Tapentadol

[WithMyLaserPun]

Hi everyone, I hope you're all feeling OK today. <3 I have some queries about your experiences on Tapantadol, which I started four days ago.

I started Tapentadol (Palexia) four days ago, 50mg in the morning and 50mg at night. I am feeling very wasted for about 4 hours after taking it in the morning, and honestly, as much as it does help with the pain, I feel like I am actually less functional on it because I am feeling so drugged-up.

Usually, when I wake up and the pain is too bad for me to go and cook my food for the day (which I always do early, because I don't know how many spoons (m=how much energy) I will have in the afternoon, I tend to take it slow, smoke a small bit of weed to take the edge off, and go and get on with cooking. It's not an ideal situation, and it only takes the edge off, but that's more often than not enough for me to just get some cooking done.

On Tapentadol, I feel so wasted that I am struggling to concentrate on cooking. I have been smoking weed for my pain, nausea etc. for about 16 years and I can control my dose very easily and because I am used to it, I have a much better time functioning on it, and I am not scared of cutting/burning myself while cooking. Tapentadol, on the other hand, makes me feel so whacked out that I am nervous about cooking and can barely think through the brain fog.

So... my question is, for anyone who has tried this, does the high calm down a bit while the drug still has an effect? I would like the painkilling effect, but less of a high. Otherwise, it's simply not worth it. By the afternoon I am so exhausted from a morning of feeling completely wasted, that I can't get on with my work (painting) 'cause I can't concentrate and am just so drained. I am concerned that the thing that is killing the pain, is also the thing that's making me feel wasted. I would like the latter without (or with less of) the former. Any and all input would be greatly appreciated

Gentle hugs, Lalu

 

[Affinity]

Hi Lalu,

I haven't tried it but it sounds terrible and I hope you get it sorted out! I do know sometimes the side effects fade but this sounds like a safety concern!

 

[WithMyLaserPun]

Thanks Affinity,

I have spoken with my husband and my pharmacist and I don't think this is the right drug for me. Opioids, it seems, only kill the pain with the high, and I can't cope with that. I will start tapering off tomorrow. Thanks for your input.

 

[Affinity]

Sounds like a good idea! I do take tramadol rarely, like maybe once or twice during a flareup, usually only at night, but it hasn't given me those side effects. I also don't take very much, probably only 5-6 pills in a year. But I am jealous because I would prefer marijuana to help manage things but it is not legal here.

 

[sunkacola]

Generally, opioids are not recommended at all, or at least I definitely do not recommend them. They are not good for anyone, and for almost all people the dose stops working after a while and has to be increased again and again leading to addiction.

Don't take anything that saps your already depleted energy!

If you have not already done so, I recommend you read this post in its entirety and start trying out some of these things.
Let us know how it goes.

My advice for managing fibromyalgia (especially for newcomers)

I am not a doctor or anything, just a person who has lived with fibromyalgia for several years now and has done a lot of research and trial and error experimentation. What follows is just basics. There are a lot of variations. You will find your own versions of everything I say, as this is not a...

www.fibromyalgiaforums.org

 

[Dusty1957]

Sounds like a good idea! I do take tramadol rarely, like maybe once or twice during a flareup, usually only at night, but it hasn't given me those side effects. I also don't take very much, probably only 5-6 pills in a year. But I am jealous because I would prefer marijuana to help manage things but it is not legal here.

My pain is so chronic and the only thing that helps (I only had the prescription for 10 days) is oxocodone. However, doctors are so scared to give this out. Everything else I have bad problems with. I just want it until I can start on physical exercises. It does NOT make me high, thank God. I don't want to get high, I want relief. Weed is not legal in this state, but have heard it does help a lot.

 

[sunkacola]

My pain is so chronic and the only thing that helps (I only had the prescription for 10 days) is oxocodone. However, doctors are so scared to give this out. Everything else I have bad problems with. I just want it until I can start on physical exercises. It does NOT make me high, thank God. I don't want to get high, I want relief. Weed is not legal in this state, but have heard it does help a lot.

Dusty, I sympathize with you on this. A few years ago I was in the same state, although I mostly took tramadol. I basically couldn't get out of bed without it. And then of course I had to take more and so on. I got off all opioids entirely by doing a lot of other things that are healthy and by learning how to manage it better. Now, I still have some tramadol I kept in reserve. But in the past year I have probably taken one perhaps three times, only when pain is very severe.

One pain doctor I saw told me that if I would start exercising, just a little tiny bit each day, I could get off the heavy duty pain meds, and while I didn't believe him at first I finally tried it, and also a bunch of other things, and the result is that I am much healthier now. What I did not realize is that you don't need to take pain meds "until you can start on physical exercise", as I thought and as you think. You need to start now, no matter what.

that doesn't mean a workout when you are in terrible pain! But you can start by just walking 5 times around your living room. Or even once around, then in three days try twice. Or down the street a little bit and back. And build up very slowly. As long as you are waiting for the pain to be less so you can exercise (as I was) you won't ever start, because the pain probably won't get better until you start. Sounds counter-intuitive, but it's true.

I do recommend medical cannabis in tincture form combined with CBD, as this has helped a lot of people including me, and I you can experiment with it and find out how much to take of what strength so that you get relief but don't get high. That's what I do (I don't want to get high either). I am sorry you can't get it and wish it were legal everywhere.

 

[Dusty1957]

Yes, at night I do my dishes and do some exercises. I always do feet exercises. I also have two stairs to climb to get into kitchen--10 times a day at least. I also have a foot bicycle. This pain (or something) is causing nausea and heartburn. I was in hospital ICU in Oct for a week, and they completely miss diagnosed my problems. Gave me wrong BP medicine and no stomach medicine at all; I was in hospital because my doctor gave me Tramadol and Prozac together--dangerous. My body hates most medicines. I have PTSD but no panic attacks in 15 years, until after hospital stay, I had 3 of them, one serious with chest hurting. I took Lorazepam (at night and only if I was getting an attack) and hospital lowered my dose to 1/4th of what I was taking. They were wrong, I have never abused or taken medicines wrong. I am terrified to go to that emergency room ever again. Once I went with swollen legs and dr came in my room the next day and said 'my respiratory problem'. She never even noticed my elephant legs. I walked out of hospital. I had no respiratory problem. I had feet and legs swollen problem---no communication at all with E.R room. I requested many tests after that hospital stay, breathing problems were ZERO. Or at least Moderate. That hospital is also known to give so many people coming in to E.R. a gall bladder removal. I worked in a hospital in another state and also was a pharmacy tech., so at least I woke up to bad mistakes this hospital made here.