Suggest An Alternative To Tramadol For Severe Lower Back Pain

Posted on Sat, 29 Apr 2017

Question: Yesterday I was prescribed Tramadol 50mg for my lower back pain, After taking 4 pills at 4 hour intervals no pain relief. (Shooting pain when trying to stand erect), would a stronger drug help?...my Doctor's office is closed for the weekend.

Answered by Dr. Lekshmi Rita Venugopal (2 hours later)

Brief Answer:
Continue Tramadol as prescribed, follow up with your doctor if pain not subsiding

Detailed Answer:
Hello,
Thank You for trusting HealthcareMagic,

Tramadol is a very effective pain killer. Painkillers more potent than tramadol are narcotic drugs like Percocet, Vicodin etc, which are controlled medications and can only be purchased with doctor's prescription.

Before getting on a stronger pain killer, it is important to identify the cause of back pain.

Back Pain can be due to muscle pain, vertebral fractures, intervertebral disc prolapse, ligament strain, nerve injury etc. and require imaging studies like CT/MRI scanning to confirm diagnosis.

If the pain is worsening or not subsiding after taking Tramadol for 3-4 days, I would recommend further evaluation to look any problems more than just a muscle strain especially since you are complaining of shooting pain.

Meanwhile, take adequate rest, apply ice packs for 48 hours followed by heat therapy and continue taking tramadol as prescribed.

If the pain is not decreasing over next 3-4 days, Please be advised to contact your doctor for further evaluation.

Hope I was able to help you
Please address any more concerns,

Regards,
Dr.Lekshmi

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Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Arnab Banerjee