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Tramadol and serotonin

Posted , 6 users are following.

Lily23957
Lily23957

Can anyone tell me anything about the antidepressant effects of tramadol?

0 likes, 13 replies

13 Replies

  • richieboy22
    richieboy22 Lily23957

    Posted

    Yes Tramadol not only has the semi opiate effects, but it's a strong SSRI ( serotonin reuptake inhibitor) which makes it really hard to just stop , must be done gradually
    • Lily23957
      Lily23957 richieboy22

      Posted

      Thanks Richie for your comment.I suffer from fibromyalgia and tethered spinal cord syndrome both of which cause me lots of pain but I have never tried tramadol because I felt I needed to stay away from adictive medication.However,I also suffer from chronic depression and can not tolerate normal antidepressants due to anxiety side effects.I guess I thought tramadol might kill two birds with one stone.Something to discuss with my gp I guess.
    • tony15730
      tony15730 Lily23957

      Posted

      I found tramadol to be an effect atidepressant BUT my wife however has anxiety and did not get on with Tramadol. Really we are all unique and you have to see for yourself. You wont become dependant by taking it for a week to see.

      amitriptyline is also an antidepressant that is used for pain releif but I found it made me anxious but again may affect you differently.

      FYI most pain meds are addictive or cause dependance. Weather this is a problem or not depends how long you take them for and if you ever want/need to come off them.

  • tony15730
    tony15730 Lily23957

    Posted

    Tramadol and opiod that isalso a serotonin and norepinephrine (nor-adrenaline) reuptake inhibitor (SNRI). It is also a weak serotonin releaser. Its the norepinephrine that gives the energy boost that some people get from Tramadol and why it can cause sleep problems for some people. If you google it there is a lot of info about this online.

    As Richieboy says its the SNRI part thgat makes it so hard to come off and slow reduction (weeks/months) is usually the best way.

  • jr10060
    jr10060 Lily23957

    Posted

    For me, I tappered very slowly. I found myself depressed at times, but it does fo away. If you have been on Tramadol for a long time, please do not tackle this alone. It can be very difficult. I went to a support group that helped alot and I am still going. It has been 8 months since I stopped. The depression stopped and the urge to start tramadol again has stopped.

    As difficult as it may be, you need to stick it out. You will be much better for it.

    If you cannot do it alone, see your doctor. They can also help..

    Take care.

  • richieboy22
    richieboy22 Lily23957

    Posted

    i was on 800 mg a day for 5 years,   tok me about 4 months  to taper off -with my wifes help---that's the only way you have to have someone in your corner, like a boxer!
  • evergreen
    evergreen Lily23957

    Posted

    I wouldn't ever touch tramadol again. If used, it should be for short periods only IMO. It is highly addictive and difficult to get off. It often leaves people with a lasting depression once they taper off it, as it did me. I never took more than 3 x 50mg in any one day. I found it lifted my spirits and gave me loads of energy. I didn't notice any effect on my pain to be honest.
  • thebird55
    thebird55 Lily23957

    Posted

    Here's the problem. Finding the one particular "serotonin" drug that is right for you can be a trial and error experience. Many people have to try more than one before they find one that works for them. And once you establish tramadol in your system, you could well be faced with needing to try something else for depression. But you cannot do that without first stopping the tramadol, or you could face "serotonin syndrome". So then you'd be worse off than when you started, having to re-balance your serotonin levels (to properly evaluate the new drug), which can take quite a while.

    When it comes to really effective pain management, true opiates are usually the best option. Just be sure to carefully manage your dosing schedule, and always take the least amount that works for you. 

  • Barnyboy
    Barnyboy Lily23957

    Posted

    I have been on tramadol for the past 4 years due to back pain and then a knee replacement that went terribly wrong. I went to my doctor last week as i was feeling so low after trying to wean off the Tramadol. He advised i take an antidepressant called Sertraline but still take the tramadol. I did this for about three days and felt absolutely awrful, racing heart, aggitation and feeling very unwell. I have now decided to stop all meds and take my chances, they don't help with the pain so I mifgt as well suffer that than feel so dreadful in other ways. This is probably not the best way to go about it but after cutting right down on the Tramadol from 400mg a day to just 50mg a day over a few months I am going to try and not take any. the side affects of coming off the Tramadolhave been really bad but it's now or never for me.
    • tony15730
      tony15730 Barnyboy

      Posted

      I am in the process of weaning off Tramadol as well. Taking an antidepressent while weaning of make sense on paper but the startup off any antidepressent in my experiance (and I have tried quite a few) is rough for the first few weeks. So I figured if Im going to fill rough anyway I would just do it with out the AD.  Im not sure what was worse, the aches and pains and general flu like symptons or the depression and anxiety! Thats what I got when I halved my dose anyway. That took 2 weeks to where off for me.

      So now for the remainder I do slow and steady instead. Now I reduced by 1 tablet a day and now wait until the withdrawels have gone before reducing again by another tablet. Until I got to 3 tablets a day. At this point I lowed the reduction to half a tablet a day. I keep Paracetamol and Ibuprofen to hadn (take 2 each together) the aches and fluy symptons and sudofed (the pseadoephedrine type) helped with the low energy. But just 'rode the wave' so to speak with depressive symptons. Just keep reminding yourself that they dont last! In pratice I do a reduction once every 2 weeks. Any quicker and it got very hard for me. I usually only need the pain killers for the first week though.

      The other thing people dont mention much is the fact tramadol does make you feel good and gives you energy and stamina to get stuff done and deal with lifes hard stuff and curve balls. If you want to get off tramadol you must not use it for this reason. I learnt that the hard way too! lol

      If you have a partner ask for their help as support goes a long way. I just need to be reminded how bad the withdrawels are and that usually stops me progressing back up on a dose. Especially if Im having a bad day.

      Sorry for the long post. I hope it helps!

    • Barnyboy
      Barnyboy tony15730

      Posted

      Hi Tony, thank you for your response I totally agree with you. Unfortunately I found I was taking the Tramadol not for pain (as it did nothing) but for the "high" I got. When I don't take it I find I have no energy or drive to do anything and could quite easily stay in bed all day. It is a really horrible feeling but I know I have to fight the erge to take it. I am going on hoilday at the end of the week so have been slowly stopping all my pain killers and antidepressants which i only took for a few days anyway and  intend to not take any meds at all while I am soaking up the sun in the hope that being away from all the stress at home will help me get all the meds out of my system once and for all. I have another hurdle to cross next year though,due to an unsuccessful knee replacement as I have to have it done again. One thing for sure not matter how bad the pain might be I will NEVER EVER take tramadol again, I think I would rather the pain than the adiction. I am a 58 year young woman and need my life back.

      Good luck Tony, and I hope your health improves very soon.

      Best wicshes 

      Annie from London

    • tony15730
      tony15730 Barnyboy

      Posted

      I'm starting 1 a day this week. I took it for both pain and the feel good factor. My hurdle was that I found they worked better as an anti-depressant they any of the many different anti depressants I tried. I never got any (unplessant) side effects. But after a while I noticed that I needed to feel some stress in order to motivate me to change my life for the better. Tram just alllowed me to forget my problems instead. The problem I have (like you will soon with the knee replacement) is that I still do need them for pain relief. I dont like other opiates as they make me to drowsy and blunt my thinking to much. Previously I was ok until I had to take a high dose for 3 months straight due to pain. Before that I could take them or leave them. I have been taking them for 2 years now.

      But slow and steady and you should be ok. You can do it! Just keep your eye on the price and Good luck!

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