Tramadol How Addictive

Can I just say that tramadol is realy rubbish to come off of...real nasty and best not done alone or quickly. But it is a great med for pain. It does not cause depression, or weight gain, or memory loss. If you can stay at a dose no higher than 200mg a day, slow release, you will be a doing great. If you need more, you will still easily be able to have a life. So many other drugs for pain take away much more than they give back. But yes, it is often a difficult drug to withdraw from.

Hi there,

I know it sometime since you posted I just found it intresting the title Tramadol, I was put on tramadol after a falling on my back and wow how strong they were I may have fought this as I am not a tablet taker, I was on Tramadol for 4-5 weeks and made myself go back to the doctors to ask to take me off them I really didnt like the feeling on them very sluggish majority of the time sleeping felt awful on my husband coming in from work and there I was asleep. I felt like my eyes were flicking and my reactions slowed down I could not drive on them so that ment I could not work as my job is driving. My doctor did tell me not to come of them straight but slowly and she put something in place instead of them. I would not go back to taking them agai inless it was a dyer need to.

Hi everyone,

Lots of well expressed opionions on Tramadol here.

I would add that Tramadol is a very good pain medication, if it suits you. Only you and your gp or consultant can decide how much and how long you should take it, depending on the reason why you've been prescribed it in the first place.

If you suffer from chronic pain, have tried everything and Tramadol is the one that suits you best, then take it, if it makes your life more endurable.

The main problem with it is that people often keep taking it out of habit rather than because they really need it. You start off taking it as prescribed for something and feel better and keep taking it even when you are not in that much pain, that's when dependance sets in.

I have taken it on and off for years, only when the pain warrants it though and am certainly not dependant on it. Yes there are side effects but when the pain is that bad sometimes you need a break from it.

Don't forget that when the chips are down all pain medications can become habit forming and difficult to withdraw from. All have side effects that some people can live with and some can't, it's a matter of what suits you. Do not be put off at least trying something that you may find is just right for yourself, you can always stop taking it if it doesn't suit you.

The body gets used to any medication in time and not just Tramadol.

Many people all over the world are very grateful for Tramadol as it has enabled them to return to work and live a more normal life, through the pain.

Just wanted to put my two penneth into the discussion.

Hope all of you in pain are managing ok today. Fanny Jane.

Fanny Jane,

Thanks very much for expressing your opinion on Tramadol, also called Zydol incidentally.

Personally I find the drug useful when in dire straights as just taking Paracetamol on their own just isn't enough. Oh and if you're wondering why I still need pain killers, well it's for a bladder symptom.

Ooops, a typo there, correction should be "dire straits"

Hi Mr Flintstone,

.. I thought Dire Straights were a pop group... boom boom.

Seriously, I was just worried that some people are put off by posts that may not be relevant to them or their current situation.

As you say Tramadol can be very useful for many of us. Sorry to hear you have bladder problems, I get quite a few UTI's and they are horrible. I also have chronic pain issues due to Arthritis and nerve damage. Pain meds are necessary to continue a reasonably normal life for many people, for many reasons.

Love your logo... take care, Fanny Jane.

Fanny Jane.

I am having an US Ultrasound next week, but although my GP did a DRE recently I still have a feeling that I may have Prostatitis, and I am thinking that because I was diagnosed 7 years ago as having inflammation of the Trigone area I am thinking that I may have the same again.

I find that I need to lie down or to one side to take away the feeling I get which is horrible, and I try not to take any paracetamol or Tramadol unless I really need to.

Hello Mr Flintstone, Sorry to hear of your specific problems.

My husband has similar worries to you but so far all is well with him. He does take pain medication when he's rough as he turns into a 6 year old and then I insist! I have five grandsons under 7, all of which are better at being poorly than him!

Forgive me if I'm wrong but you sound like a chap of our age and sadly this is the time that prostrate problems start to show up.

Good luck with your ultrasound next week. We have known several friends with nasty prostrate problems and after treatment they are all doing well, which I keep pointing out to Mr Fanny Jane.

So keep positive and if you are in pain, take a pill and have a lay down with a nice cup of tea.

Take care, Fanny Jane.

Thank You Fanny Jane :-)

I have been taking Tramadol daily, off and on for 3 years now.

My dose has remained at 50-100mg once daily during this period, mostly 50mg.

To answer the OP question about addiction, Tramadol is described as having a very low addiction potential and I would agree with this. However, it's clear to make a distinction here between a physical addiction and a dependency problem.

Opiate-style drugs can cause a physical addiction, but Tramadol in my experience is not in the same league as these drugs as Tramadol has fairly weak opiate-receptor activity.

That said, yes, there is a very real risk of dependency with Tramadol if used for more than a few weeks daily at a time. One can easily come to depend on the drug and its effects. When you stop, the withdrawal effects at low dose are minimal (for me anyway) and that backs up my argument that Tramadol does not cause full blown physical addiction like a true opiate drug would. At higher doses though, this could be different and I have heard horror stories if people experiencing horrendous withdrawal problems from Tramadol were they have been taking doses of 200mg+ daily for long periods of time.

The important thing I think is to lower your dose gradually when you come off it, if you have been taking a higher dose, just as you would with any opiate drug you have been taking for a long time.

When I tore a tendon in my ankle, I told my dr. that i was an alcoholic and susceptible to addition, and was given Tramadol instead of some usual narcotic. It was great for the pain, but it also made me feel great, sort of like a speed feeling. Long after my pain was gone I was still taking it, getting easily, overnight, from the Internet. I was only using it to get high and have extra energy.

I got up to taking 1000 to 1500 mg per day on weekends, less during the workweek. When I would run out and the refill was delayed for any reason, I would experience what I’ve heard called “brain zaps”. But that was only the start of each withdrawal. They got worse as the hours wore on, then I would get sick. I mean, this was REAL narcotic-type withdrawal that you hear so much about. I could not believe how terrible it was.

While I was “high”, I couldn’t think to any level of complexity at all. I could do some repetitive task (I’m a computer network engineer), but not visualize or conceptualize in my mind to any degree at all. And maybe even worse than that, I had what they call “roid rage”…..you know, like when you are taking steroids to lift weights or whatever. I could actually watch myself get enraged at the slightest thing, and then go back down to being quiet, but still intense, a short time after.

I felt hopeless to ever get off of it. Ever. After 2 or 3 days without it, I would be too sick to even get out of bed.

Finally, I decided that I had to at least stop getting high with it, to just stop taking the amount to get buzzed, and only take enough to ward off the withdrawal symptoms. I got down to 2 50mg per day over about a 3 week period. Then, thank goodness, I got really sick from an unrelated issue, and while horribly sick in bed, I took no Tramadol, because I could order none and no one was going to get me any! After another 2 weeks, I was off complete.

If you want to experience REAL addiction, like you see on TV, take Tramadol.

@tonyrus thanks for sharing your story and being so frank and honest! I think this proves beyond any doubt, the addition potential for Tramadol from tolerance and dependency. My story and experience, very similar to your own which I posted before, so I won't repeat, except to say.. I can totally relate to what you said about the "speedy" feeling and feeling great that tramadol gives.. Repetitive tasks and especially labour-intensive/exercise, so much easier on Tramadol. I can also identify with the anger/rages you can get on Tramadol over relatively small things. I'm fortunate that my usage never passed 150mg/daily, and I quickly was able to reduce the dose at that point and not go higher.. I stayed at 50/mg daily, but even at that dose, the effects are potent on serotonin. It's like a very effective anti-depressant with speed, thrown in.

Although many Dr's rank Tramadol as low-addiction potential and low potency opiate effects, they don't understand (or have experienced patients with problems) to know this drugs work on 3 different pathways in brain. For most people, they can take it for extended periods (weeks or months) and not experience any addiction problem like they might do with codeine or higher potency opiates, yet they might get sufficient pain relief.. So Dr thinks, its a safer choice to manage pain. But for individuals, susceptible to addiction, or with a pattern of addiction, Tramadol is the worse drug to give for long periods, without very close supervision.

As you pointed out, you can't just stop it either.. like an anti-depressant or true-opiate, you need to gradually taper-down off it, or else your brains serotonin levels go crazy.

Hi I am so relieved to have found this. I started

taking tramadol in January of this year as I cracked

my ribs. I ended up doing this again only 2 months later.

My intake of tramadol has increased to about 1000mg a day.

Coming off is not pleasant: head zaps, painful skin, weakness,

aches, slight panick feeling, head ache. I have decided to

cut down slowly so I can get off for good. Does anyone have

advice, tips on how best to do this. Any diversionary tactics such as

exercise? Anyone is similar position want to stay in contact

so we can help each other as we give up? Many many thanks

I too was up to taking 300mg every 3-4 hours, over 1000 mg per day, but usually after work and all weekend, because at that level i was usless at work. I was getting high, no longer in paid from a torn tindon in my ankle. I shared the same horrible withdrawal symptoms. I got the drug easily over the internet: 50mg, 100mg, even 200mg tablets (from India). I thought i was never going to be able to stop taking it.

HOWEVER, no matter how many miligrams you are taking now, there is SOME amont that you can take that will avoid the withdrawal symptoms almost entirely, yet will allow you to gradually reduce what you take. I went down by 50 mg a day.....then 100, etc.. Finally got down to 2-3 50 mg pills a day.

Unfortunately for you, but fortunately for me, the final end for me was when i got really sick for 3 weeks, ran out of tramadol, and physically could not order it (very long story). So, i can't tell you about the last weeks eliminating it altogether. But i am sure i would have come.

You just HAVE to decide you will not go on as a drug addict, and begin to reduce your dosage. Take 3 months, 6 months. Commit yourself to no longer getting high, but just taking "maintenance" dosages. Just reduce and stick to it.