Kratom and Tramadol

[KjamD]

Hi there. I've been using various strains of kratom for the past few months to help with back/neck pain and anxiety. Usually take 5g twice daily depending on how I'm feeling. However, my spine specialist prescribed tramadol (50 mg BID) today at my appointment. Can I take both...maybe piggy back them? So kratom in the morning, tramadol midday or should they not be mixed at all? Thanks!

 

[Xan_Fan]

Ehhh, you prob technically could but I find Kratom way more beneficial for pain and for a nice buzz. Tram makes me feel off...
hope that helps

 

[DixiChik]

Idaknow, but I'd like to know! Tramadol never touched my pain, but seemed to help my depression. Caution: It can CONSTIPATE to the point of obstruction. I have such extensive GI issues, it makes it even MORE IMPOSSIBLE for me to get my joint/pelvic/vaginal/rectal pain managed.

Being a newby to opiates, I found out the hard way that opiates constipate. Yes, I alternate softeners and other modalities, but my bowel is choked by disease. The inflammation causes bloating and distention, which then chokes my bladder.

I am so FUCKED in so many ways physically. It has taken its toll emotionally. I don't even know what Kratom is. I'm gonna look it up.

My husband (35 years) says "Baby, what can I do to make you feel better?" I reply "Just love me through it". I try to grin and bear it, but it's become impossible as I approach 54. I need to get busy living or finish dying.

HELP!

 

[metalman343]

if you research the neuroscience behind tramadol you will see that its action is totally different than other opiates. It actually has serotonin effect as well which explains it helping depression. The one time I tried to get high and tramadol by taking a lot I almost gave my self serotonin syndrome and seizures. Was not fun at all. I would totally stay away from tramadol for recretional use. Kratom is great at higher doses. If you can stomach that nasty ass powder. I used to do the toss and wash method so I ingested all of the plant material. One gets used to the taste after a while. Of course this was years ago when kratom wasnt even popular and I wasnt using dope and fentanyl yet. If i did kratom now it probably wouldnt even do anything. Im on day 2 of a fent detox and I cant wait to start enjoying kratom again when my opiate tolerance is close to a normal human beings. I realize it will never be but as long as its in the ballpark...

 

[《Plasticity》]

I've taken this combo at least 100 times without issues, you can take both... The word safe would be a bit of overstatement though when tramadol is involved in anything. I'm sure kratom will only further lower the seizure threshold but so long as you keep the doses minimal there's not much to worry about as far as serious interactions go, especially things like serotonin syndrome. It would probably be best if you stick to one though, they're both cross-tolerant.

Just to comment on the above post, it's pharmacologicaly impossible for this combo to induce serotonin syndrome. Also, most grand mal seizures come without warning. It's much more likely that the clash of kratom's adrenaline release and tramadol's serotonin activity induced some tremors and anxiety (which are not to uncommon side-effects of both) issues that manifested itself as a much worse serious interaction, as opposed to approaching "serotonin syndrome". (which is way overused on the internet these days)

SS is actually far, far more rare than people make it out to be. The vast majority who say they have had it really didn't. I've lost count how many posts I've seen on the boards about either having or coming close to developing SS but almost always the presentation is atypical. It's a very painful and unpleasant experience and you would know if you've had it. It would guarantee a trip to the hospital.

 

[metalman343]

I understand what you are saying about serotonin syndrome being quite rare. So let me put it this way, i have had 2 episodes of dangerously elevated serotonin. Maybe not enough to warrant a trip to the hospital but definitely bad enough that i needed to immediately find benzos and lay in bed. The first episode happened when i first got on adderall and tried potentiating. At this time i was also taking st johns wort. Which i know is such a dumb combo now. I might have had some other supplements in me like 5-ht. The 2nd time was from taking too much tramadol to get high since i had a very high opiate tolerance and tram wasnt doing anything so i took a lot. And half hour later, same exact feeling as that first episode. I knew exactly what was going on and almost shat my self in fear as i was in a car on my way to a ski resort. Had to pull into a walmart and spend the next hour in the bathroom. Luckily i had some klonopin during this episode on me. I would have been screwed without it. Believe me i take the neuroscience of drugs very serious as i do extensive research by reading medical research articles so i am fairly educated in this field. I would not be saying so if i really didnt have a serotonin attack. I agree with you though, it probably was not as serious as it could have been and the fact that i had benzos both times really saved me. And I do know all the symptoms of the syndrome. During both episodes I had the dilated pupils (during high dose of tram also), over sensitive reflexes, jerking, heart rate sky rocketing and just utter confusion with this sense of impending doom like i just f'd up big time.