“This was NOT his first “rodeo”. This “cocktail” indicates long term abuse.”
You got that right. He must have gotten it illegally. I did all but beg my doctor for tramadol for neck and back pain, and he wouldn’t give it. Honestly, it pisses me off having to sit on my butt most of the day with a heating pad not able to be on my feet for more than 10-20 minutes at a time.
You need to see a new Dr. Tramadol is NOT considered an opioid and your Dr. should not have a problem prescribing it!! Get a NEW Dr. !!!!!
Tramadol is tricky. It was not a Schedule Narcotic for a long time. It is, however, habit forming. Proceed with caution.
Home » Harvard Health Blog » Is tramadol a risky pain medication? - Harvard Health Blog
Is tramadol a risky pain medication?
POSTED JUNE 14, 2019, 6:30 AM , UPDATED AUGUST 16, 2019, 8:56 AM
Robert H. Shmerling,
Faculty Editor, Harvard Health Publishing
A large group of medicines in foreground, man in pain in background.
All medications come with a dose of risk. From minor side effects to life-threatening allergic reactions, every decision to take a medication should be made only after the expected benefits are weighed against the known risks. You aren’t on your own in this: your doctor, your pharmacist, and a trove of information are available for your review.
Recently, I wrote about how newly approved drugs often accumulate new warnings about their safety, including a gout medication that garnered a new warning due to an increased risk of death. Now, according to a new study, the common prescription pain medication tramadol may earn a similar warning.
Tramadol is unique:
When first approved in 1995, tramadol was not considered an opiate (like morphine or oxycodone) even though it acted in similar ways. However, because there were cases of abuse and addiction with its use, the thinking and warnings changed. In 2014, the FDA designated tramadol as a controlled substance.
This means that although it may have accepted use in medical care, it also has potential for abuse or addiction and therefore is more tightly regulated. For example, a doctor can only prescribe a maximum of five refills, and a new prescription is required every 6 months.
Compared with other controlled substances, tramadol is at the safer end of the spectrum. Heroin, for example, is a Schedule I drug (high abuse potential and no acceptable medical use).
OxyContin is a Schedule II drug (it also has high abuse potential, but has an accepted medical use). Classified as a Schedule IV drug, tramadol is considered useful as a pain reliever with a low potential for abuse.
Despite these concerns, tramadol is one of many common treatments recommended for osteoarthritis and other painful conditions. Several professional societies, including the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, include it in their guidelines as a recommended drug for osteoarthritis.
https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/is-tramadol-a-risky-pain-medication-2019061416844