curious

[dj47]

my dr put me on tramadol...ive herd so many bad things today im 30 days clean....does anybody know enough about the trams to answer my question?

[clean_in_ks]

Technically, tramadol is an opioid...here's a good article that will educate you on the drug...plus lists the states that have now re-classified it as a controlled substance (along with the U.S. Military).  The PDR (Physician's Desk Reference was changed in 2010 and states it should NOT be taken by opiate addicts.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tramadol

Hope this helps you~

[KLB84]

Just wondering...back before I came to this forum and read all the bad stuff about them, I would have thought trams were an alternative (I thought they were a joke when I was using)...so what is an alternative for serious pain for an addict? Or is there really one? I know my dr. gave me a stong NSAID for some pain I was having once called diclofenac, but that's all I know of.
DJ47: Hope someone can give you advice for alternatives - hopefully your Dr. Let us know. The diclofenac did work good for me. It's basically like ibprofren except stronger....but if it's not inflamation causing the pain I don't know if it would help. I did get prescribed tram once, and only took when I desperately needed them (like 30 in 6 months - going thru hard core HepC treatment) and they didn't cause me to relapse, BUT at that time I'd been clean for at LEAST a couple of years. I COULD see the potential for abuse, ESPECIALLY this early into sobriety. I've heard others confirm everything nursegirl said. I'm sure you will hear soon. I just never had to w/d from them b/c I never abused them. HOWEVER, if I had taken them only 30 days clean...I was pretty determined, but I'm not so sure they wouldn't have caused me to stumble and fall. :-(
I did relapse, but try not to let that ruin my credibility. It was due to a whole different scenario another few yr.s later.

[alreadybetter]

I don't post often, but feel an obligation to let you know that Tramadol hits the opiate receptors in the brain, JUST LIKE other opiates. It is a lot less potent than others, but make no mistake, it IS an opiate. Many, many doctors are ignorant of this because it is not a scheduled drug in most states, although as nursegirl replies, many states are starting to schedule the drug. It IS addictive and don't ever let a doctor tell you otherwise. The pharmaceutical reps tell them its a great alternative to "narcotics" and the doctors like to write the script because it is not a controlled substance. But, is should be. If you are 30 days into recovery, I sure would hate to see you go backwards by introducing an opiate into your system, even if it's a small amount. Please do your research on this drug. I have taken it and can tell you firsthand that the withdrawals are not fun (and I was taking 1 or 2 per day!). For some reason, doctors are just still so uneducated about this drug and the FDA has been slow to act and recognize that it is indeed being abused and can cause addiction.

[clean_in_ks]

CT = cold turkey

[clean_in_ks]

http://www.medhelp.org/user_journals/show/720959/Tramadol--Ultram-Recovery-Room-58?personal_page_id=2791571

Take a look at the journal link above.  Tramadol IS a narcotic pain med..albeit synthetic in nature with an anti-depressant component thrown in.  You said you are 30 days clean?.....are you saying you are already TAKING tramadol?  Whether it's hydrocodone, oxycodone, tramadol or heroin....if you are an addict....switching to a different narcotic med activates the very same receptors in your brain.  As addicts we have to educate ourselves about ANY medicine we are advised to take...and then decide if it will compromise our sobriety or wake up the beast of addiction again.
Hope you will read the tramdol journal.....that should answer any and all questions you have.

[bambi2275]

what does CT stand for

[nursegirl6572]

You don't want to take tramadol if you have a history of addiction, as they are habit forming as well.  Many people have become addicted, and the w/ds are bad, some say worse than opiates like hydrocodone, oxycodone, etc.  Many states have made tramadol a scheduled narcotic, and many more are following suit.

They also have an antidepressant property (they effect the neurotransmitter GABA) which can make the emotional aspect of w/d even more severe.

If you have pain that needs addressed, I would ask for alternatives, IMO.