Gradually Developing Negative Side Effects After 1.5 Yrs Of Use? Cranky, Tired, Nausea

Here's a question - has anyone experienced a gradual change or development of negative side effects on hydrocodone even if you've been taking it a while? Just a bit of background - I was prescribed hydrocodone 5/325 1-2 tabs for chronic pelvic pain syndrome and dysmenorrhea. I would say I take it about 2-3x a week. Usually 1 1/2 tabs. Have never had to raise my dose since prescribed. In the beginning it would just make me hyper and chatty for 2 or 3 hours, then insomnia if I took it too close to bed time. Could not physically sleep until at least 8 hours after taking it!! But it relieved the pain wonderfully, so those side effects were tolerable.

Over the course of the past 6 months or so, this changed. Gradually the hyperness/chattiness tapered down, insomnia from it was gone, only to be replaced by being EXTREMELY short fused, very grumpy not wanting to be bothered, and then after about 2 hours it would make me nod off and incredibly tired. Could easily take a nap after taking it, which NEVER would have happened before. More recently, it has been making me nauseated. I draw the line at nausea :(

So I can choose - be a b****y, grumpy, sleepy, and and nauseated and have no pain, or not take it and be in excruciating pain.
Here's the weird part, I remembered I had some Tramadol left over from an injury. Took 50mg, and it reacted the same way as it did when I first started on the hydrocodone - a little chatty, hyper, then a little insomnia when I tried to sleep, but relieved my pain just as well as hydrocodone, no nausea, fatigue or mood swings. Much much more tolerable.

Would switching to Tramadol be a better option, or would the same thing eventually happen with the Tramadol? Has anyone else experienced a gradual (or sudden) development of side effects, even if you've been on it a while? This really sucks! :(

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It is always possible for your body's response to any medication to change, though it doesn't happen that often. Usually, people just hit a point where they stop working, but what you've experienced is definitely within the realm of possibility.

And yes, there is a chance that your body may eventually react this way to the Tramadol, as well.

This is a narcotic analgesic, so it has the potential to be habit forming and may cause side effects, such as nausea, dizziness, drowsiness, dry mouth and constipation.

You may be one of those people that needs to switch frequently to avoid such issues. There's even a chance that after taking a break from it, for awhile the Hydrocodone may start working for you again and you can alternate between it and the Tramadol.

Have you spoken to your doctor about this?

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