Tramadol for Depression User Reviews (Page 3)

• Dep...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 26, 2019

"I've had depression and anxiety for about 14 years now. I can't even count how many antidepressants and other meds I tried without any results at all. I even spent so much money on ketamine therapy without any benefits. Only tramadol has ever worked for not only my anxiety and depression but to my surprise, it has helped my ADHD. Unfortunately, thanks to the government, the doctors would rather let you die than give you a prescription for tramadol."

• Dan...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 2, 2019

"I suffer from MDD and have taken about 7 different antidepressants, which have been, for the most part, ineffective. On the 4 or 5 occasions I have taken tramadol, it has had noticeable effects on my mood. Tramadol doesn't make me drowsy and has powerful antidepressant effects. I feel better for days after a single dose of Tramadol, during which I feel I have more energy, less anxiety, and feel oddly clearheaded. I know this drug is not typically indicated for depression or anxiety, but it seems to crush both in one go, at least for me anyways."

• Arj...
• February 1, 2017

"These postings are amazing for me. I was diagnosed with depression at 17 (59 now) and over the years have taken everything from Prozac to Paxil to Wellbutrin, and many others. Four years ago I was diagnosed with severe rheumatoid arthritis, and just a few months ago I was prescribed Tramadol for pain. While it did help somewhat with pain, I suddenly noticed my depression was lifting for the first time in over 30 years. The difference is amazing and life-changing. In addition, I can go several days to a week without it and I feel no withdrawal symptoms. I used to cry all the time, constant thoughts of suicide, and I'd stay in bed for days at a time. Now, I exercise daily, ride my bike frequently (which also helps with the depression)."

• Sum...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• December 11, 2015

"I was given Tramadol about 12 years ago for endometriosis and severe menstrual cramping. It has made me feel so much better overall. It works wonders for my mood, anxiety, and depression. I am a better person because of this drug. I am motivated and feel great all the time. This has changed my life for the better."

• Okl...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 9, 2016

"Tramadol for me is a miracle drug. I suffered from depression and anxiety brought on by a catastrophic life event. A year after the event, I was not recovering emotionally. It's like the feelings took on a life of their own, and I wasn't shaking it (PTSD?). I took tramadol one day for a headache and noticed it lifted my mood. I tried it again another day and got the same results. It lifts my mood, shakes off the depression and hopelessness, and gives me a feeling of optimism. This is on 100mg first thing in the morning, that's all I need. Nausea at first if not taken with food, but now I prefer it on an empty stomach. I was on it for 2 solid months. Now, just as needed, not every day. No withdrawals. Not prescribed for depression."

• Ely...
• April 28, 2015

"I have been on just about every antidepressant you can name. They started giving me bad side effects like constipation, so I had to stop taking them. For about two years, I could hardly get out of bed in the morning. I was suffering from severe depression and had absolutely no motivation to do anything. I had gotten tennis elbow, and the doc put me on tramadol. Within a couple of days, not only did it help with the pain, but I started feeling my depression lifting as well as my motivation. I told the doctor it was working great for my depression, so he kept me on it. I take 150 mg a day. I no longer sleep all day and have even decided to go back to school. It helps with not only my motivation and depression, it helps me concentrate. I love it!"

• The...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• September 14, 2023

"Tramadol works for depression! I take 50 mg/day, and it changes my outlook. Big Pharma is too invested in antidepressants to allow Tramadol to steal the show: with a rating of 9.2/10 on drugs.co, Tramadol is the HIGHEST RATED ANTIDEPRESSANT. In low doses (I take 50 mg and on occasion 100 mg/day), it's not even addictive. Read the reviews!!! Tramadol helped me after my brother died. It brings more color to an otherwise dull screen. It's almost a crime to not dispense Tramadol for depression!!!"

• Ros...
• July 8, 2014

"I have been on Tramadol (50mg 3x per day) for about 6 years now. For the first few years, it was a miracle cure. I have struggled with depression/anxiety/impulse and obsessive disorders my entire life. This made me finally feel free and human for the first time ever. The only downfall was after a few years, the effects wore off, and slowly my depression/anxiety began to creep back in. I took a break from it for a few months (warning: withdrawing from Tramadol is really uncomfortable). I went back on it after my Dr assured me it was a good med (even long term) for fibromyalgia/depression, etc. I'm up to about 4/day now. It still helps, but not nearly as much as in the beginning."

• Moo...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• September 4, 2018

"The last SSRI I tried put me into a manic episode. After 30 years, I discovered Tramadol, the only medication to date that helps with my depression. Then, Tramadol was re-classified, and now my psychiatrist wants me to get off the drug. I tried twice in the past to taper back from the 150 mg that I take in divided doses every day. I used the slowest taper schedule I could find online. The withdrawal is bad, I couldn't take the shaking and suicidal thoughts, so continued to take it. I came to peace with taking tramadol, especially after reading about the difference between addiction and dependence. I am dependent on this medication to keep me alive, literally. I don't crave it, and I have no desire to increase my dose, both of which are signs of addiction. I am so grateful to read about other people's positive experiences with Tramadol in treating depression. There wasn't much info out there when I started to look into it several years ago."

• Jas...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• February 24, 2024

"Initially prescribed Tramadol for lower back pain. Had previously been on other forms of antidepressants for PTSD after a long military and police career. Tramadol worked wonders in alleviating all forms of depressive/anxious thoughts and feelings. I had no idea Tramadol could help in this regard and now use it solely for mental health, having discarded all other medications. Like other reviewers here, I believe more attention and research needs to take place to make this drug a frontrunner in mental health medication. I feel confident, social, and my work has improved immensely since using this medicine. I take 100mg per day and no more. My recommendation is to stick to the prescribed dose and avoid alcohol in large quantities. Please keep in mind that the only side effect I have ever experienced is constipation. With that in mind, I changed to a higher fiber diet with plenty of fruit and vegetables and noticed my gut function returned to normal."

• Mar...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 15, 2025

"AMAZING & UNEXPECTEDLY PHENOMENAL results. Couldn't be happier at how powerfully effective it is for depression & anxiety. Works instantly and obliterates anxiety/depression symptoms within the hour! Tried SNRIs; SSRIs; MAOIs & tricyclic alternatives, but NOTHING comes close to low-dose tramadol. Besides depression/anxiety symptoms, you will feel a much higher improvement in mood!"

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• May 15, 2017

"Antidepressants have had no effect on my depression in the past. I was unable to find the motivation to support my family or even go to work, which caused me to lose my job. I started tramadol for a back injury as it is a non-habit forming pain reliever. It changed my life immediately, it wiped out the depression 100% gone. It is not much of a pain reliever, it is not very strong, and I still am in pain. I can deal with it though, and the lack of depression is worth it. The only downside is that when it wears off, the depression comes right back, fast. So I have to take it throughout the day. I am back to work and enjoying life, I just take 3 or 4 pills per day. I don't know why this drug is not marketed as an antidepressant, it should be."

• Diy...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• June 3, 2017

"Was prescribed for a knee injury. I tried all sorts of SSRIs, SNRIs, tricyclics, etc., for unexplained depression. All of them had side effects so detrimental that it made me more depressed. Of course, the so-called doctors want to give you more drugs to counter the side effects, all the while claiming you're a borderline heroin addict, all the while having no idea what is causing the depression, all the while suggesting it's all just maligned thought processes. Thank goodness I have arthritic knees. After taking tramadol, my depression is gone. Fact. Every patient is different. Don't be pigeonholed. I have been taking one 50mg per day for years. It works somehow. If it is a placebo, then why didn't all the other Meds work the same? For once I'd like to hear a Doctor just say 'I don't know.'"

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 15, 2012

"Started taking tramadol for chronic pain relief. It worked, but I didn't expect that after trying all for bipolar and depression, it would work. Until now, I'm not feeling the depression so badly. It's great."

• Was...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• February 28, 2015

"I have been depressed for over 7 years, but in that short period of time, I was immediately suicidal. By 'fate,' I found my salvation. One day, I was saying my goodbyes to everyone as I could not live any longer with such sadness and complete doom. I was sitting with my mom, and during all the crying, I told her I had a severe headache. She only had tramadol. I took two. It saved my life that day and still does. I had tried before and even after all kinds of other medicines, and none worked."

• Ida...
• July 10, 2014

"Tears of joy! OMG! Thank you all! I started Tramadol after my back surgery. I begged my doctor to get me off hydrocodone after 20 years. No more non-narcotics. This was for personal reasons. I enjoy sitting in my chair every day watching TV. I thought I was as good as it gets! I accepted life as that, but... all of a sudden, I found myself off the chair cleaning, doing things, happy, doing wonderful, not enough of pain control. I experimented with doses. After 3 months, I made a mistake and ran out 5 days early. OMG! This is how I realized that the Tramadol is what made me a person again, and your comments made it so! I am a 58-year-old woman, disabled, takes 100 mg Zoloft every day. Now I am alive!"

• Tax...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• October 11, 2018

"I've had depression since I was very young. I never accepted SSRI and just carried on regardless. My diabetes eventually gave me peripheral neuropathy and my feet hurt. Tramadol was prescribed for the pain. Since taking the tramadol my depression has been virtually nonexistent. I have not told my GP as he will probably stop the prescription. I do not have euphoria or anything like that, I am though functioning as a real human being with energy and purpose. My life is not perfect but it's much better, it can't just be a coincidence. John Lennon said 'Whatever gets you through the night, It's Alright.' I wish all you fellow sufferers the very best of luck x"

• ano...
• July 10, 2013

"I too am very treatment-resistant to all the conventional antidepressants. Before I moved to another state, I had a psych doctor who was a good listener. When I told him that the only time I recall not being depressed was when I had tramadol, he said 'well, let's try that'. For two years I used it, and felt good: motivated, engaged, curious about things. If I did stop it cold turkey, I'd have a few days of lethargy before settling back to my blah baseline. The main side effect is that if I took too much, my short-term memory got really bad, and I'd just get sort of dumb."

• Ano...
• June 11, 2025

"I've been on several antidepressants, none of them could control my anxiety and depression as a monotherapy. My doctor tried to put me on Effexor + Aripiprazole. It didn't work 100%. Just 50% better. Now, I finally found a combination that worked very well for me: TRAMADOL 100mg per day + Sertraline 150mg per day + Trazodone 50mg per night. This changed my life. Only Sertraline and Trazodone didn't work, but when I added Tramadol, the effect was just incredible. I am ALIVE, I work, I study, and I smile again. Dark clouds have been over. The pharmacy industry doesn't want to approve Tramadol for depression because it is an old and cheap drug and is extremely effective, so they just want to fabricate new expensive drugs that don't even come close to Tramadol's effectiveness. I've spent so much money when I was taking Abilify, and it didn't work for me. Even Amitriptyline was better than Abilify, but Amitriptyline's side effects were too much."

• Chr...
• October 26, 2016

"Self-medicating currently at around 150mg daily in 3 doses. Sometimes depression hits me hard, and I bump it up to 200mg. Crushing depression makes me want to give up everything and makes me hate everything, but Tramadol makes me calm, and I can do things again."

• Koo...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• April 2, 2016

"I have had major depression my whole life and absolutely none of the antidepressants worked for me. I had intermittent periods in my life where I had suicidal thoughts, but I always managed to tough it out. I maintained decent employment but chronically underachieved because I was always fighting internal demons and social anxiety. Then my children left home, I got a divorce and lost my home. Suicidal thoughts were non-stop, no matter how hard I tried to talk myself into coping and turning my mood around. The suicidal thoughts persisted for 2 years. Then I was prescribed tramadol for Fibro, 50 mg twice a day. I have never felt so normal in my whole life. I took it for 3 years with no dose increase, and have been off it for six months now. It's too hard to get the prescription now, and I feel suicidal 24/7."

• Bec...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• July 30, 2017

"Tramadol is NOT an opiate. It does act on the same pain receptors as opiates, but it does not have the same addictive quality as opiates and does not have the same risk of abuse as opiates. You can become dependent on Tramadol, just as you can be dependent on SSRIs. You can't cold turkey quit an SSRI without some really gnarly withdrawal symptoms, and the same goes for Tramadol and opiates and tons of other drugs. I've been taking Tramadol for 4 years for general pain in my body due to end-stage renal disease and osteodystrophy. Since I've been taking Tramadol, I have not needed antidepressants, and I find that I function at a higher level with Tramadol than with any SSRI I have ever taken. There are no negative side effects for me."

• Wan...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• April 4, 2014

"Though never clinically depressed, I discovered the powerful side effect of tramadol while taking 150 mg/day for chronic sciatica. The unrelenting pain was a real downer, but the tramadol reliably helped me maintain an optimistic, upbeat attitude. During five years of taking it, I never had to increase the dosage for the desired effect. The downside is that it often interfered with sleep so that I found a mid-day nap essential."

• Roa...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 14, 2016

"I was prescribed Tramadol for depression a year ago (50 mg, 3x a day). I felt like I had the flu, so I stopped after 3 days. About 1 1/2 months ago, I started to take it again (only 1-50 mg per day in the AM). I currently take Adderall and Xanax as they are the only meds that help my depression/anxiety without the terrible side effects. Since on Tramadol, I have been more motivated and productive than I can ever remember! I stopped for a couple of days and experienced the flu-like symptoms again, but I have gone back again on a regular daily schedule. Not sure if I should up the dosage to 100 mg, but this has been the best med for me, and I've taken many. Definitely a life-changer, and I'm optimistic about the future for the first time in my life."

• Ral...
• November 13, 2019

"This medication is simply perfect. I take one 50 mg dose in the AM. One 50 mg dose in the afternoon. If necessary, one 50 mg in the evening. Zero drowsiness. Zero side effects. I’m the happiest human on earth. Cures 100% of anxiety and depression. It even helps with pain-related issues too. But for depression and anxiety, it is amazing. It also deters you from wanting other drugs (whether it’s marijuana, alcohol, or anything else) because you naturally don’t want it because you don’t feel anxiety or depression. You are genuinely happy and clear-headed. If you want to get high, take something else. If you genuinely want to be happy all the time with no anxiety or depression and want to socialize, this is 10x better than anything else. My doctor stopped prescribing it to me after my surgery after 2 years."