fudz

hi everyone..i've been hooked on tramadol on and off for about 4 years now, everytime i quit and pass da horrible W/S, i still suffer from depression which doesnt seem to end, so i go back to da horrible stuff, and everytime i quit n go back i get hooked up alot more faster dan da time before it + i take a much higher dose..last time i was addicted which was from about a month i was taking 1000mgs a day. i've havent used tramadol in a month now but i've been drinkin like crazy to avoid da depression n recently its not helpin and i've been gettin cravings for a few days now. i dunno wat to do, when is this depression goin to end. i would be grateful to hear any suggestions.
thanks alot

Nallabelle

I would try and go to an AA or NA meeting. One thing about addicts is that we try and replace one substance with another. Its a vicious cycle if we dont break it.
The depression isnt going to end until you change your life. Possibly get some help from a group or therapist. Its up to YOU to do it though, if that is what you really want.

lostbutterfly

I've heard that tramadol has anti-depressive qualities similar to SSRI (Prozac) like anti-depressants. Have you ever considered that being on an a/d might help with the depression.

Getting off opiates on there own is pretty depressing, but I would have thought with tramadol it's a bit of a double whammy.

Stagebear

Hi, fudz and welcome:
Alcohol, as much as it may seem to help, is a depressant.
What help do you have available to you nearby? Hospital? Doctor? AA?
Whatever you do, do not return to tramadol. It's a trap from which there is only the escape of seizure and serious illness or withdrawal. No middle ground.
If you are drinking heavily, you will need to safely detox. Again, no middle ground.
Keep posting.

windysan

I never could catch any kinda buzz off that stuff.

tennladybb

it can be rough stuff Windy. Tramdol has caused seizures for me, and many many mental health issues stemming from it. I cant even begin to list it all. I pray you can get away from it. I know how it feels, I really do and have been where you are. Im thinking about you.

jane_668

Tenn,I am glad that you're back.I missed you.

Fudz, I used to take more than 1000 mgs.I od'd many times.Depression was the hardest part of wd. Every time I get back on Tramadol it becomes harder for me to quit.

Drinking will only add another problem .It won't help you.You can find a good doctor who can help you detox meds.

tennladybb

Hey Jane, (im sorry to intrude on your thread) I tried ot pm you back but your box is full. I know we know all the ins and outs of tramadol. I wish I had never seen the crap. anyhow, im still wishing you good luck. Its hard, I know. keep trying, just keep trying, thats what im still doing.. Love, Becky

bval

Welcome to the boards

The depression will probably not end as long as you are doing drugs. You can't just stop one drug and start doing another in it's stead, and expect your life to magically get all better. It may get a BIT better, for awhile, but the only 'real' way to get out of the trap is to get clean off of everything, booze included.

I recommend getting involved with some kind of recovery program. AA or NA (or the like) are pretty good places to go to work on this problem with others who are going through the same things as yourself.

Good luck, and keep posting. We've pretty much all been right where you are at right now, and we're here to help however we can...

tbeit

When that stuff first came out they said it would be good for addict's because you couldnt get addicted.I really remember that scarry ****

DavyDave

I was given Tramadol/Ultram from the very doctor that accused me of abusing Vicodin. These so-called medicial professionals believe Tramadol isn't addicting because it isn't a narcotic. But alas it is addicting and one of the most abused drugs in America. It's half opiod and half SSRI.

I've read that the withdrawals are like getting a REAL bad flu. Insomnia for days on end not to mention depression. It doesn't seem like a pleasant thing. But if you're taking up to 1000mgs of the stuff, then maybe it's for the best. People get seizures on Tramadol just taking 400mg of the drug.

Can you ask a doctor for an SSRI to at least help with some of the withdrawal symtoms? Like with the depression at least?

Remember not to take both an SSRI and Tramadol together. You might get a something called Serotonin Syndrome.

frstnm

Alcohol is a depressant and drinking it makes one depressed.

I was going to say that 1000mg . day is alot but I think I used more than that when I effed w that stuff.
It didnt work on pain even when I started taking it as prescribed. Its supposed to be a synthetic version of opiate pain killers and isnt as addictive.
I wouldnt even bother to take it now. It simply wouldnt work. There is no buzz that is actually obtainable anymore. Why bother ? Especially if it doesnt work for the pain either. My system has become so accustomed to pain killers of all varieties that none of them work any more except for IV which I am also NOT going to do. Havent in 25 years = NEVER, why start now.
I have been told about the body's chemistry actaully and permenantly changes w longterm, high volume drug use. This apparenly cannot be reversed for the most part. The brain, muscle and tissue (of the lungs) can all reform but the old catch is that it probably going to be as good as new.

I would think w the intake you stated and stopping cold turkey would tend to make someone miserable as hell for a couple days (at least) and then be depressing. That is the way the body and mind heal and that is part of recovery. The body is asking for drugs and not getting them. When the mind accepts the fact that it isnt getting to get high - it becomes depressed. (there are medical reasons)

Thats my experience w painkillers.
Maybe it will help someone who is getting clean or remind someone who is already clean and contemplating making bad decisions for whatever reason.

The feelings WILL pass.

fudz

thanx alot for the help everyone..and yeah i am really begening to think da reason am depressed after a MONTH of quitting tramadol is da heavy drinking, so i think i'll stop that or at least decrease it to a minimum, and i'll consider going to an AA or NA meeting

TexasMan

Tramadol isn't an SSRI but a synthetic opiate which, for about 30% or so of the people who take it, functions as an SNRI, relieving pain and acting as a very fast (think hours instead of days or weeks) mood elevator as it boosts serotonin along with norepinephrine which gives it the pain relief qualities. I've taken it off and on for several years for a lower back problem for which it works better than anything else. The problem is that you start liking the boost in mood. Cymbalta is the closest thing to it and it's also an SNRI. Personally, I've never had a problem quitting tramadol which I regularly do once my back spasms cease but do also suffer from general depression. My PD put me on Cymbalta which took awhile to start working but generally worked pretty well. I believe the withdrawals from Tramadol are similar to those from any opiate pain reliever. If you're a person who is taking it as a pain reliever, the best way is to not exceed 400 mgs a day. When I'm taking it my dosage is 150 mgs in the morning and another 150 mg at night. I do realize getting off of it is a major problem for some people but, from what I've read on this and other forums, they were taking WAY more than 400 mgs a day. I'd advise you, as others have, to see a therapist who might want to have you on an anti-depressent for a while to help you with your depression.