Harm Reduction Tramadol seizures

[Treefa]

Sup BL.

Basically i've been taking tramadol off&on since i was about 16. Now i have a legit script for my back problems, but of course i abuse it, because i need at least 4 for minor pain relief, but i have taken at least 12 in one day.
These are 50mg tabs by the way.

Basically my questions are;
Since i tolerate tramadol pretty well, and have taken large doses in the past, does that mean that i WON'T have a seizure on doses of appx 400-500mg?? Or can i still have one??

Also are tramadol induced seizures largely dose-dependent or can they happen on any dose??

Will taking benzos(alprazolam or lorazepam is what i have access to) lessen the chances of seizing while on tramadol?? (i never take tramadol without some benzos) Also i never exceed the theraputic dose of benzos anymore so i usually take .5mg alprazolam with my dose.

I twitch on tramadol. Could this be a warning sign i need to take less, or is this normal on tramadol??

LAST BUT NOT LEAST
Does O-desmethyltramadol still have the seizure inducing properties of tramadol? I don't get much relief from tramadol till about 2-4 hours after dosing, which i assume is the active metabolite ODMT.

 

[Jktm]

Tramadol seizures are NORMALLY dose dependent. Taking benzos will make taking the tramadol much safer. I've taken up to 1200mg in a day recklessly, and the highest dose I've taken at once is 600mg. I do not advise this.

I don't think the O-DT has the seizure inducing effects, but don't quote me on that; and yes, it's the O-DT that is responsible for pain relief as it's hundreds of times more affinative for µ-receptors.

 

[CrazyC]

I used to regularly dose myself with 200-500mg of Tramadol so I thought nothing of downing 6 50mg tablets. I had a very bad tonic/clonic - or what they used to call grand mal - seizure at that dose. There were other factors, such as already being on an SSRI anti depressant, but I was still very amazed that I could seize on just 300 mg of Tramadol after years of opiate consumption and sky high tolerances to just about everything.

I can't answer the other questions but I can say that a lack of consequence from high doses of Tramadol in the past is NO guarantee for safe dosing in the future.

Whatever you decide, please proceed with caution.

Peace,

C.

 

[Treefa]

Thanks for the help guys.
I'm trying to write a 15 page mid term paper and after 350mg, .5 of xanax, and a bowl of some strong marijuana, my neck is still throbbing.
I'll try about 1.6 grams of ibuprofen first and if that doesn't work i may have to take 1 more tram..in the name of passing lol.

I honestly don't know why i'm so worried about having a seizure now when im actually in pain, but sometimes when im jonesing i'll take 8 at a time. I haven't even twitched today??

 

[Xn1919]

i took ten 50mg tabs once and i felt wicked bad maybe a little seizure but ive never had to go to the hospital.. i take 4 when dope sick.. ive been trying to no take them because ive heard there worse to come off of than like vics. id try to taper off them tho man because they are a crazy ass drug.

 

[Treefa]

Yeah, they are worse to come off than vicodin imo.
I try to skip days between use if possible.

So i took 8 so far, pains better and i've got a mild buzz(feels like maybe 200mg codeine).

I'm about to play some black ops zombies or assasins creed 3 also, and they have seizure warnings on video games, but i should be alright playing while on tramadol right??

like i said idk why im stressing about this, i've never had a seizure and i've taken ass loads of trams.

 

[thesameoldfears]

Yeah I don't think that just because you've taken a dose without complications before will mean it will always turn out okay. Please dose carefully. Though as someone else said, the benzo will help with the seizure threshold.

Also I was about to tell you not to take that much ibuprofen, but I looked it up and apparently that's okay...I used to take about that much at once before and after work until I ended up developing a bleeding ulcer. So just be careful, that shit is rough on your stomach lining.

 

[Jktm]

You shouldn't take 1600mg of Ibuprofen at once, you are going to eat a hole in your stomach. And if you're in a whole lot of pain, that tramadol shouldn't be making you feel high. Maybe it's just me, but I don't get high from opioids (even in high dosing like 120mg of morphine) as a CPP.

 

[dedalus]

Back in my freshman year of highschool I knew a kid who bought hundreds of tramadol 100 mg from an online canadian pharmacy. Me and my friends would do 2-300 mg once a week or so and never had any problem. My first opiate lol, it was awesome then but kinda dull now.

 

[ReversiblePulpitis]

OP:
I started out JUST as you describe, as time went on I discovered I had a chronic pain condition that ultimately needed extended daily treatment.

Anyway, my use of tramadol came to an ABRUBT end when I had my first and only seizure in my life. I was 26 at the time.

It was not unusual to take 3-4 50mg tabs at once, and re-dose 2-3x/day.

I was in withdrawal one day after being on norco for a solid month, and got my script for tramadol refilled. I had a "grand-mal" (old terminology) aka tonic-clonic seizure. I had dosed about 6 50mg at one time, and then another 2-3 an hour later. Not a particularly un-safe dose for an entire day.

I woke up as they were putting me on the gurney and loading me up in the ambulance. I had dislocated my shoulder during the convulsions. I blacked out, had no idea it was coming. Very scary. That shoulder dislocation really fucked up my life.

I was not on any other meds at the time, and still don't have a Dx of epilepsy although I do take anti-seizure meds on a daily basis now, a safety measure via my neurologist.

An EEG uncovered a "pre-disposition" to a "low seizure threshold". Tramadol also lowers the seizure threshold. Between the two, and withdrawal already putting my CNS in disruption, whamm-o.

Be careful.