Tramadol Success

I mostly read stories of people having problems about drugs. Side effects, unavailability, cost, etc. I have chronic pain from longstanding injuries in Vietnam that create more pain as I am in my 70th year. I have taken most anti inflammatory meds, opioids, electrical stimulation, etc. over the last 5 decades. Tramadol is the only medicine that relieves enough pain while allowing me to function during the day. I have taken Tramadol exclusively for at least 5 years. The best benefit, aside from pain relief, is non-escalating doses. I began taking 50 mg 3 times a day. Today I take 100 mg 3 times a day, which has been my dose for the last 2 years. Previous drugs, with oxycodone or hydrocodone inevitably required higher daily intake resulting in decreased effectiveness and constipation, irritability etc. I am retired and am unwilling to jump through hoops to beg for a modest amount of painkiller. At least one aspect of my golden years feels secure. Am I addicted? Of course. After 5 years it is a certainty. There are much worse things in life than being addicted to a drug that relieves pain and allows a normal daily function. Such as, not having access to such a drug, or not affording it. Or, relying on doctors who believe it is better for me to live in pain than become addicted to an effective means of pain control. You will learn, if you live long enough, that control of life as a senior citizen is crucial. I won't be around much longer and I demand to control the quality of my life where possible and where doing so doesn't harm others.

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Hello, Stan! How are you? I am very glad that you've found a medication that works so well for you.

We are all different, so it isn't effective for everyone, but it is great for those that it works well for to alleviate their pain.

As to being addicted, no that would not describe your use of it. According to the FDA addiction occurs when someone likes how something makes them feel, but since such side effects are only temporary and eventually go away, they have to keep taking more and more of it to get those feelings back. If they run out and stop taking it suddenly, they can experience severe, life-threatening withdrawal symptoms.

Thus, your issue is actually just considered dependence. Dependence can occur with anything that we ingest on a regular basis, including someone's morning coffee. If they suddenly stop, they may experience mild withdrawal symptoms but not usually anything severe.

Basically, if you're not abusing it, you're not considered an actual addict.

Is there anything else I can help with?

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Thanks for the thorough reply. I appreciate your assessment of my situation. I had very different experiences with more powerful opioids so Tramadol has been a continuing revelation for me.

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