Tramadol question: The itching!

[Lasttimeinparis]

So I've been taking this medicine since it was prescribed to me a few months ago for migraines. It works great and everything but the ITCHING IS KILLING ME! I've been at work the past few hours and I've been in such a mood because I cannot stop itching. I think today had just been particularly bad because my mood hasn't been great but anyway I was wondering if anyone else has experienced this and what they have done to combat it?

Thanks in advance!

LTIP

[ChillyCat]

wondering if anyone else has experienced this
LTIP

OH Yeah..... I have

My head seems to itch the most. I've been taking um for 12 years, so pretty
much used to the itch. Nothing that i've heard gonna stop it. Since they do the
job with pain....itsa easy irritation to deal with

[naughtysmurf]

Benedryl will stop it,or at least help. @Lasttimeinparis it's the first time i've heard of tramadol being prescribed for migraines. I've tried tramadol for my migraines before but it was not prescribed by my doc. It doesn't work for me though.

[Zombiefisher]

Tramadol def causes severe itch in some people. Because I'm in my early 20's, doctors never prescribe me anything other than that (tramadol), codeine or hydro (only if the doc is really understanding) so I know quite a bit about tramadol. Anti-histamines will help like naughty smurf said but for me it was always just a matter of getting used to the feeling. IMO the itching is annoying but it feels great to scratch lol, of course you may look alittle funny scratching yourself like a crazy person in public. Anyways I hope you find something that helps.

Cheers
Z.F.

[JoBohrer]

I have also started my opiat career with tramadol and can say you its only the first couple of time and can i ask how much you take because if you take it only against the pain i cannot imagin that the itching its such hard but i believe you and can only tell you it will going away with the time and i would not take another med to take that away...perhaps you can take at work another migrane med from your doc what you have not the itching...such possibilitys i want only help.

Greets
Johannes

[Lasttimeinparis]

OH Yeah..... I have

My head seems to itch the most. I've been taking um for 12 years, so pretty
much used to the itch. Nothing that i've heard gonna stop it. Since they do the
job with pain....itsa easy irritation to deal with

You're lucky its mostly your head that itches, I look kind of funny scratching my boobs at work

Benedryl will stop it,or at least help. @Lasttimeinparis it's the first time i've heard of tramadol being prescribed for migraines. I've tried tramadol for my migraines before but it was not prescribed by my doc. It doesn't work for me though.

Hmm, I think I'll stay away from the benedryl for now. The last time I took it my heart was racing like crazy. And I know a lot of people have said it doesn't help their pain at all, but it works for mine and that's good enough for me

Tramadol def causes severe itch in some people. Because I'm in my early 20's, doctors never prescribe me anything other than that (tramadol), codeine or hydro (only if the doc is really understanding) so I know quite a bit about tramadol. Anti-histamines will help like naughty smurf said but for me it was always just a matter of getting used to the feeling. IMO the itching is annoying but it feels great to scratch lol, of course you may look alittle funny scratching yourself like a crazy person in public. Anyways I hope you find something that helps.

Cheers
Z.F.

Well I searched last night in google and someone mentioned Neoclarityn so next time I see my doc I'll ask about that or some other antihistamine. Hopefully something that won't knock me the heck out.

And you're right, it feels amazing to scratch but I'm out most of the time during the week so I hardly have time to myself to scratch all over. I think the itching just gets worse when my mood is bad or I'm irritated. Because last night I itched like heck but today I haven't itched one bit. Weird.

[MattM]

Been there done that as well...oxymorphone also caused believeable itching. My PM doc gave me an antihistamine call vistral - worked amazing

[michaelbay69]

tramadol makes me itch too. not to sound gross but has anyone had trouble urinating when on the stuff? Codeine give me the itches too.

[Zombiefisher]

tramadol makes me itch too. not to sound gross but has anyone had trouble urinating when on the stuff? Codeine give me the itches too.

I have definitely experienced this with tramadol and other opiates, it is a common and very annoying side effect of many opiate/opioid pain killers. Not sure why though, perhaps relaxation of muscles used to pass urine... Just a theory though. Cold water helps me

Z.F.

[poocheroo]

@Lasttimeinparis, wow you sound a lot like me. i hated Tramadol, made me itch something fierce, especially boobs and inner thighs...no a great look. Not to mention the insomnia I suffered. I also am sensitive to benedryl and other allergy meds making me feel very amped. I actually refuse to take tramadol anymore. It is not worth the side effects for me I hope you get some relief!

[mariora]

I use hydro-cortisone roll-on for itching. Works well for me!

[Lasttimeinparis]

@Lasttimeinparis, wow you sound a lot like me. i hated Tramadol, made me itch something fierce, especially boobs and inner thighs...no a great look. Not to mention the insomnia I suffered. I also am sensitive to benedryl and other allergy meds making me feel very amped. I actually refuse to take tramadol anymore. It is not worth the side effects for me I hope you get some relief!

Thanks for the well wishes, I appreciate them

And yeah the side effects can be hell, I really didn't like being unable to go to the bathroom like normal but for the relief from the pain I mean what are you gonna do? Either way I'm hoping I can stay itch free for a while, It hasn't been so bad the past few days

[Ceneddra]

I used to itch really bad after taking my tramadol dose. After about 2 months I noticed the itching really wasn't there anymore. Not sure what made it just disappear.

Now if only the damn sweating from tramadol would go away I would be set!

[Perromaldido]

Itching comes naturally with opiates, some provoke it more than others. Now after a while itches disappear. One may think that's a good thing, which is not entirely true. In fact you get to tolerate the med and handle its side effects better, but this also shows that you're medium to well done

Perromaldido

[zakalipo]

I also get pretty bad migraines. I was prescribed Tramadol but it didn't work as well as the Codeine and other opiates I am prescribed now. I had mild itching for both though.

Does Tramadol seem to work for your migraines?

[Bananastickers]

Call your doc ask what he advises. If its that bothersome have you tried fiorinal instead? I never expirienced itching with opiates. Wish I had, might have stopped taking them. The Claritin or roll on hydrocortizone(alright it was ointment b/c I don't tend to pay much attention when I buy crap like that) worked well w/ some other crap I was given. best of luck.

[Ivy]

A friend of mine was on tramadol for quite some time and she also suffered from the itching. She was always getting the small round ones and then she switched to another pharmacy and they had a small football shaped one.
Apparently a different company or something because once she had those she no longer had any itching!
I don't know much about tramadol as far as fillers etc., but she swears there is a difference!

Good Luck!

~Ivy~

[insureu]

I used to itch really bad after taking my tramadol dose. After about 2 months I noticed the itching really wasn't there anymore. Not sure what made it just disappear.

Now if only the damn sweating from tramadol would go away I would be set!

I am extremely sensitive to SSRI's (prozac, zoloft, etc) which cause neck tension and severe sweating. I was unaware of the SSRI component of Tramadol when prescribed by a Dr and just felt like garbage. Finally figured it out.

So basically you have a light duty opioid antagonist which can cause itching, constipation, inability to urinate/ejaculate and sweating combined with a light duty SSRI which can cause itching, constipation, inability to urinate/ejaculate and sweating which synergizes and results in itching, constipation, inability to urinate/ejaculate and sweating.

[Perromaldido]

@isureu tram is defitely not an antagoinst. Indeed it is an opiate -albeit weak to most- and binds to opiate receptors, thoug it's really its primary metabolites that does the job at receptor mu, everyone's fave receptors w/wide

[Starscream_]

Morphine made me itch a /hell/ of a lot worse than Tramadol does, though there is an occasional light itch that comes and goes.

The dry mouth is far worse, along with the usual suspects with opiate-type painkillers (constipation, etc.).

The fillers could well be part of it- I received some tramadol from a well-respected IOP in the UK and it gave me headaches. The capsules were a brand I had never taken. The stuff I get from the domestic OPs and from my local pharmacy do not have this side effect. I have noticed that even between generic brands there are potency differences...my local pharmacy carries the Caraco 377 caplet tramadol, and it's stronger than the AN 627 (I think it's 627) stuff.