[jtpo1982]

I have been taking aprox 150 MG - 200 MG of tramadol a day for about the past 8 months, I went to Mexico and bought some at a "farmacia" and found that the pills gave me a smooth high, and since I have been taking them daily. They don't give me a "slow-down, relaxed" feel, instead they sort of amp me up like a coffee would and I find that I work better, faster, and more focused on them, which is why I have kept taking them. I'm wondering if I have a different reaction to them than most, because Ive given friends some to try and they say it makes them sluggish and tired. For me its the opposite; if I take them at night I wont go to sleep at all. Does anyone know why they do that? Is that normal?

[ineedhelptexas]

hey i have the same reactioin to tramadol as well that's why i like it so much where did you get it in mexico? and how?

[jtpo1982]

It was at a pharmacy in mexico, they're all over the place down there. Its also all over the internet, you can buy it practically anywhere.

[sisterwin2]

tramadol attaches to the same receptor as a narcotic.. like percocets and that is why you get the feeling of euphura.

they are very addictive and you will experience withdrawl if you take them for an extended lenght of time.

I think both of you are starting a long road down hill of addiction. I fear you will end up like me who is nothing but a junkie.

[jtpo1982]

how long have you been addicted to tramadol? how many are you up to every day?

[bigdaddy08]

I too was addicted to tramadol, and ultracet. Ultracet is the same but without the acetametaphine. it was very hard to quit taking these drugs, especially cold turkey like i did. they do work well if taken as prescribed. The first 3 days off them, were the hardest for me. I really felt like i was dying. All my little aches and pains came back, as well as i couldn't sleep for a week. It was a very difficult time. I know all people are different, but for me , quitting cold turkey was the only way i was going to get off these meds. just remember to stay positive and after awhile your body will thank you. good luck.

[VinylTulip]

My doctor prescribes Tramadol for me (it was for a herniated disc in my back) and by chance, I had the EXACT reaction you have described. I take 3 pills/day and my depression and anxiety have disappeared (I have struggled with dep/anx my whole life). I feel perky, upbeat, positive, and anything but tired. It's been so great to feel good (without feeling drugged up!). Here is what makes me nervous - it's been about 5 months now and I don't ever want to be without these again - they have made my enjoyment of everyday life better tenfold, and I can't imagine ever not taking them anymore. Is there a danger for long-term usage of these? I'm afraid to tell my doctor my pain is now gone, but I don't want to give up the Tramadol, and go back to being depressed again.

[ClareK]

I work with the Waismann Method of opiate Detoxification and we see more and more patients coming in for Ultram detoxification because they were told by their doctors that is not addictive. for me this is a misclassified drug, because it works at the opioid receptors and it works just like and opiate with the same addictive components...The reaction you feel is like a rush of endorphins that will eventually bring you down. be careful with this drug because most of the time it will progress and you will need more and more just to fell normal...
Best of luck...,

[jtpo1982]

Interesting! Like I said, I've given them to my friends before and they didn't like it because they felt loopy and confused and tired, which was always odd to me because I have always felt energized, clear, and focused on them. It has also been a mood elevator for me too. It seems to have very different affects on different people. Someone I know took only 100 MG and felt nauseated and almost threw up. So it must affect in many different ways depending on your make-up. I have done some reading and found that tramadol has also been prescribed for depression/mood elevation. I don't know how true that is but I've read that on many websites online regarding the use of tramadol.

As far as long term damage I don't know, but I have been trying to find that out. I do know that tramadol doesn't cause ulcers and bleeding of the stomach because it isn't an NSAID, which is a type of pain killer that causes the gastric acid in your stomach to directly irritate the gastric mucous, which leads to bleeding, ulcers, etc. I have been wondering what the effects on tramadol are on your liver or kidneys, because I haven't been able to find out how these pills are processed in your body.

Any feedback?

[sa2008]

Originally Posted by VinylTulip

My doctor prescribes Tramadol for me (it was for a herniated disc in my back) and by chance, I had the EXACT reaction you have described. I take 3 pills/day and my depression and anxiety have disappeared (I have struggled with dep/anx my whole life). I feel perky, upbeat, positive, and anything but tired. It's been so great to feel good (without feeling drugged up!). Here is what makes me nervous - it's been about 5 months now and I don't ever want to be without these again - they have made my enjoyment of everyday life better tenfold, and I can't imagine ever not taking them anymore. Is there a danger for long-term usage of these? I'm afraid to tell my doctor my pain is now gone, but I don't want to give up the Tramadol, and go back to being depressed again.

Dear Tulip
Yes they are addictive so be very careful and take only the prescribed dosage and try to cut back on that to see if you have good effect with less amount of the drug. The temptation can be to take more if 3 feels good then 5 would be even better. Not so! You need to be honest with your doctor about why you are taking them and perhaps there is a better alternative. If you are lying in order to get the drug then you may already be addicted. Coming off of them cold turkey can be really rough but if I can do it anyone can. At the time I came off of them I also came off of vicodin and ambien. It was pure hell for about 7 days and nights, no sleep, muscle cramps. chills, runny nose, aches and pains all over, constant mind activity and unable to stop rolling the tapes but I did it and after that experience I will never go back. Yes, the doctors will keep on prescribing but you must take control of your life and get your life back. Right now you belong to the drug although you may not fully realize. It is an addiction of your mind. I wish you all the best and hope that you can dig down and find the courage to kick it!

[joey2bulldog]

Someone made a comment, on this or another thread I believe, that there is no psychological component to Tramadol addiction. I would have to disagree with this. Aside from physical dependence, Tramadol does create a psychological grip on your efforts to quit. The hardest part is to decide to break that grip. If you gradually taper them very slowly, you should greatly minimize the withdrawal effects and successfully stop taking them altogether. The problem lies within the compulsion to continue using them for what is percieved as a benefit to well-being. The tragedy, is that over time, the exact opposite is true; even when your life is falling apart around you, you chase after that first feeling of pleasure, energy, and well-being that you will never find again. All of that begins to errode over time, and you experience the reverse: Depression, agitation, general dysphoria, lack of energy, rebound pain (if pain was the reason you began taking them).
If you want to stop but can't, it's ok to ask for help. If you can't get help in the conventional way (rehab), you might ask someone close to you to dispense them in a manner that is safe, and consistent with your desire to quit.
This is an ugly, unhealthy addiction that will strangle the life out of you if you continue to give in to it's seductive nature. It amazes me that there are still a lot of people out there who think Tramadol is a joke, and "no big deal". Even some physicians who prescribe it believe it is a great alternative to stronger pain medications. This belief has been perpetuated by the notion that it is non-addictive, and non-narcotic.

If it barks like a dog, looks like dog, wags it's tail like a dog. . .

[adoan]

I never took the Tramadol so I cannot say if it is addictive or not. But working as a pharmacist, I see so many people abusing it because it is so cheap and it is not controlled.

[joey2bulldog]

It would also be difficult to assess the addiction potential of a drug by using it if you are not predisposed to chemical addiction. If it is being abused, one could surmise that it has the potential to be addictive.
The deceptive aspect of Tramadol is that it appears to many in the health care field, to be an appealing alternative to scheduled drugs. I didn't know it was cheap, though.

[LMK20]

I completely agree that it is an empirical fact that Tramadol (or Ultram) is a habit forming and addictive drug; whether it's touted as being non-narcotic or not. However, in response to the question asked, yes, I too have the same reaction. I do not feel sleepy nor overly amped, I just feel "right" although I am now alternating between a 50 mg dose one day and a 25 mg dose the next day, and so on, as this has been an extremely helpful drug for me as far as being able to discontinue taking high mg doses of Vicodin, Norco, and Percocet which I was on for nearly two years. Granted, I wasn't taking pill after pill, but I was taking one of the three at particular times at least once or twice a day, as I suffer from PHN (basically a nerve issue that can arise after having shingles) so there was a time and a place for the stronger medications. However, I knew, as did my physician, that I had become physically dependent on them. I am fortunate that we were able to make some changes before it turned into what I would consider a full blown addiction, but PLEASE PLEASE approach the continued use of Tramadol with extreme caution and try or just consider discontinuing it all together (by weening and through consultation with a health care professional) as soon as you can. On the flip side, please don't feel guilty either for taking this drug; there is no judgement here and I know what it is like to be in extreme pain which can be just as damaging to one's health in both physical and psychological aspects as the drug itself. I'm not really saying anything new here that hasn't been stated before, so I suppose I just wanted to express my gratitude for having an outlet such as this which has allowed me to get some things off of my chest that I've never really discussed this openly.
My best to all and thank you for the initial post,
Laura

[Robert_325]

It infuriates me how drs continue to prescribe ultram in ridiculously high doses even with the knowledge available to all about the liklihood of seizures in high doses. And I agree with you guys that this drug is definitely addictive regardless of whether it's a narcotic drug or not. There are still drs out there who don't even think it's addictive and prescribe it accordingly at our expense.

I have been on this forum for a while. Not a week goes by that someone doesn't come here a total mess due to taking ultram. Doses often start out at 100mg or less but in little time it can turn into hundreds of mgs. This is when it's really dangerous. Just wanted to comment on this thread as this drug is so much more dangerous than lots of people realize. Not judging anyone here except the drs who pass it out like candy. God bless.

[sm1983]

This is a question for you guys that have gone throuht the tramadol withdraw for longer than a week. I have withdrawled several times before because of times when I'm not able to get any tramadol. Its never been longer than a week. I pretty scared to go so long with out it because it was pure hell for me. My question is after that first week does it get better? Did you go back to your normal self before you starting taking them? When I take these I do some better in school, I have more energy, and my mood is a thousand times better and I have to be up beat because I work in a hotel. Thanks for the help in advance!

[MaisieC]

To sm1983, in my experience it does get better after a week. The first week was the worst for me. From there on, it was gradual improvement. I was on tramadol for a couple of years, so my addiction was pretty bad. I was fortunately able to taper down before quitting entirely, so my withdrawal was not as bad as it could have been. It was bad, though. Getting some exercise after the first couple of days helped me, and trying to do as best as I could nutritionally also helped. My recommendation is to do your best to get off it, be brave and keep trying and trying. I'm now 36 days clean and I feel better than I ever could have imagined!

To some of the other new members here, PLEASE BEWARE of this drug! I am not an amateur addict--I've used and abused every narcotic pain reliever in the world, and Tramadol is worse than anything else I've ever had. Tramadol should be a tightly controlled substance. Doesn't matter if it's a narcotic or not...it behaves like one. It is highly addictive. What's more, tramadol also acts on serotonin receptors as well as opiate receptors, so it's like taking an antidepressant as well as a pain pill. Makes you feel great...but it also makes getting off the pills that much harder and more dangerous.

I think everyone who's become addicted to pain pills has experienced that wonderful blast of energy and productiveness that you describe. I suspect that's a precondition for addiction to this stuff. It's NOT a good thing; it's a curse cuz it makes you way more vulnerable to abusing the drug.

In my case, and I think I'm not alone, the belief that the drug was benefiting me became, after a while, an illusion. I felt great, I felt productive. But was I productive? Not really. The opiates gave me the kind of focus I needed to do stupid, tedious tasks, because I just didn't care I was so happy. But overall my creativity pretty much disappeared. Less and less sense of initiative. A narrower and narrower view of life, which began to revolve largely around obtaining drugs. It feels great in the beginning, but believe me, that doesn't last.

I totally understand how good it might feel now, but it's a slippery slope and doesn't lead anywhere good.

[sm1983]

Did you go to a rehab facility or did you go cold turkey? I know someone who has gone to a clinic and they put him on methedone to help with the withdrawl. I'm heard rumors that some people have died from the withdrawls.

[MaisieC]

Originally Posted by sm1983

Did you go to a rehab facility or did you go cold turkey? I know someone who has gone to a clinic and they put him on methedone to help with the withdrawl. I'm heard rumors that some people have died from the withdrawls.

I was at home, but I didn't do cold turkey...I tapered down. At the end I was taking just 25 mg per day before I quit completely. The severity of your withdrawal depends partly on how high a dose you're taking. If you're at a high dose and just run out, your withdrawal is likely to be worse than if you taper down to a lower dose before you quit (some people, though, don't find this to be the case).

At one time I had a doctor who gave me suboxone to help get me off Tramadol, and it did the trick. I don't know about using methadone for this purpose.

We could probably help you more if you could tell us your situation right now. Are you out of pills, and if so what dose were you at when you stopped? Or are you planning to get off the pills in the future?

[sm1983]

I was thinking of doing it in the summer, when I am not in school. I'm worried though, because it is so easily accessable and I dont have very good self control.

[MaisieC]

Originally Posted by sm1983

I was thinking of doing it in the summer, when I am not in school. I'm worried though, because it is so easily accessable and I dont have very good self control.

Yeah, that's a big challenge. You won't quit unless you want to...or unless your life gets so destroyed that you HAVE to. So I really recommend wanting to!

From my point of view, of course, I'd like to see you quit as soon as possible. Do you have a spring break coming up? Could you make a tapering schedule so that you'd be clean during spring break? That way if you feel sick once it's done, you won't have to deal with that during classes. Even better, are you able to plan a vacation for spring break? So that you'd be clean and get to have a reward...and also a change of scene, which will help with psychological cravings for the drug. Get into a different setting, and you won't be reaching for the drugs in the same way.

What dose are you at now? A slow taper is the best way off this drug, in my opinion. Cold turkey can be really bad, and the withdrawals can last a long time if you stop abruptly at a high dose. If you want to set up a taper schedule, I'm happy to help with that.

Bottom line is that you have to want to quit, though. Part of that is education. Have you ever been to an NA meeting? I would strongly suggest it. You can learn a lot from people there. You'll meet people who have been really wiped out by drugs, and you'll begin to see that there but for the grace of God...you know? You'll also learn techniques for managing an addictive personality, how to deal with cravings, how to stay clean. These are all lessons as important as your school work.

Feel free to send me a PM if you ever want to talk in more detail.

Hang in!

[sm1983]

I'm guessing pm means private message? NA meeting does sound like a good idea to help me make a sound decision.

[MaisieC]

Yes, PM is a private message. Or we can keep talking on this thread...whichever you prefer.

NA is really helpful. I remember the first few times I went, I was blown away by the bad experiences some people had had. I thought "wow, these people are hardcore. Nothing that bad has ever happened to me." Well, I kept using drugs for a few years, and then it did. So take it as an education and a caution.

Take care.

[MaisieC]

Ooooops! Looks like this board does not offer private messaging. Sorry!

Does anyone know how to send e-mails to members through the board? Many thanks!

[sm1983]

As as I'm able to figure the email thing out, I'll problably send you one. The Tapering Schedule is what interests me the most.

[Robert_325]

You click on a person's screen name and the option for sending emails will come up IF you include accepting emails in your profile. You can always go back and edit your profile to include emails if you haven't done so previously. God bless.

[MaisieC]

Ah, super deluxe! Thank you, Robert. I've got that fixed now. (Also fixed the time zone thing, as that was confusing me.)

I am such a Luddite.

[lsjnh42506]

I am really thankful I for reading all the postings on this bored. I have been addicted to tramadol for 3yrs now and really want to stop. I hide it from my fiance which kills me. I feel the same most have posted such as energetic, happy and able to function.
I never needed the drug. I started taking when I quit smoking and found a bottle that my fiance had from a hockey injury. I became addicted after 2 months and would refill his prescriptions. I have had a history of depression and stopped taking my zoloft once I became addicted to this wonder drug. I even convinced my doctor that I have severe back pain from an old car accident. I have become such a lier in order to get this drug. I am not the person I use to be before the addiction.
I have tried to stop before and can't get through the withdraws. I have now started taking 3 (50mg) a day from the 8-10 I was taking. My question is that I have tried cold turkey and felt like I was going to die. How do I tapper off of them with 1 bottle left which includes 60 pills??

Please help me to be me again..

[MaisieC]

Originally Posted by lsjnh42506

I am really thankful I for reading all the postings on this bored. I have been addicted to tramadol for 3yrs now and really want to stop. I hide it from my fiance which kills me. I feel the same most have posted such as energetic, happy and able to function.
I never needed the drug. I started taking when I quit smoking and found a bottle that my fiance had from a hockey injury. I became addicted after 2 months and would refill his prescriptions. I have had a history of depression and stopped taking my zoloft once I became addicted to this wonder drug. I even convinced my doctor that I have severe back pain from an old car accident. I have become such a lier in order to get this drug. I am not the person I use to be before the addiction.
I have tried to stop before and can't get through the withdraws. I have now started taking 3 (50mg) a day from the 8-10 I was taking. My question is that I have tried cold turkey and felt like I was going to die. How do I tapper off of them with 1 bottle left which includes 60 pills??

Please help me to be me again..

Hi there,

I'm glad you've come to the site and that the posts have been helpful! I identify with a lot of what you describe: I used to hide my pill-taking from my boyfriend and feel soooooo guilty about it. Step into the bathroom and close the door to take pills, etc. And I used to lie, too. It's awful what we'll do, isn't it?

I think 60 pills is plenty for a slow taper...if you trust yourself to do it. It sounds like you're already doing very well in cutting back! Stay strong, and keep going. Here is a link to a taper schedule you can read. This user was using WAY more than you, but the schedule will give you an idea of how slowly and in what increments you might taper:

http://www.medhelp.org/user_journals/show/725

How many days have you been at 3 per day? And how are you feeling? I think you should figure on staying at that dose for a week, then cut back to 2 per day. As you taper, you'll do so in smaller increments, so go to the drug store and invest the $2 in a pill-cutter. Pretty soon you'll be cutting those puppies in half!

You are really on quite a low dose right now, and that's a good reason to be optimistic. But if you're sensitive to the drug and you have enough pills (which you do), it's wise to take it slowly.

I am very concerned about your history of depression. As you know, Tramadol has anti-depressant characteristics: it enabled you to go off your zoloft. I was on zoloft the whole time I was abusing, and I was lucky that I didn't become depressed after quitting. I strongly recommend going to your doctor and talking about what you're doing and how to handle the issue of potential depression. I hope you have a psychiatrist that you see for the zoloft rather than a primary care doctor. If not, I would strong recommend finding a psychiatrist who has some experience with substance abuse: that would be incredibly helpful and would also add to your support network.

At some point you should probably also come clean with the doctor you've been getting the trams from, and tell him you've become addicted. It can feel bad admitting this to a doctor, but you're doing yourself a favor in the long run: cutting off another potential source for the pills should you wish to relapse in future.

Speaking of support network, does your fiance know what you're doing? Do you feel able to discuss it with him?

Sorry I yapped so much. I hope I answered your question somewhere along the line.

Please take care, and please let us know how you're doing.

[lsjnh42506]

Originally Posted by MaisieC

Hi there,

I'm glad you've come to the site and that the posts have been helpful! I identify with a lot of what you describe: I used to hide my pill-taking from my boyfriend and feel soooooo guilty about it. Step into the bathroom and close the door to take pills, etc. And I used to lie, too. It's awful what we'll do, isn't it?

I think 60 pills is plenty for a slow taper...if you trust yourself to do it. It sounds like you're already doing very well in cutting back! Stay strong, and keep going. Here is a link to a taper schedule you can read. This user was using WAY more than you, but the schedule will give you an idea of how slowly and in what increments you might taper:

http://www.medhelp.org/user_journals/show/725

How many days have you been at 3 per day? And how are you feeling? I think you should figure on staying at that dose for a week, then cut back to 2 per day. As you taper, you'll do so in smaller increments, so go to the drug store and invest the $2 in a pill-cutter. Pretty soon you'll be cutting those puppies in half!

You are really on quite a low dose right now, and that's a good reason to be optimistic. But if you're sensitive to the drug and you have enough pills (which you do), it's wise to take it slowly.

I am very concerned about your history of depression. As you know, Tramadol has anti-depressant characteristics: it enabled you to go off your zoloft. I was on zoloft the whole time I was abusing, and I was lucky that I didn't become depressed after quitting. I strongly recommend going to your doctor and talking about what you're doing and how to handle the issue of potential depression. I hope you have a psychiatrist that you see for the zoloft rather than a primary care doctor. If not, I would strong recommend finding a psychiatrist who has some experience with substance abuse: that would be incredibly helpful and would also add to your support network.

At some point you should probably also come clean with the doctor you've been getting the trams from, and tell him you've become addicted. It can feel bad admitting this to a doctor, but you're doing yourself a favor in the long run: cutting off another potential source for the pills should you wish to relapse in future.

Speaking of support network, does your fiance know what you're doing? Do you feel able to discuss it with him?

Sorry I yapped so much. I hope I answered your question somewhere along the line.

Please take care, and please let us know how you're doing.

Thank you very much for your encouraging words!! This is day 2 and I took 1 (50mg) this morning and am going to hold out until 4 pm to take another one. That means I will have gotten to 100mg a day. That is how I started and it is amazing how much I increased the dosage. I lost my job and boredom started the increase. I did take 2 excedrin migraine this morning which i read somewhere helps with the irritability. I think it worked somewhat. I have been taking a xanax before bed to help me sleep. It has been 3 days now that I went from taking 8-10 to 3 and now 2. The last couple of nights I sweated throughout the night. I am thinking that is in response to my body decreasing my dosage. I know at times when i quit cold turkey, I thought I was going to die. Did you ever feel like you could not get enough fluids?? That is the reason I kept getting more pills.
I have been taking your advice taking walks eating right and adding more protein!! I just want to believe what you said that I will get through this and feel 100 percent again!! Right now I am constantly thinking I can get a refill!! These are the devil pills!! I have had friends who have taken things for a long time and never had w/d.

Thank you for your encouragement because I would not have made it today without reading your posting. I want off!!

Best Regards and many blessings to you !!