tramadol for anxiety/depression?

[weaselknot]

I've been off and on most SSRI's for the past ten years, ever since I quit using methamphetamine. I also have panic attacks and anxiety disorder. Since it's hard to get put on benzos with my history, I've been looking into alternative treatment..
Turns out that not only is tramadol a semi-effective pain killer, its also a short acting SSRI, structurally similar to venlafaxine. Probably won't work for everyone, but for me it works much better than common SSRI's, mainly because I don't have to wait a month to feel effects, taper off if I don't like the effects, and really, it seems to control my anxiety and panic rather well, and I haven't been depressed either. I'm not recommending off label use for this med, just relating my experience. hope this helps someone.

[nofx]

id be careful with tramadol some say its more habit forming than hydro and oxycodone. ive nodded harder on 250mg tramadol then i have from 60mg of hydrocodone.

[Rusty Shackleford]

I've been off and on most SSRI's for the past ten years, ever since I quit using methamphetamine. I also have panic attacks and anxiety disorder. Since it's hard to get put on benzos with my history, I've been looking into alternative treatment..
Turns out that not only is tramadol a semi-effective pain killer, its also a short acting SSRI, structurally similar to venlafaxine. Probably won't work for everyone, but for me it works much better than common SSRI's, mainly because I don't have to wait a month to feel effects, taper off if I don't like the effects, and really, it seems to control my anxiety and panic rather well, and I haven't been depressed either. I'm not recommending off label use for this med, just relating my experience. hope this helps someone.


Yeah tramadol works rather well as an antidepressant, just so long as you don't ever stop. I used them on a regular basis for a while and it was great, I excelled at work and in my social life and had a blast. Then I decided to stop, was a lot harder than I expected from a drug that isn't even scheduled in the USA. Not only do I have the classic opiate withdrawal to deal with but I also struggled with electric shocks and extreme depression/demotivation that seemed to drag on and on. The electric shocks every time I moved my head or eyes lasted weeks. But yeah, if you can stop before you make too much of a habit of it or just don't ever stop tramadol is a viable antidepressant. Then again I would say the same of opium.

[Gloombringer]

The ting about opiates. They don't cure depression all they do is numb it or mask it. Believe me I am a professional when it comes to this department. I use opiates everyday to numb my sadness and loneliness in life. You lose the love of your life attempt suicide with 18 10mg valiums and then you end up taking large doses of opiates everyday just so you can put a smile on your face and go about your day and try to be happy. I don't know what I'm going to do it's like I am just waiting and hoping for a rope to be thrown to me to pull me out of this abyss i am in. Anyways don;t use opiates any kind of opiates at all to keep you out of depression. Its a temporary solution to a problem that will just get worse and worse as you cover it up. Seek professional help of you are truly depressed.

[runnersanriders]

Yea I used to take 50 mg in the morning sometimes and I would defo feel an uplift in my mood for a few hours.
Tollerance builds up really easily on these tho and after caining about 70x50mg caps in about 3 weeks I really didnt have any withdrawel symptons when I stpped taking them only that my tollerance steadily increased to the point were they really wernt affecting me anymore.

[cupid]

They can have an SSRI effect but only short term, the reason being peple in pain often experience depression as well so this is like a two in one pill. I would advice against long term use as the addictive properties are far too potent for everyday use.

[Rusty Shackleford]

The ting about opiates. They don't cure depression all they do is numb it or mask it.

I would say the same of SSRI's, sure there might be a few poor souls with natural neurotransmitter imbalances but I'm willing to bet most people on them are depressed becuase of something in their life that needs to change or they need to deal with in some way.



Believe me I am a professional when it comes to this department. I use opiates everyday to numb my sadness and loneliness in life. You lose the love of your life attempt suicide with 18 10mg valiums and then you end up taking large doses of opiates everyday just so you can put a smile on your face and go about your day and try to be happy. I don't know what I'm going to do it's like I am just waiting and hoping for a rope to be thrown to me to pull me out of this abyss i am in.


How man, that's some serious shit right there. I learned long ago that at least for me nobody will throw me a rope, I had to make my own.



Anyways don;t use opiates any kind of opiates at all to keep you out of depression. Its a temporary solution to a problem that will just get worse and worse as you cover it up. Seek professional help of you are truly depressed.

Not always, I used opiates for a while and learned the happeness I am capable of and then slowly worked myself off at my own pace. Now I'm not hooked and happier and more productive than before. The biggest thing I had to learn about using opiates everyday is not to think less of myself for my dependency, self hate is a sure way to get stuck. As far as professional help goes I would only recommend that for extreme cases as it was the professionals who screwed with my head as a child and left me the fucked up mess I am today.

[dave777]

I would love it if they made an antidepressant that actually worked.

I too am a recovering speed addict (base) and didnt give up by choice.

It would be nice to see a pill that opened your mind to show you the ugly thoughts in a good headspace, to enable to to find new perspectives, a bit like acid or mdma, but not those for obvious reasons.

I suggest googling 'kanna' which is a natural substance that acts like an ssri, without all the bad bits. The usual cautions apply, though.
I just use it as a straightner.

I would steer clear of the opoids as they are a swine.
I occasionaly get a pack of dihydrocodeine when I do my back in, and find it hard not to abuse them. Luckily its not often I get them.

[weaselknot]

i haven't tried kanna yet, need to check it out, thanks

[Rusty Shackleford]

It would be nice to see a pill that opened your mind to show you the ugly thoughts in a good headspace, to enable to to find new perspectives, a bit like acid or mdma, but not those for obvious reasons.

Call me dumb but what is wrong with MDMA? Does exactly what you describe and was used by therapists to accomplish years worth of therapy in a few hours. Heck the are still rogue therapists that are willing to risk everything by still using it despite the law because it is so effective.

[TITO 78]

The ting about opiates. They don't cure depression all they do is numb it or mask it. Believe me I am a professional when it comes to this department. I use opiates everyday to numb my sadness and loneliness in life. You lose the love of your life attempt suicide with 18 10mg valiums and then you end up taking large doses of opiates everyday just so you can put a smile on your face and go about your day and try to be happy. I don't know what I'm going to do it's like I am just waiting and hoping for a rope to be thrown to me to pull me out of this abyss i am in. Anyways don;t use opiates any kind of opiates at all to keep you out of depression. Its a temporary solution to a problem that will just get worse and worse as you cover it up. Seek professional help of you are truly depressed.

Your post is right on man, seen it, felt it personally. Opiates can truly fuck up your life.
You tried kratom? It really can be comparable with proper opiates, I mean it's no H in strength but it can be comparable to OC at high doses (as a slightly stimulative drug that is much easier to function on compared to H). Bonus of krat is lesser price and much less severe withdrawls.

Good luck man.

[P-Dub]

I recently used tramadol for a couple of weeks after I learned I needed to get another surgery and was all pissed off and depressed. It helped get through that initial rough patch but what really turned me around got me to see things in a better perspective was a few drinks, couple pills of e, my closest friends, and Carl Cox spinning on the loudest system I've ever heard.

[madasslass]

I believe that certain drugs really can help you get out of a mental rut. Like mdma for example, it can kind of change your whole perspective on things. Well, at least for a while.

[infinity]

i used it when i was sick to knock out the aches and pains and feeling of malaise and it worked great. i believe its hard on the liver though so long term use might not be a good idea.

[introverted]

i have arthritis and i take this everyday of my life (200mg, everyday)

i've been taking it for almost a year now, and i've never had some kind of crazy want or need for it if i don't take it, thats why i stay on it, and not something harder like a real opiate

and yeah, i know what a fiend or a crave or a physical addiction to something is, i had seizures and shit comming off of 4mg of benzo's everyday for almost a year

but as an antidepressant, be careful there man :-\

[TITO 78]

A couple of non benzos that help with anxiety are Zopiclone and Pregabalin.

[weaselknot]

thanks for the replies, I take zolpidem for anxiety/sleep problems... took buspirone for a little while which just made things 100 times worse. The docs keep trying to shove heavy duty SSRI's down my throat, but I last up to a month with them before I start getting a "little" psychotic. (total agoraphobia, social phobia, panic disorder, total paranoia).. Funny thing is, I started being anxious when I was about 17, and pot took care of it. Worked great for over 15 years. Got in a little trouble with the law, and I've had to pee in a cup for the past 3 years or so.. I've got about 40 more months of bullshit to go through before I can maybe partake of my little green doctor again. In the meantime, I eat the hell out of Somas and zolpidem just to function. I have slept less than 3 hours a night, every night, since I quit smoking herb. (Jan. 2006)

I use tramadol pretty sparingly. No more than 200mg at a time, probably 2 to 3 times a week. this is usually just to pull my overtranquilized self out of bed. and doing stuff. It tends to motivate me and cut down on my irrational anxiety..

That being said, isn't this retarded? They seem to think that the more meds they can prescribe at the same time, hell, I'll get better that much faster.. ALL of my crappy sleep/anxiety/panic symptoms are geting worse and worse in direct proportion to the amount of pharmaceutical crap (SSRI) (SNRI) I take... I look back 5 years ago and remember being a bit jumpy and nervous at times, but hey, spark one up, and I was good to go... Isn't medicine supposed to help? I'm just bitching. It's a fucking plant for God's sake! FUCK BIG PHARMA (See, I'm even irritable all of the time.

You think Kanna would put me to sleep? Ambien does not. Antihistamines do not. Melatonin chops the 3 hours of sleep I get into twelve fifteen minute dream-athons.. not good.

Kratom wires me up. Can't mess with poppies ( pee test ) A blue lotus extract ain't gonna cut it! Any ideas please? Sorry if I sound hostile, just tired. Thanks in advance..:cool:

[Spaced out]

am on quetiapine 125mg at night

this onli makes me sleep and am fucking going mad at mi doctor cause its been 12 months down the line,

but am going to have a meeting with them and tell them what i think for the zillion time!

I bet thei will just want to increase the dossage which will onli make me more tired! ughh

[introverted]

i found after i stopped taking things to 'function' and let my mind reset itself to do normal things

i functioned just fine, and i was on all kinds of messy things, xanax, buspar, amoldipine, something for seizures celexa, lithium, and some others all at once

i was a wreck, and after i quit taking them, and forcing myself to do things on my own willpower, i eventually gained the strength back, it was like exercising, you have to practice in order to become good :)

[P-Dub]

You think Kanna would put me to sleep?


No, at least for me kanna gets me a little more wired than i am usually.

This may sound a little cheesy but it is definitely a tool that I have found to be effective with depression. When your having really shitty thoughts go through these 4 questions.

I'll give some examples to help also

For example the shitty thought is - I am ugly and no one will ever love me.

So ask these questions and respond to yourself in your head.

Q1: is this true? ---yes
Q2: Can I know for certain this is true? ---well....I suppose not
Q3: How does this thought make me feel? ---pathetic, desperate, angry towards people
Q4: what is the opposite of this statement and how does that make me feel? ---I am beautiful and someday someone is going to be in love with me. This makes me feel great and gives me the hope/courage to go out and make it happen.

I was skeptical but this does help if you remember to do it. Its all about nudging your brain in the direction that you want to think. The more you practice thinking positive the more your brain will begin to do it on its own.

I know this is not going to help with some major neurological problems or anything but just be aware that you have the ability to change the way your brain thinks but it takes a lot of time and practice.