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Opioids Unexplained opioid tolerance... what gives?

A

AlwaysFlying

Greenlighter
Joined
Oct 2, 2016
Messages
5
Hey guys, long time lurker, first time poster. Thanks in advance for any answers I may get.

I've been using opioids recreationally for probably around three years now, but my use is really infrequent. Sometimes I'll go months without taking them, but for the most part it's around 1-2 months between use, then using a couple days in a row. I'm certain I'm not addicted or dependent, but for some reason I have this stupid tolerance. Before tonight, the last time I used was about a month ago (40 mgs Perc over two days). Tonight I took 150 mgs of Tramadol and barely felt anything. What's going on? How can my tolerance so high when I barely use?

Now that I think about it, I've actually lost about 45 lbs (on purpose, not from drugs lol) the past few months, so shouldn't my tolerance be a lot lower already?
 
if you use 20mg of oxycodone a day then your tolerance is going to be high enough to where 150mg of tramadol is barely felt. In my experience tramadol has the least amount of cross tolerance to conventional opiates but it will be dampened greatly by tolerance to other opiates.

There also seems to be a point, even with infrequent use, where your tolerance will go up permanently. Even when you are taking opiates months apart your brain still remembers and you still remember the feeling you got from the last time you used. You might be able to drop your tolerance back to zero if you take a much longer break but the longer you use opiates the less likely they are to satisfy you.
 
Some people have a natural tolerance to opioids.. or it could just be that tramadol isn't that good to begin with.
 
150mg tram is = to 15mg of morphine on a perfect day, but with way more bad effects. I couldn't "feel" tram. i could barely "feel" 150mg of tapentadol which is >3x stronger than tram
 
Well tramadol is pretty shit so that could be part of the problem.

I use oxycodone semi-regularly, as I have a condition (NMO) that causes sometimes intractable neuropathic pain. 5mg used to be more than enough for pain relief but I hardly feel it now. Even if it's been months it just doesn't have the same effect anymore. But the NMO has damaged some of the pathways that mediate the effects of opiates sooo YMMV?
 
mike.vick said:
150mg tram is = to 15mg of morphine on a perfect day, but with way more bad effects. I couldn't "feel" tram. i could barely "feel" 150mg of tapentadol which is >3x stronger than tram
Click to expand...

Tapentadol worked for me as far as pain goes but it made me hallucinate something crazy so my docs won't prescribe it anymore
 
Some people don't feel tramadol, as it's metabolized to a stronger opioid by an enzyme with a high gene mutation rate making some people slow metabolizers, thus decreasing the effects.
Don't bother with tramadol as anything over 300mg can induce seizures, plus it's an S(N)RI, making withdrawal even worse for some people
 
Thanks for the replies guys. Yeah I've read a lot about tramadol being shit, but ive taken it before, and I've gotten really high off of it. Moreso than even hydrocodone.

Didn't think it was possible to gain tolerance to a drug you barely take, but I guess I'll just accept it and start upping my dose. Hopefully that brings back the euphoria.
 
Just be careful not to end up giving yourself wicked withdrawal/dependence for a barely-felt high
 
^Are you taking any other medications currently?

You could be inhibting your own metabolism of Tramadol.
 
Marijuana is the only drug I use habitually. Pretty much daily. Don't think that forms a cross tolerance with opioids though. I do use other drugs (adderall, cid, x), although fairly infrequently, so I wouldn't expect them to have much of an effect with tolerance.
 
Just trying to keep with the HR ethos of bluelight :) it sounds like you probably do know that's what is safest anyway, I am sure many people here who ended up with unfortunate addictions would advise you to quit while you're ahead
 
AlwaysFlying said:
Now that I think about it, I've actually lost about 45 lbs (on purpose, not from drugs lol) the past few months, so shouldn't my tolerance be a lot lower already?
Click to expand...

I was once told by a doctor, in regards to medicine (narcotic) tolerance etc. that weight matters very little because the drug affects certain parts of the "brain" and not the body, per se (like the feeling of being high). When I stopped to really think about it, it really does make sense. Has anyone else heard or been told similar information? Something to chew on I guess.
 
I think using opiates with any regularity at all, even fairly infrequently, can lead to a build up of tolerance. Although, in my case, it may very well be because I used to be an addict. I use poppy tea (not even) weekly and my tolerance is high as shit. I can't feel weaker opiates like codeine or hydrocodone at all, I mean maybe at extremely high doses but I've never bothered trying. I've never been physically addicted to benzos at all and yet my tolerance is significantly off baseline with those too, for example, 1mg clonazolam/ 4mg etizolam. I don't use etizolam regularly at all anymore and until recently, haven't used clonazolam in half a year and the tolerance is still very much there, if not higher than ever. Idk, the body remembers.
 
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