Tramadol is not evil.

[Nick64]

Tramadol does not have any malicious intent to get you ‘hooked’ or ‘addicted.’

As for not knowing the possibilities of what might happen – there are only two people you can blame, one – your doctor for not giving you some essential facts, and two – yourself for not researching your tramadol online prescription.

Even on the NHS, doctors should take more time to spell out the expected effects and be addictive, but I understand that they don’t usually have the time. This isn’t going to change anytime soon, though, so…

There is a plethora of information online on any prescription drug, and it will tell you everything you need to know before you take it. Some websites, like drugs.com, even have an Interactions Checker which you can input all your medications into and check if they will react badly. It’s very cool, and I even could bring a sour mix up to my doctor, who was able to clarify that the short amount of time I was taking the new drug would be ok with my regular prescription.
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Tramadol is a synthetic (artificial) opiate. It does not mix well with natural opiates such as co-codamol, as one complained about in this forum. Always check with your doctor if you feel uncomfortable, and always take prescriptions as advised. If you start mixing things up and not understanding the chemistry behind it, what do you expect?

COMMON SIDE EFFECTS: Constipation; diarrhoea; dizziness; drowsiness; dry mouth; headache; increased sweating; indigestion; mild itching; nausea; trouble sleeping; vomiting; weakness. Constipation seems to be the most common and would advise a gentle laxative.

If you have any SERIOUS SIDE EFFECTS (see following), then go to A&E or visit the doctor the next day depending on how bad it is, stop taking the Tramadol until you can get medical advice: Severe allergic reactions (rash; hives; itching; difficulty breathing; tightness in the chest; swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue; unusual hoarseness); burning, numbness, or tingling; chest pain; confusion; difficult or painful urination; disorientation; excessive sweating; fainting; fast or irregular heartbeat; fever; hallucinations; loss of coordination; mood or mental changes (e.g., depression, agitation); red, blistered, swollen, or peeling skin; seizures; severe dizziness or light-headedness; severe nausea, vomiting, or diarrhoea; severe or persistent headache; slow or shallow breathing; suicidal thoughts or behaviours; tremor; vision problems; wheezing.

I DON’T WANT TO BECOME ADDICTED: Well, most people don’t. If your condition is temporary, then consider asking for Codeine (a natural opiate) which doesn’t work as well but will help relieve some of the pain. Always take paracetamol when you take any opiate. My NHS doctors have always told me this, saying that they both work better together than just the opiate alone, and in my experience, this is true. When you feel the pain is minimal to moderate, try taking just paracetamol and skipping a dose of your opiate when possible. Once you do this more often than not, you can either realize that you can live with minimal pain or only take the opiate sporadically as needed.

If you have a long term condition like me, then I’ll tell you what my doctor in the U.S. told me when I told her I didn’t want to become addicted. First, she said, you’re only an addict if you’re taking the drug to get high; otherwise, you’re just dependent. Then she told me I could either take the medication to alleviate the pain and get some everyday things done daily or don’t take it and live with a pain that will most likely prevent me from leaving my bed and become agitated and irritated with everything and everyone because of my relentless pain. She said there is no shame in becoming dependent and that when the time came to a stop, there would be a safe period of weaning the drug and a plan for the withdrawal. I added that most NHS doctors are ambivalent towards things like this and then demand it. I did, and I was helped; no NHS doctor ever judged me for being dependent, and it does seem like they deal with this often. They are not as organized as in the U.S., where you can get a ‘kick pack’ containing valium, supplements, and many useful tips. Still, my NHS doctor did prescribe me valium for 4 days which was enough to get over the hump,’ and I researched and procured the other supplements and tips I needed online.

WHY YOU BECOME DEPENDENT: In plain speak, Tramadol does the job of making your body feel good and does it so well that it relieves the overabundant amount of pain you’re going through because of your medical condition. Once your body realizes it doesn’t have to do this job anymore, it will stop. That’s when your body has become dependent.’ When you stop taking the Tramadol, and your body hasn’t yet taken its ‘job’ back, you feel withdrawal symptoms because nothing makes you feel good. The withdrawal will end once your body takes back its regular job of releasing the chemicals which make you feel good.

HOW TO OVERCOME THE WITHDRAWAL PERIOD: If you have become dependent on Tramadol and you most likely have if you’ve been taking it for a long time, it’s almost always best to consult with your doctor about a withdrawal plan. They can help give you a plan to wean the drug and be there when you need muscle relaxers if you need them once you stop the medication. If they are not helpful, see another doctor, rinse and repeat (especially if you’re on NHS!).

Even better – What you can do is research all this on the internet, but I will include this one link because I felt it was the one who helped me the most when I went through it. Not just the info but the people who commented and gave support. Many forums will do the same thing, find one which has active, supportive members (and a plan you feel comfortable with), and promise you will feel better about getting feedback from people who have supposed what you are going through. Actually, I’m going to link the process I used for withdrawal, it’s from the same site, and you can explore that further if you want or just Google ‘opiate withdrawal forum’ for support and plans.

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