Shown: posts 1 to 9 of 9. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Brainbeard on July 24, 2009, at 4:01:16
Is anyone or has anyone been taking Tramadol (Ultram) long-term (I mean for years on end) without losing effectiveness and without having to up the dose to astronomical levels?
Tramadol is known to be an effective med for OCD, as well as being an effective antidepressant, even for treatment resistant depression. But I couldn't find much information on the web (and believe me, I've searched..) about the effectiveness of long-term use, especially not for off-label use (OCD, depression).
Of course, Tramadol has addictive properties, despite the manufacturer's claims to the contrary, and tolerance may also be an issue. Just as with benzo's, it's not hard to find horror stories on the web.
I have OCD and depression, and I might want to consider taking Tramadol for the rest of my life if it could really help me, but I wouldn't wanna be addicted to a med that has stopped working! Which is why I ask.
Anyone? Second-hand experiences are welcome too. ;)
Posted by SheilaC on July 24, 2009, at 7:20:48
In reply to Is Anyone Succesfully Taking Tramadol Long-Term?, posted by Brainbeard on July 24, 2009, at 4:01:16
> Is anyone or has anyone been taking Tramadol (Ultram) long-term (I mean for years on end) without losing effectiveness and without having to up the dose to astronomical levels?
>
> Tramadol is known to be an effective med for OCD, as well as being an effective antidepressant, even for treatment resistant depression. But I couldn't find much information on the web (and believe me, I've searched..) about the effectiveness of long-term use, especially not for off-label use (OCD, depression).
>
> Of course, Tramadol has addictive properties, despite the manufacturer's claims to the contrary, and tolerance may also be an issue. Just as with benzo's, it's not hard to find horror stories on the web.
>
> I have OCD and depression, and I might want to consider taking Tramadol for the rest of my life if it could really help me, but I wouldn't wanna be addicted to a med that has stopped working! Which is why I ask.
>
> Anyone? Second-hand experiences are welcome too. ;)
I have taken Tramadol on and off for bladder pain. It is the only thing that helps that particular pain. Docs don't like to prescribe it, so it's kinda hard for me to get. BUT, I have noticed that it works great for my depression. If I could get a shrink to prescribe it, I could get by on just 50mg a day and feel great.Do you have any research or info that could be provided to a doc for off label OCD and depression. It would be the answer to my med problems.
Posted by Brainbeard on July 24, 2009, at 8:35:29
In reply to Re: Is Anyone Succesfully Taking Tramadol Long-Term?, posted by SheilaC on July 24, 2009, at 7:20:48
> Do you have any research or info that could be provided to a doc for off label OCD and depression.
There is the Goldsmith and Shapiro study: http://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/full/156/4/660a
They have requested a patent for Tramadol treatment of OCD: http://www.pharmcast.com/Patents/Yr2002/May2002/051402/6387956_Obsesseive051402.htm
For some reason, the patent explicitly talks about PRN use - do the authors smell a rat called 'addiction'?
Tramadol is chemically similar to Effexor, so it would be strange if it wouldn't have antidepressant activity. See: http://books.google.nl/books?id=Qh19Z6WLsqUC&pg=PA235&lpg=PA235&dq=tramadol+chemical+venlafaxine&source=bl&ots=DJz92H_pkz&sig=9ae4SxuCtWM36eTs3vHCrFd9v2U&hl=nl&ei=VLZpSu6ALsv4-AbqiNGLCw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=7
Here is a research abstract that concludes: 'we suggest that tramadol has many of the pre- and postsynaptic neurochemical features of a conventional antidepressant, as might be predicted from its pharmacology.': http://opioids.com/tramadol/ultramantidep.html
>It would be the answer to my med problems.
THAT'S the question. It may NOT be, mainly because of tolerance. The question is: How long will you get by on just 50mg a day? That 50mg may not be enough soon.Here's an interesting forum thread where people discuss the benefits vs. the drawbacks of tramadol for (treatment resistant) depression: http://www.drugs.com/forum/featured-conditions/tramadol-depression-33499-3.html
As you can see if you read through it, tolerance is definitely an issue for many (not to mention addiction and the horrible withdrawal syndrome).
Still, some people apparently thrive on 'tram' for years - which, in part, answers my question.
Posted by Brainbeard on July 24, 2009, at 8:50:06
In reply to Re: Is Anyone Succesfully Taking Tramadol Long-Term?, posted by SheilaC on July 24, 2009, at 7:20:48
Another interesting find: a report and analysis on the Erowid Vaults of the antidepressant properties of tramadol: http://www.erowid.org/experiences/exp.php?ID=37930
Yet another interesting experience is this one, where someone got a seizure from combining Zoloft with Ultram (I'm on Zoloft myself..): http://www.erowid.org/experiences/exp.php?ID=61511
In this case, 100mg of Zoloft may have been enough to inhibit tramadol's metabolism, so that its blood levels were above therapeutic. It's telling that the seizure happened only after 10 days.
Posted by Phillipa on July 24, 2009, at 12:06:21
In reply to Re: Is Anyone Succesfully Taking Tramadol Long-Term?, posted by Brainbeard on July 24, 2009, at 8:50:06
Not sure how ultram compares to percocet but when broke arm and had surgery l percocet relieved any stress and I was happy. Don't know how ultram compares to percocet. But Srris and snri never worked for me but benzos did. Phillipa
Posted by Brainbeard on July 24, 2009, at 12:37:11
In reply to Re: Is Anyone Succesfully Taking Tramadol Long-Term? » Brainbeard, posted by Phillipa on July 24, 2009, at 12:06:21
Any opiate will make a majority of people happy.
Have you ever seen Gus Van Sant's 'Drugstore Cowboy'? In the final scene the protagonist, who used to rob pharmacies for opiates, but gave himself in and went into a withdrawal program, only to get shot by a former associate, is taken to hospital while being injected with precisely the stuff he used to have to rob.. But now gets for free.
Yeah, opiates are effective antidepressants.
Tramadol is only a semi-opiate, though.
Posted by Kimbersaur on July 26, 2009, at 1:36:38
In reply to Re: Is Anyone Succesfully Taking Tramadol Long-Term?, posted by Brainbeard on July 24, 2009, at 8:35:29
I've been on Ultram ER for about 9 months for tics. I also have severe OCD but it didn't help much with that. I'm beginning to develop a tolerance to 100mg. I was on 200mg for a while but it didn't seem to make a difference.
Posted by SheilaC on July 26, 2009, at 9:27:32
In reply to Re: Is Anyone Succesfully Taking Tramadol Long-Term?, posted by Kimbersaur on July 26, 2009, at 1:36:38
So, is there an antidepressant or antipsyochotic or other med that a doctor will prescribe that will give me the same effects that Tramadol will?
I know I can't take Tramadol for depression and anxiety, but it does work. So what to take?
Posted by Brainbeard on July 26, 2009, at 10:23:07
In reply to Re: Is Anyone Succesfully Taking Tramadol Long-Term?, posted by SheilaC on July 26, 2009, at 9:27:32
> So, is there an antidepressant or antipsyochotic or other med that a doctor will prescribe that will give me the same effects that Tramadol will?
>
> I know I can't take Tramadol for depression and anxiety, but it does work. So what to take?The chemically closest relative of tramadol is Effexor. The relief of the bladder thing must be an effect of noradrenaline reuptake inhibition (NRI). So if you would want to have both bladder relief and an antidepressant effect, you would have to take Effexor high dose, sinced only from higher doses (>75mg) does Effexor begin to really do some NRI. Effexor is infamous for its withdrawal syndrome too, though. And you'd get a lot more serotonin reuptake inhibition (SRI) than with just tramadol.
The bladder problem could be countered by any NRI, probably, say, reboxetine, or nortriptyline. An other AD could be added too that.
To have both qualities in one pill, you would have to look at the SNRIs: duloxetine (Cymbalta), milnacipran (Ixel), or the older, tricyclic SNRI imipramine (Tofranil). Tofranil seems to be a very effective SNRI, for me even in a low dose of just 25mg (it does boost my pulse quite a bit). It's a matter of mileage how much you'd need of any NRI for the bladder.
This is the end of the thread.
Psycho-Babble Medication | Extras | FAQ
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD, bob@dr-bob.org
Script revised: February 4, 2008
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/cgi-bin/pb/mget.pl
Copyright 2006-17 Robert Hsiung.
Owned and operated by Dr. Bob LLC and not the University of Chicago.