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Opioids Tramadol Tolerance

R

Raven6

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Joined
Jul 31, 2020
Messages
17
I hear many people saying that after a while of taking Tramadol, it would eventually stop working. I haven't experienced this yet. I'm taking Tramadol two to four times a week to help cope with my depression due to its fast-acting SNRI properties, and I'd hate for it to stop working. Would the tolerance reset or go away if I abstain from using Tramadol for a while?
 
In my experience, yes, some days off tramadol it will lower your tolerance, as you are taking it 2 or 3 times a week your tolerance is not very high. How much do you take ??
 
Nicocastillo7 said:
In my experience, yes, some days off tramadol it will lower your tolerance, as you are taking it 2 or 3 times a week your tolerance is not very high. How much do you take ??
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200mg a day. I know it's not too much, but I'm afraid it would add up in time.
 
Unfortunately it will build up if you take it regularly. Although, the way you take it is one of the best ways to keep tolerance low as possible. If you can make yourself not to take it week or two for every month or two of taking it (tolerance brake), than you would have wider window before permanent tolerance kicks in.

Having said that, beware of increasing the frequency of more than 2-3 times a week. It is easier said than done... From personal experience, when I started taking opioids, with tramadol being the first one, I told myself that it will be every 2-3 days max. But, i always slipped into a daily use. Now once you are a daily user and you establish your tolerance than it is pretty much game over. You can quit and have your tolerance reset, but if u start to use again tolerance goes right back up where you were in a matter of days. That is certainly something to have in mind.
 
Psycho_Logic said:
Unfortunately it will build up if you take it regularly. Although, the way you take it is one of the best ways to keep tolerance low as possible. If you can make yourself not to take it week or two for every month or two of taking it (tolerance brake), than you would have wider window before permanent tolerance kicks in.

Having said that, beware of increasing the frequency of more than 2-3 times a week. It is easier said than done... From personal experience, when I started taking opioids, with tramadol being the first one, I told myself that it will be every 2-3 days max. But, i always slipped into a daily use. Now once you are a daily user and you establish your tolerance than it is pretty much game over. You can quit and have your tolerance reset, but if u start to use again tolerance goes right back up where you were in a matter of days. That is certainly something to have in mind.
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Ah I was never aware that there is a "Permanent Tolerance". That's very sad to know. I've always wished I could go cold turkey for a while, reset my tolerance, then get back on them, and repeat the proccess.
Thank you fot the info though.
Any idea how long it would generally take for the permanent tolerance to kick in?
 
Raven6 said:
Any idea how long it would generally take for the permanent tolerance to kick in?
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First, I dont know does the "permanent tolerance" even exists as the official term. I do not it does. But from (not just my) experience, when you reach a certain level of tolerance, lets say 100mg of morphine daily just not to be in withdrawal and need 150mg to feel high, and you stop taking opioids for 3 months, your tolerance goes to baseline (after the inconvinience of withdrawals). Then, if you start taking morphine after 3 months you will have a window of few days (week or two max.) when you will need much less morphine to get the desired effect, but your body will adapt much faster than it adapted first time you were taking opioids. In the matter of a week , or so, you will again need, in this scenario, 100mg of morphine just not to be in withdrawal again.

I dont know how much is this true for SNRI effects, but I have found it to be true for other classes of drugs (like benzodiazepines).
 
Why not get an actual anti depressant from the dr that will help you rather than rely on tramadol?
 
PrincessDiz said:
Why not get an actual anti depressant from the dr that will help you rather than rely on tramadol?
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I think antidepressants can have worse effects. I experienced them on short term use while on rehab, could have been stuff like withdrawals, but i remember some of those side effects from my institution days.
It's personal. Most of drug use is self-medicating anyways.
Every time i meet a person who uses speed and benzos regularly i just ask "Do you have anxiety disorder?" and 90% of time the answer is yes, 10% of time it hasn't been diagnosed.
One good drug specialized doctor told me about this phenomenon, which i find really cool.
 
Psycho_Logic said:
First, I dont know does the "permanent tolerance" even exists as the official term. I do not it does. But from (not just my) experience, when you reach a certain level of tolerance, lets say 100mg of morphine daily just not to be in withdrawal and need 150mg to feel high, and you stop taking opioids for 3 months, your tolerance goes to baseline (after the inconvinience of withdrawals). Then, if you start taking morphine after 3 months you will have a window of few days (week or two max.) when you will need much less morphine to get the desired effect, but your body will adapt much faster than it adapted first time you were taking opioids. In the matter of a week , or so, you will again need, in this scenario, 100mg of morphine just not to be in withdrawal again.

I dont know how much is this true for SNRI effects, but I have found it to be true for other classes of drugs (like benzodiazepines).
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I understand. Thanks for the clarification and that makes sense actually. I'm good with that, as long as Tramadol will still works one way or another.
 
PrincessDiz said:
Why not get an actual anti depressant from the dr that will help you rather than rely on tramadol?
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I'm not keen on taking meds daily for years and deal with the side effects. I have a friend who has been on different antidepressants for years and I see his strugles with them.
I'd rather take Tramadol only on my bad days when I'm having a depressive episode. Plus they work well and fast, which is a huge deal for me.
 
9 of 10 people that are/were addicted to opiates did just once a month,then once a week, then twice a week, then every other day and then everyday. I highly doubt that you will be able to maintain 2times per week schedule. Just stop as soon as possible.

Tramadol is mild SNRI a very mild SSRI. It won't help you with depression. Only opiate that has certain effect as SSRI is methadone. But i think there are better optiona for occassional depression. A have friend that geta depressed sometimes in evening/night and can't sleep so doctor prescribed him a trazodone. I tried is as well. Works great. And it's 100000times less addictive than tramadol.
 
Raven6 said:
I'm not keen on taking meds daily for years and deal with the side effects. I have a friend who has been on different antidepressants for years and I see his strugles with them.
I'd rather take Tramadol only on my bad days when I'm having a depressive episode. Plus they work well and fast, which is a huge deal for me.
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I can assure you now that the side effects of tramadol are much worse than a normal anti depressant. You’re also risking addiction to an opioid and the withdrawal is awful because you’re not just withdrawing from the SNRI but the opioid also. Tramadol lowers your seizure threshold, it’s a dirty dangerous medication. I would never advise anyone to take it.
 
Vinnie77 said:
9 of 10 people that are/were addicted to opiates did just once a month,then once a week, then twice a week, then every other day and then everyday. I highly doubt that you will be able to maintain 2times per week schedule. Just stop as soon as possible.

Tramadol is mild SNRI a very mild SSRI. It won't help you with depression. Only opiate that has certain effect as SSRI is methadone. But i think there are better optiona for occassional depression. A have friend that geta depressed sometimes in evening/night and can't sleep so doctor prescribed him a trazodone. I tried is as well. Works great. And it's 100000times less addictive than tramadol.
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I guess you're right regarding the addiction progression most people experience. But actually I'm finding myself taking less Opioids than I did before. I had a major surgery a few months ago during which I was on intravenous morphine three times a day for two months during my hospital stay. When I came back home I started taking Tramadol almost everyday for pain, and I was surprised that it also helped a lot with my depression. Now a few months later I'm only taking them two to four times a week, and sometimes I skip a week (But that's rare).
Though I'm open to alternative options. I checked Trazodone, and just like other antidepressants, it take many weeks to start working and I have to take it everyday, which I'm reluctant to do. Do you know of anything else that works fast and only taken as needed for depression that is safer than Tramadol? Thank you for the suggestion anyway :)
 
PrincessDiz said:
I can assure you now that the side effects of tramadol are much worse than a normal anti depressant. You’re also risking addiction to an opioid and the withdrawal is awful because you’re not just withdrawing from the SNRI but the opioid also. Tramadol lowers your seizure threshold, it’s a dirty dangerous medication. I would never advise anyone to take it.
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I'm merely taking it for its fast acting SNRI qualities for my depression episodes. I agree with you about Tramadol's danger of addiction and unpleasant withdrawal experience. But I'm kind of desperate. Do you know of any other safer options? preferably a fast acting med and only taken as needed? Thank you :)
 
Raven6 said:
I'm merely taking it for its fast acting SNRI qualities for my depression episodes. I agree with you about Tramadol's danger of addiction and unpleasant withdrawal experience. But I'm kind of desperate. Do you know of any other safer options? preferably a fast acting med and only taken as needed? Thank you :)
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Honestly, No one here knows your medical history or issues the only person that you should be asking is your dr. I’m sure there are medications you could take as and when required but if there isnt then the usual antidepressants aren’t awful when taken continuously. It’s all about what you want. I can guarantee though going down this road with tramadol wont lead you anywhere good.
 
That's very rare that you don't have opiate cravings like most people. Good for you. If you ussually wake up little bit depressed and you know it will get worse within few hours, then you can try pregabalin. It worked better than anything else i tried for depression and anxiety.
 
Oh yes, tramadol is shit, I am addicted to that and my withdrawals are horrible, about 3 years ago I took them as you do, now I have a habit above 1000mg (very dangerous in every way)
 
Nicocastillo7 said:
Oh yes, tramadol is shit, I am addicted to that and my withdrawals are horrible, about 3 years ago I took them as you do, now I have a habit above 1000mg (very dangerous in every way)
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Yikes! If I were you, I would start a 100mg per week taper until you're down to a maximum of 400mg per day. Trust me when I say you do not want seizures.
 
BK38 said:
Yikes! If I were you, I would start a 100mg per week taper until you're down to a maximum of 400mg per day. Trust me when I say you do not want seizures.
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Now I am off tramadol (ok, yesterday I took 750mg, but it is half of what I was taking) I am on other medications, I go to the hospital to have morphine injected to keep me stable. I made a post about tramadol reduction. I take diazepam, I am safe from seizures I guess.

I had seizures, but it was a moment where I was also in benzo wd, also in tramadol wd
 
Nicocastillo7 said:
Now I am off tramadol (ok, yesterday I took 750mg, but it is half of what I was taking) I am on other medications, I go to the hospital to have morphine injected to keep me stable. I made a post about tramadol reduction. I take diazepam, I am safe from seizures I guess.

I had seizures, but it was a moment where I was also in benzo wd, also in tramadol wd
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Glad you're taking steps to get off it. A jump off from just 750mg to nothing would be way too much for me, but I guess it's ok if you have morphine to stabilize you and the diazepam to prevent you from seizing. I've also experienced seizures from tramadol, but only once I went above 400mg and then took less (so yes, also seized when in tramadol wds). It's a bit of a bitch and does have quite a protracted withdrawal, but you can do it! (I took Tramadol pretty solidly for 5 years or so at doses between 100mg and 500mg)
 
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