Don't be sorry birdgirl, I love your sidetracks, any opportunity to learn more is welcome and any opportunity to help each other out is welcome.


I can tell you the following about Tramadol just form my off-hand knowledge:


- acts a CNS stimulant and adrenergic supressant.

- Works by binding to MU1 opiod receptors, the same as morphine. It has a low binding affinity though, so it's strength is only about 10% that of actual morphine. Though personally, I had a small dose of morphine once and found it to be barely stronger really.

- It's a synthetic opiate, has the lowest addiction potential of all the opiates, and the lowest constipation potential. unfortuantely for me, it still constipates pretty bad, but just eating a few appricots a day has cured that 100%. I've been on it since last summer and I'm still not addicted, as I take 2-3 days off a week. Even after taking it for 4 months every single day, I haven't become hooked. But it seems I don't get hooked on anything, not even tobacco which I've been smoking 5x a week for 8 months (stopped now), and not even coffee which I drink every morning since I was 14. lol, ok I'm getting sidetracked.

- It's sometimes prescribed off-label to treat depression, but that's only because it binds to mu receptors.

- It was invented by a german chemist sometime in the 80's.

- Personally, it makes small irritations seem like HUGE irritations, but that seems uncharacteristic of most users. Otherwise makes me happy and relaxed.

- I find slow release is much too slow, it takes about 2 days. even regular release lasts about 18 hours, but because it's so slow it's also incredibly weak. So the only way I get any real analgesia is to chew the tablets to get instant release, in which case it lasts 6 hours.