DOSE:

200 mg

oral

Pharms - Tramadol

(pill / tablet)

BODY WEIGHT:

205 lb

I first encountered Tramadol while trying to find some Vicodin online for less than $300 (thanks Dubya). Tramadol kept popping up in the searches, so after some research, I decided to give it a go.

I’m quite glad I did.

I weigh 205 lbs and usually take 200 mg. I tend to feel the warm, giddy sensation around half an hour, depending on how much I’ve eaten recently. From there, it’s a steady climb for another hour to hit the peak, which lasts a wondrously long time -- eight hours or more. I’m really not sure when I come down, since I’m usually asleep by then.

Positives:

Tramadol produces a very noticeable opiate effect -- warmth throughout the body and mind, increased desire and ability to socialize (I’m rather anti-social, and after I pop some of these babies I am downright garrulous), a tendency toward calmness (great for school exams!), and an overall sense of well-being. The title of this report reflects how I feel when I take these pills -- everything feels smooth and delicious, like letting a square of Godiva chocolate slowly melt on your tongue. Books become more fun to read, movies more interesting to watch, and even if I found myself stuffed in a tomb with my in-laws, I’d probably have the conversation of my life.

Drifting off to sleep on Tramadol is likewise enjoyable. If I’ve ingested recently, it may take hours before I can fall asleep, but during that time my mind is rife with fantasy -- sexual and otherwise. (But mostly sex. Come on. What do YOU think about before you fall asleep? Hmm?) These are very vivid imaginings, quite lucid and detailed, oftentimes to the point that opening my eyes will not immediately dispel them. I find this fun as hell. Dreams are predictably vibrant.

I’d like to reiterate Tramadol’s duration, if only in comparison to other opiates. Tramadol routinely lasts eight hours or more -- lortab and percoset rarely stretch past three hours, in my experience. And there’s no short, sudden peak, like vicodin or darvocet. Tramadol comes on slow and stays strong.

Perhaps its greatest boon is its availability. You can still buy it online for relatively cheap (my girlfriend and I usually split a bottle of 120 pills for $90), and you don’t need to meet with one of those traveling physicians (has anyone actually done that?).

Negatives:

I don’t know why this is, but Tramadol does make me more irritable than other opiates. Even a mild distraction can make me clench up, and I find myself shorter of patience with situations that normally wouldn’t faze me. Case in point: my favorite spot to take these pills is the local Barnes and Noble, where I can sip hot chocolate and read while they take effect. One night there was a group of old ladies nearby, engaged in a rather shrill argument concerning the merits of planting flowers in late February versus early March. This is a café; people chat. I’m usually cool with that. But this time I couldn’t let it go, and I rather flamboyantly gathered my things and moved a few tables away. That’s not something I would have done sober (as far as Tramadol un-sobers you, I suppose). Like most mood drugs, I’d recommend taking every precaution to ensure a pleasant set and setting before ingesting.

This stuff does odd things to your CNS. While sleeping, I’ve bitten my tongue more than a few times -- nothing serious, but enough to be annoying. I don’t know how to get around this one. Sleep with a mouthpiece, maybe? Kidding.

Unfortunately, I also had constipation problems with this drug, which pisses me off, as it doesn’t seem to affect many others that way. At first, I wasn’t able to move my bowels for two days or more after taking two 200 mg doses (one on Friday night, one on Saturday night). This was cured by a nightly dose of Senna and Docusate, two herbs (I think they’re herbs) easily and inexpensively available online or in most grocery stores. I don’t know the dosage, but I take one senna pill and two docusates before going to bed -- usually around five hours after ingesting the Tramadol. They are gentle and effective. Oh, and remember to drink lots of water, regardless of what substances you’re putting in your body. It’s good for ya.

Do avoid alcohol if at all possible. I don’t know how trumped up the “Alcohol and pills will slay your liver!” messages are, but it seems to me a needless risk. You’re already floating high up there; why get greedy?

Driving my car is a bit different than normal, but nothing a sensible person can’t handle, methinks.

Conclusion:

A very fun drug, and one I’d recommend for periodic usage. These things are said to be habit forming, like all opiates, so if you know you have an addictive personality, exercise restraint. Otherwise, be safe and have fun.

-Alastair

Exp Year: 2004	ExpID: 37103
Gender: Male
Age at time of experience: Not Given
Published: May 23, 2007	Views: 27,959
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Pharms - Tramadol (149) : Retrospective / Summary (11), Not Applicable (38)