Antidepressant Closest To Tramadol In The Brain

I am a recovering Tramadol addict of 8 yrs. Last 3 I was taking 20-25 a day. Off internet or by phone. Had a source prob in India. Would use pre-loadable credit card called PayPower. Mailed in 2-3 days via USPS. Well in May 2014 I got sick with Adnovirus fr son an somehow that messed with Tramadol. Started having palpitations an skipped heart beat. Very scary. Went to ER. Very humiliating to say you are an addict but my own fault. See Tramadol is VERY addictive. For SOME!! It has antidepressant/anti-anxiety properties in it also. Thats why I liked it so. I was first prescribed it by orthopedic dr for tibial stress fracture. Also fibromyalgia an herniated disc in lumbar. Also had lost a child an it seemed to make me happier. Going back to ER. Dr did tons of bloodwork even on heart. Couldn't find anything really wrong except elevated wbc's fr Adnovirus. Ekg was showing tachycardia but was given 1mg of Atavan an it calmed rt down. So he said I NEED to get off the Tramadol. Anti-anxiety meds usually are prescribed to help get off. But I ended up goin to detox for 5 days an sent home on Clonazepam 1mg 3x a day. Didnt take it that much just prn. Then 2 wks later prescribed Zoloft an told to taper off Clonazepam (Klonapine a benzodiazepine). Well Zoloft doesn't like my body an had severe sideeffects or toxicity fr it. Lost 15 lbs in 2 1/2 mnths. Severe diaherra, joint pain, flu like symptoms, etc.. so had to taper off that. That was hell. Crying all time, bad fatigue, joint pain again, brain zaps, headaches alot.. now weaning off Klonapine an almost done (in Nov.) I wont be on anything. Want to see how my brain acts. But, if I need an antidepressant that also helps with general anxiety to im researching first. No Zoloft! Has anyone been put on antidepressant after coming offTramadol. Tramadol effects your serotonin. If you are taking this you SHOULD not be put on a SSRI. You could have Serotonin Syndrome. So it does effect the neurotransmitters in your brain. But which antidepressant is closest to it? Now that Im not numb anymore, theres alot of stress Im going thru including Elder care issues. Taking care of parents an my kids an husband by myself. Sister lives 1 1/2 away but doesn't help much. Im their care giver. Now they reauire even more of my time. I think Im getting depression fr it an a little anxiety. Agitated but still tapering of anti-anxiety med which is the devil also. So is Tramadol. It is VERY ADDICTIVE! I said it again. Dr's r stupid to say it's not an its beenre cacategorized as of Aug or Sept.? I think. Im glad Im off of it. It was a 350$ habit a month. An killin me to! If your on it an addicted get help getting off. DO NOT go cold turkey esp if your taking lrg amt. You could have a seizure an be hardley functioning. Get help. Then find out why you abused it by going to therapist an go to NA meetings. Its been hell since May 12 for me but Im greatful that God helped me get off. Had been praying for a way to get off an it took me getting sick to do it. So, anyone know equivalent antidepressant to Tramadol effects on brain. Zoloft is a no go. Thanks. Sorry so long a post!!

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Hello, Zio10! How are you doing? I'm very sorry about everything you've been through, but congratulations for getting control of your life, again. Way to go!!!

You could take an SSRI now, after being off the Tramadol and Zoloft for awhile, the risk of serotonin syndrome is only high if you're taking several of them at once.

Thus, given the issues you had with Zoloft, but obviously needing something similar to Tramadol that acts on serotonin, you might want to try Prozac/Fluoxetine. It is an SSRI which helps with both depression and anxiety. Its common side effects may include nausea, dizziness, headache and weight loss.

Does anyone else have any suggestions?

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Thats interesting you suggested Prozac. I saw on a web page some people have taken Prozac. Thankyou so much for your reply to my long post. Its been h*ll since May 12th for me but Im just so glad an thankful an blessed to be off that junk! It was a fecious cycle. I def needed help to get off. Medical help! Off the Tram I mean. An getting off this Klonapine is horrible also. Im doing it with a compounding pharmacists help with tapering schedule but still having withdrawal symptoms fr just going down by a fourth every 8-10 days. Heart palpitations but not as frequently since on lower dose now. I do notice when I take my 1/4 pill of Klonapine, Im agitated an n bad mood an palpitations every now an then. Why?? Does it do that to everyone? I guess I can't anything without some kind of bad effects. Maybe I don't need anything! I just dont know till Klonapine out of my system an see if I do need something. Just frustrated! Thankyou again!

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Actually, those can be normal side effects of Klonopin/Clonazepam. Though it is supposed to help with anxiety and nervous disorders, just like most other drugs, it can actually cause such problems in some people that take it.

For you, it could be a combination of tapering and the side effects, so things are compounded.

Please be careful and stick to your tapering schedule, because suddenly stopping it can create the risk of seizures.

How are you feeling, today?

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Today was not the best day. It was our daughters bday that passed away in 2000. I had anxiety today more than usual. Some palpitations. Im down to 1/4 of .5mg pill 3 x a day till Tues the 28th then go down to 1/4 of a pill 2x aday for 8-10 days. So not even taking a whole .5mg pill. Thats how slow you have to taper off benzodiazepines! Caffeine adds to the palpitations Iv learned. An dehydration. One day at a time.

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The closest antidepressant to tramadol is effexor, but effexor is also very addictive. Effexor is a SSRI so anyone reading this do not take this drug while still taking tramadol!

Before trying this though you could try Saint Johns Wort (natural supplement). You can buy over the counter (though check with your doctor first) It too effects your serotonin levels so mixing with other medications that do as well could be harmful.

I just recently am coming off Tramadol for a second time *sigh* Chronic pain makes you do stupid things. I bought saint johns wort after quitting Tramadol cold turkey the second time and it really helped take the anxiety and depression away.

I did read somewhere that it could take up to a year for your serotonin levels to even out after taking Tramadol... I don't really know the truth in that statement though

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They have me on DULOXETINE HCLV60 MG CAPSULES. ONE MORNING AND ONE IN EVENING. REALLY HELPS ME A LOT. I'VE BEEN ON ZOLOFT AND I DIDN'T LIKE IT AT ALL.

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I'm very sorry Zio and I hope things continue to get better for you, though nothing will heal the hurt of your loss.

Can you post back and keep me updated? Thanks!

And thanks to Survivor and Marie for posting with their advice, as well.


Are there any other questions or concerns?

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Well still at 1/4 pill in am an pm of .5mg Clonazepam. I tried dropping it but bad withdrawals. Felt like anvil on my chedt, couldn't breath, palpitations. Bad mood. So went back to 1/4 twice daily. Will try to drop 1/4 on Sun. Thanks for replies!

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Please be very careful and keep us updated! Thanks!

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I love tramadol I take 2 times a day I am a survivor of abuse I wont get into it I could not get rid of the depression, I went to the dentist and I had an abcess tooth I got antibiotics and tramadol, after a week my dark cloud dissapeared it is not something that I would wish on anyone,and now I foundni have other physical conditions that I have been in pain for years it's great to feel happy and not crying every day

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So sorry for your trouble. Getting off the tramadol is more than half the battle. My doctor pitched to to me as very safe but after a month I was hooked. I abused the hell out of it. Somehow in a moment of clarity I quit cold turkey. Not the smartest way to do it. My doctor have me xanax which helped but my first week was a living hell. It took me about 5 or 6 weeks to feel normal again. I don't have any suggestions for you but I just wanted to tell you if you're off the tramadol......that's a major step in the right direction and you should be proud of that. Hang in there! You're not alone. I know exactly how it feels to come off it. Physically and mentally.

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I was given Tramadol years ago after being told that it was not addictive and was safe which has turned out to be completely 180 degrees opposite of that statement. In the beginning this medication made me feel great. I lost my depression along with my pain and was overall in a great mood and in a great place until about a year in when I had to keep increasing my dose to a point that I was taking over 50 pills a day. I have taken Vicodin, Oxycontin, Xanax, Klonopin, etc and out of all of those medications the one I struggled to stop using was Tramadol. Tramadol is a very strong medication that is highly addictive and I wish that more doctors would understand just how strong Tramadol really is.

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I have been put on Wellbutrin. 100mg to start. But trying to get the nerve to take one. I'm desperate for help with depression from Chronic Fatique. None of other antidepressants have helped at all. Took Tramadol for 8 days and felt mentally better than I have in years. I'm hoping Wellbutrin helps. They are doing research on CFS thinking may be connected with Dopamine.

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Hi Maggie, I hope the Wellbutrin works for you, but I have my doubts considering Tramadol worked well for you. I think you should try a SNRI like effexor. But regardless, I would highly recommend the book Better Living Through Neurochemistry by James Lee. It's excellent and breaks things down very well and also very simply. Best wishes for good health to you.

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Cool beans, I take 1 200 mgs extended release tramadol a day and it helps with my foot pain and anxiety. I use to take 80-120 mg of hydrocodone a day and it just quit working so I tried tramadol and I was surprised how well it works.

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Re: Verwon (# 1)

I have been taking Tramadol for over 40 yrs and at the most I was taking 300mg at one time per day. Due to my Fibro & chronic Fatigue it was the only way I could function and get out of bed. Then the FDA reclassified it as a narcotic several yrs ago and my doctor at that time would no longer prescribe it for me. I had no issues using it and was then treated like a drug addict. Finally found a dr that would continue to prescribe the tramadol but had me cut down the qty that I was taking. I now take only 100mg per day and have tried cutting down from there but when I take less, then I don’t have the energy to get out of bed. I am now 73 and am terrified that if my current dr retires I will be back to not being able to get a monthly prescription filled. Not only that but because it is a narcotic I have to see the dr every 3 months and he no longer takes insurance so the visits are all out of pocket

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I feel for you. Any addiction is bad but tramadol? For real? Was it the antidepressants in it? I read ingredients and never saw an antidepressant in it.

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Re: Verwon (# 1)

I had wonderful results with prozac. I couldn't tolerate any other antidepressant other than that one.

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I have been taking Cymbalta for depression for years and it has also been clinically proven to reduce pain. Best wishes!

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This is a question for a psychiatrist.

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