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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 11 of 11. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by bulldog2 on February 8, 2010, at 10:22:26
I have read that tramadol and effexor are chemically similar. Has anyone who has tried both noticed a similarity in how they feel?
Posted by Phillipa on February 8, 2010, at 11:04:41
In reply to Tramadol Similar To Effexor?, posted by bulldog2 on February 8, 2010, at 10:22:26
Better try googling it. Phillipa
Posted by SheilaC on February 9, 2010, at 8:08:03
In reply to Tramadol Similar To Effexor?, posted by bulldog2 on February 8, 2010, at 10:22:26
I have taken both. I don't know how similar I thought they were, but I did find Tramadol was great.
Tramadol was the only pain med I could take and I found that it lifted my mood as well. It was like a pain med that didn't make me feel drugged.
I wonder if it just tricks the brain into a happy mood and fakes out the pain.
I liked Tramadol. It was great for my mood.
Good luck getting a doc to give it to you though!
Posted by bulldog2 on February 9, 2010, at 8:56:32
In reply to Re: Tramadol Similar To Effexor?, posted by SheilaC on February 9, 2010, at 8:08:03
> I have taken both. I don't know how similar I thought they were, but I did find Tramadol was great.
>
> Tramadol was the only pain med I could take and I found that it lifted my mood as well. It was like a pain med that didn't make me feel drugged.
>
> I wonder if it just tricks the brain into a happy mood and fakes out the pain.
>
> I liked Tramadol. It was great for my mood.
>
> Good luck getting a doc to give it to you though!You can order it from the internet with next day delivery.
Posted by jedi on February 9, 2010, at 12:37:41
In reply to Re: Tramadol Similar To Effexor?, posted by bulldog2 on February 9, 2010, at 8:56:32
Be careful with tramadol, because like meperidine(Demerol)it can increase levels of serotonin. Most of the opioids do not increase serotonin, but these two and a few others do. The combination with a MAOI, SSRI, or other medication that also increases serotonin can lead to the long dirt nap. Serotonin syndrome can result when combining any medications that increase serotonin by different means.
References:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16051647?itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum&ordinalpos=5Jedi
> > I have taken both. I don't know how similar I thought they were, but I did find Tramadol was great.
> >
> > Tramadol was the only pain med I could take and I found that it lifted my mood as well. It was like a pain med that didn't make me feel drugged.
> >
> > I wonder if it just tricks the brain into a happy mood and fakes out the pain.
> >
> > I liked Tramadol. It was great for my mood.
> >
> > Good luck getting a doc to give it to you though!
>
> You can order it from the internet with next day delivery.
Posted by herpills on February 9, 2010, at 13:13:08
In reply to Tramadol Similar To Effexor?, posted by bulldog2 on February 8, 2010, at 10:22:26
> I have read that tramadol and effexor are chemically similar. Has anyone who has tried both noticed a similarity in how they feel?
I don't think they are really related. Effexor is SNRI and tramadol is a "synthetic" opioid but apparently does something with seretonin.
I've used tramadol, it does work for pain, but gave me a "yucky" feeling hangover that i don't get with the other opioids. Like others have said be VERY careful if mixing tramadol with other seretonin drugs.
herpills
Posted by bulldog2 on February 9, 2010, at 15:00:44
In reply to Re: Tramadol Similar To Effexor? » bulldog2, posted by jedi on February 9, 2010, at 12:37:41
> Be careful with tramadol, because like meperidine(Demerol)it can increase levels of serotonin. Most of the opioids do not increase serotonin, but these two and a few others do. The combination with a MAOI, SSRI, or other medication that also increases serotonin can lead to the long dirt nap. Serotonin syndrome can result when combining any medications that increase serotonin by different means.
> References:
> http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16051647?itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum&ordinalpos=5
>
> http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14970364?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_SingleItemSupl.Pubmed_Discovery_RA&linkpos=1&log$=relatedarticles&logdbfrom=pubmed
>
> http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9034418?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_SingleItemSupl.Pubmed_Discovery_RA&linkpos=2&log$=relatedarticles&logdbfrom=pubmed
>
> Jedi
>
>
> > > I have taken both. I don't know how similar I thought they were, but I did find Tramadol was great.
> > >
> > > Tramadol was the only pain med I could take and I found that it lifted my mood as well. It was like a pain med that didn't make me feel drugged.
> > >
> > > I wonder if it just tricks the brain into a happy mood and fakes out the pain.
> > >
> > > I liked Tramadol. It was great for my mood.
> > >
> > > Good luck getting a doc to give it to you though!
> >
> > You can order it from the internet with next day delivery.
>
>Lol good saying the long dirt nap. Thanks for the warning and I won't mix them with serotonin drugs.
Persoanlly I like percocet better and it can be mixed with the maois or ssris.Tramadol gives me urinary retention and percocet doesn't.
Posted by bleauberry on February 9, 2010, at 18:55:54
In reply to Tramadol Similar To Effexor?, posted by bulldog2 on February 8, 2010, at 10:22:26
At askapatient.com and revolutionhealth, patients who have used Tramadol rated it higher than just about any other antidepressant. Many had been on every med and combo imaginable, including effexor. They discovered tramadol by accident for post-op pain or some other pain. The basic message is that it blows all other ADs including effexor in the weeds.
Dependency is an issue. But then, if anyone has ever gone through the withdrawal of effexor, paxil, xanax, zoloft, zyprexa...well, dependency comes in many colors and shades. Physical dependency on an AD or AP is somehow ok, but to tramadol not? Stupid. As several posters at those sites said, they gladly accept the dependence over the darkness of depression.
There are a few scattered reports of people who felt aweful on tramadol. I'm one of them. Man that was a bad two days. Holy cow. But for the vast majority, it seems to be magic bullet for depression when everything else failed.
Here's another difference between tramadol and other ADs. You know, if you stop an AD and then go back to it, it often will not work again, or won't work as good as it did? Pretty common story. With tramadol, it works just as good no matter how many times you stop it and start it. Some people take weekend holidays or a few days off here and there just to keep the dependency/tolerance thing under control.
Posted by Brainbeard on February 20, 2010, at 15:41:50
In reply to Re: Tramadol Similar To Effexor?, posted by bleauberry on February 9, 2010, at 18:55:54
I think you paint the picture a little too brightly coloured, Bleaubeard. There are also lots of reports of people who not only became dependent on Tramadol, but for whom the drug changed faces to the point of becoming ineffective and even worsening or causing pain syndromes.
Tramadol tends to make me self-confident in a rather aggressive way, and to make me irritable when bothered. I've heard more people say the drug makes them edgy.
Then there are the thousands of reports of abuse of the drug on the recreational drug forums. The chance of abusing this drug is obviously much higher than with conventional antidepressants, that have hardly any recreational value. I've seen many reports of people telling about how their Tramadol abuse started with a prescription for pain. (And with 'abuse' I do mean something different than recreational use - 'recreational use gone out of hand', you could say.)
It can be a miracle AD for some, perhaps even many, but its efficacy in the long term still stands to debate, as far as I can concern, while its shadowsides in some ways seem to be worse than those of conventional AD's.
Posted by Brainbeard on February 25, 2010, at 3:04:44
In reply to Re: Tramadol Similar To Effexor?, posted by bleauberry on February 9, 2010, at 18:55:54
Sorry 'bout calling you Bleaubeard, that was a slip of the pen. Perhaps I subconsciously identify myself with you. ;)
Anyway, I also like to post this link to a small thread about tramadol that testifies to tramadol losing its effectiveness as an antidepressant over time: http://www.dr-bob.org/cgi-bin/pb/mget.pl?post=/babble/20080316/msgs/818840.html#818840
Apparently, tramadol is a great drug to give to your cat or dog.. :)
Posted by Phillipa on February 25, 2010, at 19:34:27
In reply to Re: Tramadol Similar ..... - Do Both Poop Out?, posted by Brainbeard on February 25, 2010, at 3:04:44
My pdoc thinks I should try and get a doc to write a script for it for the back pain and the fact that she also believes some depressions respond to opiods. Said she's heard it many times from patients. You do need a script right? Phillipa
This is the end of the thread.
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