snitch

Hi there. I am a recovering alcoholic with 4 and a half months sober time. Yesterday I was out with friends for a kids birthday party and everyone bar me and one other was drinking. And drinking wine, my drink of choice. I really, really wanted to drink so badly but I didn't. Instead though, I took 4 tramadol tablets (each tablet wad 50mg)that a friend gave me as she was hooked on them for a bad back and she had a pack with 4 left in that she didn't want anymore as she had her own addiction with them. Obviously I Should have said no but my head was telling me it was better to take these than to drink!
Today I have been having cravings for more. I can't get hold of any anyway and also, I don't want to kick one substance and go onto another. I just want to know if anyibe has had any experience with tramadol? I liked the calm effect they had on me!

Dee74

I have no experience snitch but its very easy to get cross addicted - that is switch addictive substances.

I always said the problem wasn't booze or drugs it was me - I liked feeling out of it.

Fight this with all you have - you don't want to go backwards and you don;t want to get hooked on a prescription meds - that a whole other room of crazy.

There are healthy positive ways to find real not chemical calm - meditation, exercise, yoga...

D

kevlarsjal2

I have horrible experiences with tramadol cause I got it right after a surgery but it did not work, my body can't metabolise it because I lack an enzyme. So for me it was the opposite of feeling calm

However, I can relate to the calming effect and that slight warm, happy feeling from other opioids.

I guess you already know this but opioids are all highly addictive and many people in recovery try to avoid them wherever possible, even if they are prescribed. So maybe experimenting with them as a "tool" to stay away from booze is not the best idea

snitch

Thank you Dee. You make perfect sense. I am going to fight for my sobriety with everything I have!

snitch

Thank you for your reply. Yes, what crazy addictive behaviour to use opioids to stop me drinking. I know deep down that is crazy but that is where my head takes me and why I needed to post here to read responses like yours.

treeguy24

It's a narcotic painkiller. I never took Tramadol but I used other painkillers. Opiates were my drug of choice.

Let me tell you, if you woke up wanting more of them that's a bad sign and should be enough to tell you stay away. Once you get hooked, it's a whole different battle. And it doesn't take long until you are physically dependent on them and then it becomes a matter of having to take them everyday just so you feel normal and not sick. Which means waking up each morning trying to figure out how you are going to ensure you have enough pills to get through the day. You may wonder what items can you sell for drug money, what bills can you put off till next month so you have more money for drugs. And then if it becomes too expensive you might switch to heroin which is cheaper. And with all the heroin nowadays being laced with fentanyl and other crap you are gambling your life on one hit.

And then if there are day's you can't get it and you have to go without, you feel sick. You obsess about getting a fix and try to deal with the uncomfortable withdrawals.

It made you feel calm because that's what painkillers do when you take more then you are medically supposed to, but it is not a road you want to go down. If you are already a recovering alcoholic, don't add an opiate addiction to your plate. It will likely lead to a relapse with alcohol as well. It will also take everything you value in life away from you because it becomes the center of your focus and nothing else will matter.

It might sound crazy to consider selling your stuff for drug money or not paying bills but I use these examples because I never thought I would get to that point, but I did...and I when I was doing it, it was all justified in my mind so that I would have another fix.

Not trying to make it about me either just trying to show you what can happen with these drugs from the perspective of someone in recovery for opiate addiction.

Not worth it man. Do you have a sponsor or do you see a counselor? Speak up and talk about this stuff. This place is great for venting and sharing but you should still have some in person conversations as well in my opinion.

snitch

Wow!!! Thank you treeguy.
Everything you wrote makes perfect sense, thank you for taking the time to reply.
Today I feel a bit groggy but clearer headed than yesterday and just bacl from an AA meeting and I am thinking what the actual hell was I thinking/doing??!!
I do have a sponsor although she went in to have her baby today so she is unavailable, I think I Will check out an NA meeting.

treeguy24

You are in a good position to make a smart decision because it was a one time thing. It's not like you've been doing it for weeks or months. You are not physically dependent on them or actively addicted to them. Take the option off the table. Pills aren't an option for you, don't even consider it. It will ruin your life in the end.

Soberstan

Hi, I was prescribed Tramadol after a bad cycling accident, I was advised to take 2 pills 3 times a day, I done that for a few month or so until I had a few operations, metal plates etc.

I noticed how great they made me feel, really happy, energetic and enthusiastic about life (even with half of my body broken)

After all the operations i woke up one day and noticed i wasn't in pain, so decided I didn't need to take them anymore.

24 hours later all hell broke loose, I was a bit nieve and thought I was coming down with the flu, with all the fluey symptoms, really bad anxiety, couldn't get out of bed etc.

I was going to take a cold and flu tablet, but remembered I had some tramadol left over, so took two of those instead...1 hour later, I was feeling 100%.

This happened a few more times before I put two and two together and realised I was going through withdrawal.

Long story short, I'm still struggling to break this addiction, I cannot handle the withdrawal symptoms.

My 2 cents, stay away from Tramadol. if you are ever prescribed it, be very careful and take only when necessary.

I really wished I googled this drug before I blindly following the doctors advice.

All the best

ztalbert1

Hi Snitch! My first suggestion since you have had experience with addiction in the past you should consult with a doctor first. Tramadol is a type of pain medication for people who are in mild to severe pain. When you started getting addicted to Tramadol it works in the brain to change how your body feels and responds to pain. That’s why you liked the effect it had on you. Side effects can be severe. By getting help now and talking with a doctor you can prevent from having these type of side effects like, mood changes, hallucinations, stomach pain, and loss of appetite. After the brain starts to adjust to the surges of dopamine, neurons may begin to reduce the number of dopamine receptors or simply make less dopamine. I personally don’t have experience, but I do know people that have been addicted to substances and it all starts by talking to family members and a professional. Help is possible, you just need the right people to talk to and have good/positive motivation throughout the process.

Hope all is well on your part, Ztalbert1

Marissa41

I've taken Tramadol for years. But only 1-50 mg pill at a time. Four is way too much! I only take them as needed and never been addicted to them. They do help with my back pain from scoliosis. I would never use them recreationally. I need them for strenuous activity like house work.
If used properly I think they are safe, but for some people with extremely addictive minds they may not be. I'm a really bad alcoholic but I don't mix the pills with the booze either.

Good Luck and stay safe!

SoberCAH

Welcome to SR.

We're glad you're here.

DriGuy

I use it because I'm on a blood thinner, and the doctor doesn't want me to take the usual over the counter pain relievers. I haven't taken one for a month. That's about how I use it, maybe once a month. I don't have cravings for it. I can't imagine taking 4 of them. I don't know what that would be like. Also, I don't seem to get any kind of high on them, just relief from minor pains. I haven't filled a prescription for a couple of years.

DriGuy

There is a drug, I use for serious flare ups of something called pseudo gout, which can put me on crutches. It only happens once a year or so. It's been two years since the last flare up. It's prednisone. I was warned of a mild high, and if I use my imagination, I can almost believe I've experienced that.

One time, they gave me a shot of Dexamethasone. It's the thing they give mountain climbers on Everest, when their lungs and brains start to bleed, and it often gets them down to safety. The climbers carry it with them and call it simply, "Dex." Now that one is a four day high that put me on top of the world. I'd stay away from that one, and continued use has serious complications that go way beyond addiction. I went to see Dr. Strange at the theater in 3D, which is kind of a trip in itself, but on Dex, it was like the best movie I've ever seen.