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How long is safe to take tramadol without problems?

I recently had surgery and Im trying to stay away from opiates. So Ive been prescribed tramadol 100mgs twice a day along with taking 500mgs of naproxen. Now Ive taken tramadol in the past for pain and recreational purposes and never had a problem when I stopped but I never took them for too long of a period. My question is being that I have an addictive personality, especially to opiates(norco,oxycontin), how long is it relatively safe for me to take tramadol without becoming addicted or dependent upon them. Ive read some really devastating posts about some serious withdrawls that can happen with tramadol. I absolutely need something for pain for probably atleast 2-3wks, can anyone give me some sort of timeline that is acceptable to take tramadol. My doctor did warn me that they can be habit forming like regular opiates, but it seemed like he didnt take tramadol as serious as say vicodin, percocet etc. If anyone has any alternative ideas for short term pain control Im all ears. This is my 2nd day taking tramadol and I do not want to develop another addiction. Any advice would be appreciated. Thank You in advance.
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Avatar universal
I take 2  50 mg Tramadol daily and have been for 4 yrs for my lower back and knees. I'd advise taking Metamucil and eat foods with plenty of fiber if you plan to take Tramadol for long periods. Now there are days I skip taking Tramadol and just take a rapid release Tylenol which gets me through days I'm not hurting as much. Some people have withdrawals if they stop taking Tramadal and I have not had that experience because sometimes I take a break from Tramadol to clear my system and so I don't become immune to the benefits of Tramadol. If people are taking more than the recommended dosage then yes they're addicted. Tramadol affects people differently, some get no benefit from it, others get stomach or have bowl issues and others  get dizzy and nauseous from the effects. Tramadol is a generic synthetic opioid, while it's not actually an opioid it mimics the opioids affects by tricking your neuro transmitters into thinking the pain isn't there. The problem with that is if you are an active person or do a lot of physical labor you cannot guage your pain levels and can injure yourself  even seriously if you are not careful.  Best bet is to start at low dosage and work yourself up until you find a medium where there's a small amount of pain but not so much it affects your daily routine such as work, lifting or other physical activities. I don't believe Tramadol will harm you if you take it daily and at minimum dosage. I don't have to take two Tramadol daily, I can take one Tramadol and up to two Tylenol rapid release if I choose to do so. I'd prefer not to take pain medications, however I do a lot of physical outdoor labor in my lawn service and I'm on my feet all day especially using trimmers which puts a strain on my back and knees. Basically I don't have an option not to take these pain medications even after my back surgery. Not everyday is bad especially if weather and barometric pressures are low. Barometric pressure can affect your body increasing pressure on joints and muscles. Low pressure brings relief especially in cool and low humidity.  Anyhow you should not have any problems if you need to use it for long term use.
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199177 tn?1490498534
LOL you will be ok just as soon as you can can over to just the naproxen.If you have any qestions feel free to ask .
avis :)
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Avatar universal
Well thats what I was worried about, its crazy how casual or naive doctors are about tramadol. Thanks for the info avisg Im going to take your advice and try to keep it under a week. I would much rather have the pain then go through any degree of w/d's. If I run into any problems I'll be back to bug you...lol...talk to ya later.
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199177 tn?1490498534
If you take it for 2 or three weeks you will go threw WD when you go off them .I would not take them more then 7 days and yes they are very addicting and wd is worse then narco .Personally knowing what I know I would not risk it but that is up to you .
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