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  • BDD Moderators: Keif’ Richards

tramadol vs antidepressants

A

Anon54

Ex-Bluelighter
Joined
Jun 11, 2010
Messages
861
I used tramadol last year for around 4.5 months as an AD & it worked OK. Wasn't great but it was OK. I found 100mg/day to be the right amound without being to stimulating. The Dr new I was taking it as in AD but also for pain releif. (It was useless for pain, I thought panadeine forte was better) I may be able to get scripted it again.

Now I've just started mirtazepine & im having trouble with how it's making me feel. I feel emotioanlly damped. & I'm not sleeping well at all.

I've also tried lexapro but, I dont know it lacked the energy tramadol gave me & it sorta felt like I coudnt feel high nor lows. It didn't make me as happy as tramadol, yet I suppose stoped me from getting really bad lows.

I'm wondering how othe people have found tramadol as an AD?
Have u tried any ADs better than tramadol?
If u've tried effexor, do u think it felt the closest to tramadol over other ADs?

Quoted from another thread on BL while searching for info on google:
Similar effects of tramadol and venlafaxine in major depressive disorder.
Reeves RR, Cox SK.

Department of Mental Health, G.V. (Sonny) Montgomery VA Medical Center, Jackson, Mississippi 39216, USA. [email protected]

Abstract
The analgesic tramadol has many characteristics in common with the antidepressant venlafaxine. The drugs are structurally similar, share both serotonergic and noradrenergic properties, and undergo a similar metabolic fate. In this study, a patient, who developed significant depression following cessation of tramadol after several years of therapy, is described. Her depression was then treated with venlafaxine with excellent response. It appears that tramadol may have provided a prophylactic antidepressant effect in this patient. Because of its similarities to venlafaxine, tramadol may possibly exert a degree of antidepressant effect in certain patients, particularly those with chronic pain.
Click to expand...
 
I have usually taken trammadol recreationaly however i have found that it gives me less anxiety (which i suffer from quite often at the moment) and also has an anti-depressant feel to it over the next day. I definatley think if i took 100mg's a day i would get a beneficial anti-depressant feel. I have also tried mirtazepine but i absolutely hate it, it makes me feel extremely groggy the next day and i basically found it to be too strong in any sense. Don't know if this is of any help but i thought i would share it anyway.
 
Tramadol has done very well as an AD for me. When I was 13, I suddenly became very anxious, depressed, and had an unusual fear of dying. I was a mess. When I was 15, I was RX tramadol for ongoing pain. All of the anxiety, depression, and fears went away. I started low- 25mg. Now 8 years have passed and I need 200-300mg of tramadol daily. Watch out- lots of rebound depression if tram is stopped suddenly. And it's a severe depression. There are lots of horrible physical symptoms as well, but that's another topic.

Basically, tramadol has done wonders for my depression (and pain as well). I am dependent, which is a natural response to daily use over the period that I have. However, I sense I am also psychologically "hooked", or addicted to the energy, and extreme mood lift I get for several hours after each dose.
 
I'm prescribed Effexor and don't find too many similarities in their antidepressant action. Tramadol is a lot more stimulating. Effexor sort of dulls my emotions while Tramadol lifts my mood. As an AD I guess I would prefer Tramadol but its addictive like any other opioid and don't want to find myself dependent, and I'm on Suboxone anyway.
 
^^Suboxone for tramadol. The actual opioid effect I'd assume would be Id say approx equivelent to codeine. (100mg tramadol - 100mg codeine) would u agree?

if one were to take 100mg codeine a day it wouldn't be so hard to quit using.

I actually think the SNRI properties would far outweight the opiod property w/d

I quit Tramadol quit easily with a short taper of less than 2 weeks. Right at the end I was taking 150mg/day. But I also had Valium... so yeah. I had a few brain zaps in the morning for 3 or 4 days but was nothing really.

I can't compare to how hard Effexor is to quit. I'm reluctant to try it from all the stories I've heard about w/d. I'd imagine Tramadol would have to be harder to quit. right?
 
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Tramadol is effective as an antidepressant for sure, but withdrawal from it makes it a really double-edged sword. SNRI and opioid withdrawal at the same time...does not sounds good to me at all.
 
Tramadol does make you feel good but the withdraw from it is hell... I mean I was an idiot and took it with an ssri but I finally had enough after I seized. Anyways the withdrawal symptoms lasted five days for me and the second day was hell! I seriously never felt that shitty in awhile. Throwing up and I could eat...had a terrible headache. Let's just say I learned my lesson. Never will I touch tramadol again...
 
tramadol hands down, but its a sketchy drug and its addicting, even after seizing on it i still take it when i can get my hands on some
 
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