Tramadol for Depression?

[RoboFlop]

Hello,

I suffer from severe bouts of depression, with suicidal tendencies and serious self harm. I currently take 50mg Tramadol in the UK for my depression and it works extremely well. No thoughts of suicide or self harming.

Unfortunately, I am down to my last 15 tablets, so just over two weeks worth and now I am really getting worried about the next step.

Is anyone in the UK prescribed Tramadol for depression or will UK GPs only prescribe it for pain?

Thanks in advance.

[Hidden]

hi roboflop,thats a new one for me,ahd as you say it works,im on sertraline 100mg for ocd

but 2 weeks ago I tried to comit suaside,so the sertraline did not help then.so if tramidol

helped you with suasideal thoughts and sertraline did not help me.ill have to go back and

sort my own medication out.yust goes to show how talking to others can really help by peek

[RoboFlop in reply to Hidden]

Hello Peekanese,

Thanks for your reply. I already tried sertraline and it didn't work for me either, just made me ill and still feeling rock bottom. I was prescribed sertraline in the UK. Seems to be a common go to drug for depression and anxiety to which i suffer.

I found out about the Ultram (tramadol) from a specialist in U.S who i was seeing for my depression and he was studying Ultram as a treatment for depression. At first, I felt very weird, sick and very forgetful, but these soon subsided and it kept me well balanced and improved my mood considerably. Also, it gives me a great quality of life.

I moved to South America and could buy Tramadol OTC. But here in the UK it is controlled.

I was hoping to find out if tramadol has ever been prescribed for depression in UK to anyone here.

[Hidden in reply to RoboFlop]

hi robo flop,i looked up tramadol,in England anyway has got bad vibes death warnungs

asswell.says it is for short term pain relief only,so ill be giving it a miss.im like you about

bad self harm thoughts.i have every thing,gorgous house,gardens.but lonely ,lifes like

that I suppose,you are given the keys but don't know how to open the door if you know

what I meen,roboflop,by peek

[RoboFlop in reply to Hidden]

Yes, Tramadol can increase suicidal thoughts in some people, but then so do many other antidepressants. I tried many SSRIs, SNRIs and TCAs for my issues - many of them made the problem much worse. Its just finding the right drug for the individual, body chemistry varies and reactions can be different from person to person.

Ultram is the only medication that has improved my mood enough to get me out of the danger zone. I think it can be dangerous in high doses for pain. Anything over 300mg has potential for seizures which is a well known risk.

However, for depression I only need 50mg a day to combat my despair, with no other negative effects. Sometimes, during calmer periods i can get away with 50mg every two days.

Anyway, I hope you find something that works for you. Roboflop.

[Lemur137 in reply to RoboFlop]

Hi RoboFlop, I know what you mean about Tramadol helping with depression, I was prescribed it for chronic pain but found it also raised my mood and made me more optimistic and more able to talk to people.

However the danger is that to continue receiving this effect you may have to increase the dose over time; and it is very addictive.

I’ve personally not heard of Tramdol prescribed for depression in the UK but that’s not to say it’s not possible. Maybe a private doctor would be prepared to do so if your GP or NHS consultant wasn’t.

But as I say, the risk is that to continue receiving the antidepressant benefits (as is the same with the painkilling benefits), over a period of time it may become necessary to increase the dosage. Also, the higher the dosage, the greater the risks of seizures (having said that I’ve never had one).

[jjyankee]

Old post but still wanted to respond in case others find their way here. I have fought depression for the last 40 years. I've tried most of the antidepressants and mood stabilizers- nothing worked or they just made me feel flat and lifeless. Long story short, I was prescribed tramadol for severe restless leg syndrome (works great for that too) and low and behold my depression is gone! Seriously, it is nothing short of a miracle. I only need to take 50mg a day which I divide into 2 doses ( it's been about 3 months now). After much research I learned that Tramadol does indeed have the many of the same qualities as an SNRI antidepressant ( but those didn't work for me either). So, I'm just hoping this continues long term at this small dose. Also has helped with anxiety and problem with obsessive thoughts. I honestly believe this drug will be used for depression in the future as I've read about countless people with treatment resistant depression who have finally found relief with this drug.