid if you can unless you want to go through that."

• Luv...
• May 12, 2019

For Back Pain "No efficacy for pain, gives headaches, body feels weird. I believe batches are different somehow, but none good."

• psj...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 13, 2022

For Pain "It did not help with the pain. But I did get an overactive bladder, headaches, and can no longer sleep more than 4 to 5 hours a night."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 7, 2014

For Pain "It made me sick, throwing up, headache constantly, burning in throat upon swallowing, with BM issues."

• App...
• February 2, 2015

For Pain "I have been prescribed this medication a couple of different times. Each time I experienced headache, severe nausea, and lightheadedness each time I took a dose. Totally not worth it to me."