I take tramadol for pain. I have cervical spondylosis and have severe lower back pain and pain in right arm and hand. I was on oxycontin before this and I hated it, the Tramadol does not get me high but it does keep the pain away almost as good as the Oxycontin did, I take it three times a day 100mg each dose. I have run out and had no addiction problems but I did notice after the 2nd week of no tramadol I became sad and felt depressed. I used to take Paxil years ago until I quit and at that time I also started the tramadol. When I started back up on tramadol I became my normal happy self again. What is in the tramadol that works so good? Why are Doctors reluctant to prescribe it? It was like pulling teeth to get my Doctor to give it to me but I insisted as I cannot deal with the pain. I do not think it is addictive, when I stop all I get is the pain back but no withdrawals so why is this a bad thing?
It also helps me to stay in a good mood so what more could you ask for? Is there any long term problems with this. My only hope would be some kind of surgery otherwise but I am not insured so who knows when that would happen?
Why does tramadol make me feel happy?
Question posted by abfab2222 on 21 Dec 2009
Last updated on 25 June 2022
11 Answers
I have been on Tramadol for 13 years now for a back injury. I can absolutely identify with all the comments about it elevating mood.
Since taking tramadol I am able to work better, I'm more productive, I've been more successful, things don't stress me out. Basically I can cope with life so much better than I did before. I dread the day I ever have to come off it.
I only take the prescribed amount, I don't abuse it and it still helps the pain but its anti depressant effects have become almost the primary reason I now take it.
Perhaps I was depressed before and just didn't realise it but all I know is that I've been more motivated, determined, successful and most importantly, happy, since taking tramadol.
Tramadol is an opiate, a SSRI (serotonin reuptake inhibitor) and a NRI (norepinephrine re-uptake inhibitor) it's about 20% opiate and 80% RI. The RI is causing more serotonin to stay in your system and this provides your happy mood (antidepressant). Tramadol is a very simple compound it it works very fast with a short half life its basically out of your system in 4 hours. The traditional SSRI medicines take weeks to build up. The NRI in tramadol allows more epinephrine to stay in your system (stimulant). This gives you more energy. These 3 components have a synergistic effect on your body elevated mood, energy and pain relief... so you feel better with less opiates. Beware though, stopping tramadol after long term use will put you into withdrawal... for some...
worse than kicking just opiates because you will have brain chemistry adjustments too! Don't take over 400-500 mg otherwise you can experience seizures from serotonin syndrome which is too much serotonin in your synapses which has a negative effect on your body. Tramadol can help addicts lessen their dependence on illegal narcotics. Hope that helps!
I once argued with a psychiatrist that tramadol is more effective than all other anti depressants..
I forgot that Tramadol doesn't pay his conference in Hawaii.. So his total denial of its benefits came as no surprise
I am also on tramadol and I use it for my mortons neuroma it's noncancerous tumor's in your toes. I take them as needed. But they do make you happy , that's why don't want to take them because my pain will act up at night and I don't want energy. in the beginning of taking tramadol I just got mellowed out I was alert I could watch TV but it took the pain away either with energy or withoutI asked my doctor he told me that the benefits outweigh the side effects.
Tramadol is the reason I go to work everyday.
It's the reason I feel happy.
The reason I smile throughout the day.
The reason nothing stresses me out.
The reason I excel in my job.
It's the reason I can function like any other person.
Before tramadol I was depressed
always cold
always achy
couldn't focus
had no energy or strength
was always sleepy
hated life.
deliaraz .. I completely understand what you're feeling.. I can't take an antidepressant because I'm on the maximum dose and it would be risky for the serotonin syndrome, but it sure helps my mood (without feeling high). I'm trying to find out if they're using it as an antidepressant. I don't take my first dose till 12 noon, and till then, my depression is bad. By the way .. I only take the oval ones by Teva Pharma. The others don't work as well, but when they get a diff. lot at my CVS, it changes the effect on me. Have you or anyone else - noticed any changes in the effects of the Tramadol at times??? I've been using it for 4 years now.
Tramadol is my happy pill too. Puts me in a great mood. I started taking it a few years back for my endometriosis.
It has now been 12 years on tramadol, 50mg 3 times a day... no problems. I did find out why it improves mood, my doctor says it is works like an antidepressant and that is why my mood was bad when I stopped taking it. I still have no problem stopping it, although I start feeling depression setting in. I recently went 3 weeks without it but I had to substitute hydrocodone after the 2nd week as my back was just too painful, but otherwise I was not getting withdrawal symptoms like I had before with the oxycontin. Since that last post in 2009, tramadol is now a scheduled drug and I have to pick up a paper prescription each month as they no longer allow refills. I have not had any long term side effects yet, hope it stays that way. I have no idea why they say that this drug is abused, as it does not make you high. I think maybe the 1st time you take it that might occur but to me I feel nothing of any kind of high from it. When I take 2 vicodin or an oxycontin I can feel the "high", although to me it is not pleasant.
That's not true, refills are allowed but no more than a six month supply can be requested for refill. Dr.'s office can indeed call in refills on Tramadol with refills added.
Hi, I am from RI and I can get the paper faxed over but they don't ever give me refills. I do not know if it the law but my doctor says no refills. I will ask the pharmacist about this because it is nonsense to have to either wait till they call it in or go pick up the actual script each month.
Your doctor is terrified of having office raided by DEA agents, cops practicing medicine.
Wow great info here i have taken ultran for 13 years now for arthritic back pain. I do my own pt showen to me by my phy therapist- everyother day on my own and run 9 miles a week for 1 1/2 years now. the ultram helps me get thru the back streching and exercises i do for my back before i run and yes of course i love the way it makes me feel! I only take one pill a day for 12 years , but for the last year i HAVE been taking 1 and a halfpill 2 hours after the whole pill cause the pain has gotten worse. sometimes on the week-end when im real active i will take 1 and 3 hours later take another one. btw im 59 yeras old. Im sure im addicted to it at least phyologically, but every once in a while i just do not take any and i notice that eve i feel sad(not like suicide or anything, just sad and irritable.) I have not had an acute episode of back pain for a whole year now due to the PT i do and the ultram makes it so the pain is tolerable when i do the PT!!
Tramadol acts as a seritonin reuptake inhibitor, and a pain killer. don't take oxycontin and tramadol at the same time, it makes the oxycontin work less. you can get physically dependant on tramadol, I know I was! The withdrawls were just as bad as getting off oxycontin for me. Some people don't seem to have withdrawls, I don't know why, maybe you're one of those lucky people! Good luck! I don't see a problem with taking tramadol long term, if it works best for you then tell the doc, they should rather prescribe tramadol than oxycontin.
A side-effect of Tramadol is euphoria which is a medical term for happiness. I take it for fibromyalgia, its great for my symptoms, but yes when I miss a daily dose, I sure can tell, both in pain and mood changes. In some states, as true for where I live, Tramadol is a controlled substance.
Tramadol is a centrally acting synthetic opioid analgesic.Tramadol has been shown to inhibit reuptake of norepinephrine and serotonin. Antidepressants work by increasing the serotonin and norepinephrine in your brain. So the tramadol making you happy is probably a side effect or a type of Euphoria caused by taking the tramadol. Tramadol and cause a False Sense of Well-Being, Euphoria and Excitement. If it had anything to do with an antidepressant effect, well it couldn't happen with tramadol because it's been show to inhibit reuptake of norepinephrine and serotonin which is the exact opposite of what an antidepressant does. I hope this helps a little even though it contradicts your question. Happy Holidays!
SSRI's (Proxac, Paxil, Zoloft, etc) are selective serotonin reuptake INHIBITORS, its what they do. Tramadol produces the same effects for some people. People with chronic pain and depression can benefit immensely from Tramadol. It can help with depression, while providing adequate pain relief as well.
Actually, Tramadol is now bering used to treat depression, so it must do something good.
I apologize. It will act like a antidepressant basically. Sorry for the mix up.
Here is proof I'm not nuts ;). I answered a similar question. Sorry once again for mixing it up.
no, antidepressents such as SNRI's like cymbalta and effexor inhibit the reuptake of norepinephrine and serotonin hense SNRI Serotonin Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitor, this means it keeps your brain from sucking up and disgarding your avalable serotonin
A false sense of well being?
Sweetheart! A sense of well being is never false.
Unless you prefer a real sense of depression!
Elevated serotonin is a chemical factor in happiness. There's nothing false about it, just because it's chemically induced.
Many people feel better on Tramadol than all the anti depressant combined
abfab2222 - Do you or anyone know where I can find out about any studies or useage of Tramadol being used as an antidepressant?? It's an excellent mood stablizer and seems to act like one for me.. and keeps me feeling normal, but away from a very dark place because of the long term pain I have from Lyme disease, fibro and a sac o riliac injury. Thanks for any responses.!
I have suffered treatment-resistant Clinical Depression for 50 years. All 20 of the antidepressants I tried had adverse effects on me. When I was prescribed Tramadol for pain, it turned out to be the very best anti-dep. I ever had. Within one hour, I would be totally free of depression, totally normal-feeling, and productive. Really unreal ! It's truly the only thing that has ever worked for me, and I have been purchasing it online ever since to keep me sane and happy. Now that it is being used to treat depression (as it certainly should be!), I will look for a helping pro that prescribes it. Good luck, & peace to y'all... Gsleaves!
SSRI SNRI are exactly what anti depressants do, they INHIBIT the reuptake of those hormones so you have more bioavailability. You are probably confused of what reuptake inhibitors do, they simply stop body from getting rid of those hormones constantly, instead they are recycled in the body. Think of it as the recirculate button on the AC in the car, everytime you press it dont you immediately feel cooler or hotter (depending on the mode), thus the AC/heater works more efficiently?
I'm just responding because I have cevical probs. but have always been on strong narcotics(MS.Contin,Dilaudid,ect.) and did try tramadol & didn't have the desired pain relief, but so were you & you find more relief with no withdrawal. I just find that intersting concidering others who are on Tramadol do have withdrawal from it & also find it hard to get,even though it's not a controlled substance. I suppose it effects the same opiate responders in your brain,but in a different way? Sorry I don't know I just found it intresting,and I assume you do to or you wouldn't have posted it. Mabey some long term tramadol users will answer with some more info. Good luck.J
It became controlled in 2014. Unfortunately it's the safest joint pain med on the planet for older, arthritic dogs (improves their energy also). We vets used to give them along with an anti-inflammatory (although anti-inflammatory meds are much more dangerous to animals and people). Now a provider must worry about a DEA raid if your DEA number shows you prescribed more than 10 per month. Cops practicing medicine and they wonder why overall longevity is declining.
It has been 9 yrs since I posted this and 18 yrs of tramadol and I am just fine. I still take it 3 times daily but now only 50mg each instead of the 100. Early this yr I had bronchitis and ran out of tramadol and was too sick to pick up refill so I went 3 wks without it, since I was already miserable from being sick I did not notice any withdrawal but I did get the pain right back again so I am back on them. The original dose was probably too high as I did notice that when I took the higher dose it made me sweat a lot, that no longer happens.
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pain, back pain, norepinephrine, tramadol
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