Tolerance to tramadol

Tolerance to tramadol occurs over the period of a few weeks, as doctors are advised only to increase tramadol doses every five days. More here on how tolerance to tramadol is different than dependence and/or tramadol addiction.

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Are you finding tramadol is no longer working for you?

Tramadol is meant to help treat ACUTE moderate to severe pain. However, tramadol is not meant to be taken over an extended amount of time. If you take tramadol for more than a few weeks, or so, you can develop a tolerance to tramadol.  So how addictive is tramadol?  (fairly addictive) and when does tolerance become a problem?

If you’re worried about your tramadol use, tramadol dependence time and fear becoming addicted, you’re in the right place. In this article, we look at tramadol tolerance and its relationship to physical dependence and tramadol addiction. We also talk about what you can do for your tolerance to tramadol. We invite you to please ask any questions you may have about tramadol at the end.

Tramadol tolerance symptoms

There are two main symptoms of tramadol tolerance.

1. You think you can no longer feel tramadol working .

2. You find that you need higher doses of tramadol in order to feel pain relief.

REMEMBER: If you experience these symptoms it DOES NOT mean that you’re addicted to tramadol. Tolerance to tramadol is merely a sign that your body has adapted to the presence of tramadol in the body system.

Developing tolerance to tramadol

For the most part, tolerance to tramadol means you need higher doses of tramadol more often in order to feel the effects of the pain treatment. Tolerance doesn’t affect the overall effects of tramadol nor how long it works. But how does tramadol tolerance relate to dependence and addiction? And who becomes tolerant of tramadol?

Everyone and every body is different. While many people may never develop a tolerance to Tramadol, others may develop tolerance quickly. It all depends on your personal body chemistry and how you are using tramadol. Many times, dependence and addiction can coexist with tolerance to tramadol. One may lead into the other. So as your body develops tolerance and you take more tramadol, your body can become dependent on the drug in order to function properly. Once your body has developed a dependence, this means you will experience withdrawal symptoms one you stop taking tramadol. And while physical dependence isn’t itself “drug addiction”, it can be the precursor to psychological dependence on tramadol – a major characteristic of addiction.

Tramadol tolerance: How long?

Every person is different. But, it is possible to develop tolerance to tramadol within a few weeks of taking tramadol regularly. In fact, it is common to that the body becomes resistant to the effects of tramadol over the course of a few weeks as doctors are advised only to increase doses very five days. Physical dependence can accompany tolerance just as quickly, making withdrawal symptoms more likely.

High tolerance to tramadol

Tramadol is prescribed at 100 mg daily. Doctors will increase dosage by 100 mg every five days to adjust for how the body can tolerate tramadol. However, you shouldn’t exceed 300 mg of tramadol a day. At this rate, 300 mg tramadol hydrochloride is considered a high tolerance. If analgesic relief does not occur at 300 mg tramadol, your doctor at this point may recommended you try another pain medication to help relieve your symptoms.

How to lower tolerance to tramadol

If tramadol is no longer working for you because of tolerance, you can adjust the body’s exposure to the drug with the help of your prescribing doctor. The most effective recommendation is that you stop taking tramadol altogether to give your body time to rewire and become used to not having tramadol in the system. However, tramadol withdrawal may occur with unpleasant symptoms. Tolerance still effects the brain and may develop into tramadol dependence. When this happens, it is important to work with your doctor to decrease your doses under medical supervision as to ease any potential withdrawal symptoms.  What are symptoms of tramadol withdrawal? Imagine a really, really bad flu.

Additionally, there is a possibility you may never regain the ability for tramadol to work to relieve pain. This medication may simply not work for you. Instead you may need to switch to another medication that would work with your particular body.

Building up tolerance to Tramadol questions

Do you have any more building up tolerance to tramadol questions?  Please leave them here.  We do our best to answer you personally and promptly.

Reference Sources: Daily Med: Tramadol Hydrochloride
Pub Med Health: Tramadol
National Library of Medicine: Physical dependence potential of daily Tramadol dosing in humans
About the author
Lee Weber is a published author, medical writer, and woman in long-term recovery from addiction. Her latest book, The Definitive Guide to Addiction Interventions is set to reach university bookstores in early 2019.
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