Question: I had a total colectomy 3 months ago. I take two prescription medications for arthritis: 500mg Etodolac twice daily and 300mg Tramadol ER. I was taking these medications for at least a year before my surgery. Since my surgery, I have seen the Tramadol tablet in the toilet on several occaisions. It was whole and had not dissolved at all. Could this be because I pass what I eat much faster now, still have 4-5 stools per day that are loose and sometimes watery. I thought that, even though the tablet is extended release, it would still work correctly by dissolving slowly in my stomach and/or small intestines. The 300 mg ER has always worked much better for me than taking the regular 50mg throughout the day. Is this type of medication contraindicated for patients that have no colon or large intestine? Or can I hope that as my stools become less frequent and more normal in consistency, that the Tramadol ER will begin to work for me as it should and not be passed undissolved?

I really need the Tramadol to be working for my arthritis. Do you think I should take the ones that are not extended release until my stools become more normal? As I said before, the 50mg every 4-6 hour tablets did not seem to work as well--I could really feel a difference with the 300mg Tamadol ER. But, if you think it would be good to switch until my small bowel starts working better, i can call my rheumatologist and get a prescription maybe. ( I know you're wondering why I didn't call him first, but I found the tablet in the toilet and was able to actually identify it by the inscription on it, very late last night so I decided to post my question on this web site). Thank you for answering me so soon last night! It was nice to have an answer before I finally went to bed! Just wondering if the follow-up question I wrote 15 minutes ago was submitted correctly. I usually see a message stating that the doctor is reviewing and working on a response but I did not see this message.