I take two Tramadol a day now for pain. For years, I just took one.

It helps me function but It does not take away all the pain, which is good and bad. Then, I don't over do but I am not pain free. The only time I am pain free is when I am in bed or sleeping.

Also, it is not as effective now due to being on it for years. My only advice is to just take one a day (the time of day that causes you the most pain).

I have no constipation on it but I do feel a little sleepy on it, which does not help with chronic fatigue.

Hope this helps!

Shari

how did you go about getting on TNF blockers....
did you just ask your doc to see if you could go on them or did he suggest it to you?

im wondering if my work will have a sook if i ask for TNF..
because if they think i need them then im prob not healthy enough to be in my job..dont know

its the reason i left going to see the doc so long befor asking for some strong pain killers..

Shari,

Thanks for shareing..
second day on them, taking the 50mg capsules 3 times a day..
one in the morning one at lunch and one at night..
staring to feel the drozyness of the drug...i have a 25 min drive to work and i felt like i needed to nap when ever i stopped at a set of traffic lights...witch is not good..
i might stay on them for a bit longer and get my lovely wife to drive me to work just to be safe

untill i get use to the drozyness of the drug(hopfully) if not ill have to yet again try something different

cheers

You have to have your rheumatologist or other specialist (GP can't do it) fill in the application then send it away to Tassie for approval. There are a lot of criterior you have to meet. You also have to have tried and failed lots of other meds first. My advice is if something is not working then keep pushing for something that does.

For me the time from diagnosis to approval for TNF was quite short but that is only because I have been treated for all those years before my GP finnaly worked out what was wrong with me. My first x-ray and CT scans showing serious problems with my spine were well over 10yrs ago, it wasn't untill I moved and started to see this GP that things progressed.

Sorry to hear you are very drowsy taking the Tramadol. I take a low dose of Prednisone every day, which helps my energy and pain and take 50 mg of Tramadol 2 times a day. I wouldn't be doing very much at all without the Tramadol. A lot of doctors tell me it is much safer to live long term on pain meds versus the disease modifying and biologic drugs.

It is good to follow your instincts on the driving. Glad to hear your wife can drive you.

Hope you feel better soon.

Shari

im really struggling with this new drug now...
i drove home from work and it was a very dagerious exersize....
my wife drove me to work this morning and i was still falling asleep in the passangers seat after having a very good sleep last night..
thats the one thing i guess that is good with this drug is that i sleep very well on it.
in the past i have not been a very good sleeper only getting 1 to 2 hrs sleep a night

but i think i have to go see my doc about changing to something else because i cant function properly..

Tramadol - yes, can do that to susceptable people. Is a narcotic. It made me feel very heavy, but it was the itching I couldn't stand.

See if Celebrex 200mg might help - but might not be for you.

Is Celebrex as strog pain killer as tramadol?
and whats the active ingedent?
ive hurd of it befor but never used it...

Tramadol ingredients -

Ingredients in Tramadol
pain.emedtv.com/tramadol/ingredients-in-tramadol-p2.html - Similarto Ingredients in Tramadol
13 Jan 2009 ... This eMedTV page further describes other ingredients in tramadol and explains why generic versions of the drug can have several inactive ...
Ultram (Tramadol Hcl) Drug Information: Description, User ...
www.rxlist.com/ultram-drug.htm - Similarto Ultram (Tramadol Hcl) Drug Information: Description, User ...
ULTRAM® tablets contain 50 mg of tramadol hydrochloride and are white in color . Inactive ingredients in the tablet are pregelatinized corn starch, modified ...
Tramadol Ingredients - Tramadol US Pharmacy ...
tramadoluspharmacy.com/ingredients.html
Tramadol Ingredients Understanding the ingredients in medications is vital to avoiding allergies or problems with the medication relating to the ingredients.
Ingredients -- Tramadol
sci-toys.com/ingredients/tramadol.html - Similarto Ingredients -- Tramadol
Tramadol is a pain reliever (analgesic). It's action is similar to opioid narcotics such as codeine and morphine, but it does not depress breathing like they can, ...

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Celebrex ingredients -

Celebrex 200mg
www.chemist.co.nz/product.cfm?ProductID=5298&GroupID=6&CategoryID=206&Subca...
100mg and 200mg capsules ... Celebrex; any of the ingredients listed at the end of this leaflet; sulphonamides, a group of medicines which include, for example, ...
Celebrex (Celecoxib) Drug Information: Description, User ...
www.rxlist.com/celebrex-drug.htm - Similarto Celebrex (Celecoxib) Drug Information: Description, User ...
CELEBREX (celecoxib) oral capsules contain either 50 mg, 100 mg, 200 mg or 400 mg of celecoxib, together with inactive ingredients including: croscarmellose ...
Celebrex - Uses, Side Effects, Interactions - Drug Factsheets ...
chealth.canoe.ca/drug_info_details.asp?brand_name_id=1110&rot=2
02239942, CELEBREX 200MG CAPSULE ... Nonmedicinal ingredients: croscarmellose sodium, lactose monohydrate, magnesium stearate, povidone, and ...
[PDF]
CELEBREX®
www.nps.org.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0012/16140/pfccelec.pdf
celecoxib. Consumer Medicine Information. What is in this leaflet. This leaflet answers ... any of the capsule ingredients and ... day and 200mg twice daily on ...
CELEBREX 200mg - 30 capsules - Pharmacy Direct
www.pharmacydirect.co.nz/celebrex-200mg-30-capsules.html
Celebrex capsules contain the active ingredient celecoxib and come in 100 and 200mg capsules. Celebrex belongs to a class of Non-Steroidal Anti ...
Ingredients Of Celebrex | LIVESTRONG.COM
www.livestrong.com/article/31001-ingredients-celebrex/ - Similarto Ingredients Of Celebrex | LIVESTRONG.COM
1 Nov 2009 ... The active ingredient in Celebrex is celecoxib. Depending upon the dosage amount, each capsule contains either 50 mg, 100 mg, 200 mg or ...
About Celebrex (Celecoxib) COX 2 inhibitor
www.spine-health.com/treatment/pain-medication/about-celebrex-c... - Similarto About Celebrex (Celecoxib) COX 2 inhibitor
The active ingredient in Celebrex is celecoxib. Celebrex works by reducing ... Celebrex may be taken as a 100 mg or 200 mg pill. Dosage of Celebrex is based ...

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Discuss with yr doctor what might be best for *you. We are all different. (I can hardly take anything - not even Celebrex 200. Ended up really exacerbating my GERD/REFLUX).

Am hopeless with meds.