Here's the deal with Tramadol, folks. It can be a miracle drug for one person and a complete waste of time for another. Many people report poor results and they blame the drug, when they should be blaming their own body chemistry. I am in the miracle drug category. Thanks to Tramadol, I am now able to live pain free (Extremely rare testicular disorder requiring several surgeries). If you are looking for the euphoria or pain relief recieved from traditional opiate agonists, you're barking up the wrong tree. That being said, it does provide a mild sense of contentment and serenity(probably due to the fact that you're no longer in pain). Additionally, Tramadol does not impair cognitive functions like their opiate cousins. For me, the most common side effects include: Mild constipation, sleeplessness, and mild upset stomach. Never take over 400mg in one 24 hour period!!!! The risk of seizure or other severe reaction increases immensely when you exceed this dose. Many of the people on this message board obviously take the drug at incorrect doseages. If your someone who needs powerful opiates a la oxycodone, this drug will probably be a big letdown. If you are like me, and prefer the joy that comes with critical thinking (even if a little pain is involved) to the mind-numbing dopiness of traditional opiates, then Tramadol can be a lifesaver. Good Luck to all!! Published: March 12, 2008 ::

have been on this medication for a year now and have only good things to say about it's effectiveness toward back pain and nerve damage pain. Also I appreciate that I do not feel "drugged" from this medication and can function at high levels at work and home. I take 100 mg every 4-8 hours depending on pain levels. Published: October 24, 2007 ::

just a warning...THIS MEDICATION IS HIGHLY ADDICTIVE!! i am a recovering alcoholic/drug addict, and when newly sober my doctor prescribed me this drug for my severe back pain instead of narcotic pain relievers i was addicted to before. upon further research, i discovered this is a morphine based opiate...which is bad news for me. i stopped taking it. i work in a pharmacy and you would not believe how many people are prescribed this medication without knowing how addictive it is. it should be classified as a "controlled drug" and i'm sure it will be in the future. it already is over in europe. so if you think that it's ok to take this compared to narcotic pain killers, you have been misled, doctors don't know or don't care to inform you of the consequences of addiction. so beware. Published: June 14, 2008 ::

I have crohn's disease and avascular necrosis which means my hip bones are dead and needed replaced. Ultram will help you with chronic pains (stomach cramps, my hip pain from AVN). It helps me eat without worring too much about pain from crohn's flareups. HOWEVER, this med is just as addicting as other narcotic pain releavers. And i know a lot of you out there are hearing your doc say "ultram is not as addicting as narcotics, they are better, with less side effects." WRONG! I have been on ultram for 7 years. If I don't eat without it, my stomach feels horrible. When you do use it, you might sweat a little or a TON! If I stop taking it, i feel depressed and agrivated. Why is this? Unlike narcotics, ultram actually effects mood. It has targets for "happiness recepters" built right in with the ones for "pain recepters". So, if you are no longer taking ultram, your mood changes for the worse. Taking ultram after week or month long breaks, I will feel more energetic and content. For those of you with severe pain; ultram is not for you. For my surgeries (2 bowl resections, hip replacement, perirectal abcess with fistula) I managed my pain with IV dilaudid at the hospital (which works wonders, yet fades within 2 to 3 hours), and oxycotin's, more for long term relief. DON'T GO BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN ULTRAM AND ANY OTHER TYPE OF PAIN RELIEVER. In the hospital, they gave me IV dilaudid and ultram inbetween shots to help the IV last longer. Durring this time i experienced a seizsure like sensation, shaking uncontrollably in my bed and almost blacking out. At home, I took some oxy's followed by ultram and had simular problems. to be safe, let a few weeks or even a month pass when switching back to ultram from higher pain meds. ULTRAM IS JUST AS ADDICTIVE AS NARCOTIC PAIN KILLERS, YET WON'T WORK ON SEVERE PAIN. DO NOT USE WITH NARCOTICS DUE TO CHANCE OF SEIZSURES. For chronic pain, ultram is a great drug when used sparingly and smartly. BEWARE OF DEPENDANCY!! Published: May 21, 2008 ::

Have taken between 200-400 mg/qd since 1996. Works so much better than any other narcotic classification without horrid side-effects. If I run out without a refill, going through withdrawal, however, is not too pretty! Published: October 23, 2007 ::

I've been taking Tramadol daily for severe endometriosis (2 surgeries already, another 1 scheduled this month) as prescribed for years. I was also intermittently taking Percocet for breakthrough pain at the onset of menstruation and after surgery. However, I chose to discontinue taking Percocet even when offered (as it worked most effectively) because I believed Tramadol was a safer option. I want to make clear that I have never been addicted to anything, in fact, I don't even drink. That being said, Tramadol is highly addictive! While I have never had a euphoric feeling nor have I exhibited drug-seeking behavior; if I had forgotten my script or had neglected to pick it up before the pharmacy closed, horrendous withdrawl would immediately set in. I have done extensive research on opiates and opiate-acting drugs and the literature on Tramadol is extremely misleading. If you are taking this drug for long-term pain relief and hope to eventually stop, please do it slowly or you WILL feel the effects and they are very unpleasant. They are very similar to the withdrawl symptoms of the most highly-addictive opiates; restlessness, anxiety, loss of energy, cold sweats, tremors, diarrhea and so on... Just be careful and know that you are tricking your brain into thinking that you've taken an opiate so when you stop, your brain will crave that "opiate." Some have said the Tramadol withdrawl is worse than that of stronger, narcotic pain-relievers because unlike its opiate cousin, it contains an element that elevates your serotonin (hence the "speedy," overly content feeling) which plummets once stopped adding to the already low, uneasy feeling. I hope this will help some of you with your decision to continue Tramadol (10 days or more). I wish I had this information when I was prescribed this so-called non-addictive pain killer. Published: September 05, 2008 ::