My family doctor put me on Tramadol for pain in head and neck due to an old whiplash injury. It worked great. I really liked that I stayed clear headed. Then his nurse practitioner decided to lower my Tramadol. I was taking 50mg 240 per month. So she cut the Tramadol to 160 a month by adding Gabapentin. 300mg 4 X per day. I didn t like that the Gabapentin made me foggy headed and forgetful. But I dealt with it. Every six months I was given a follow up appointment. Every six months I complained about the Gabapentin. My family Dr. of thirty-five years was retiring. His nurse prac. just continued the same RX s then added Meloxicam 15mg 1 a day, an also Cyclobenzaprine 10mg 1 @ night. With that I was able to lower the Gabapentin to 2 a day. Then I was accepted for Medicaid. I had to say goodbye to my family doc office as they did not accept Medicaid. Now my new pcp don t want to prescribe me anything. So I go see a Neurologist and he don t want me on pain killers but Gabapentin is ok and for headaches he prescribed Topiramate. At 56 the two pages of side effects scare me. I started the Tramadol in late 2009. What is the big deal about Tramadol. I had no known side effects. When I was forced off them I sufferered no withdraw symptoms. Just all the pain returned. I tried to stop the Gabapentin. I had 13 side effects. My feet burned, diarirha, bad bad heartburn on, and on. What s the big bad dealabout Tramadol? Why won t the doctors lesion to me about why I don t want Gabapatin and Topiramate. What should I do? ?