I’m allergic to codeine so my doctor has prescribed Tramadol. Will this be enough for the pain?

Thanks for your inquiry, tramadol is a good choice for patients who are allergic to codeine.  Ask your surgeon if he/she thinks you could tolerate one of the synthetic codeines like hydrocodone for breakthrough pain. Good Luck with surgery.

Hello and thank you for your question. Something really helpful to adequately answer this question would be to know what type of surgery you are undergoing. Tramadol can be ok for pain control but like I said I think it depends for what type of surgery. I find Tramadol works better on eldery patients. If it was a breast augmentation I would consider Tramadol. I don't think Tramadol would be strong enough for a tummy tuck, but that is my opinion. I have quite a few patients that say they are "allergic" to codeine when they really just have a side effect to it....these are not the same things. For those same patients that tell me they are allergic to codeine, I give them hydrocodone with Tylenol and they do fine with it (no allergic reactions.) In the end this is something that can be discussed between you and your surgeon because they are the ones that know what surgery you are getting done and they have to feel comfortable with the medications they prescribe. I hope this helps and good luck with your surgery!Ankur Mehta MD

Hello!

Thank you for the information provided. Every patient respond very different to pain, but this a great option and i do use it when patients are alIergic to other meds.
Good luck!

I sometimes prescribe Tramadol for patients who are allergic to other pain medications.  It is usually adequate for pain control, but everyone responds differently to pain medication. Best of luck. 

For many patients, I find tramadol to be effective in treating postoperative pain after abdominoplasty. In these patients, I have usually performed a block of the abdominal wall with Exparel (long lasting local anesthetic) to help mitigate the pain.Hope this helps! Sam Jejurikar, MD

Tramadol is a non narcotic option for pain control but whether it is adequate in your situation depends on which surgery you are having. Other options which may be helpful include Lyrica and Exparel. Discuss with your surgeon.