Opiates (Painkillers) effects on performance and recovery

lol lol lol lol wrote:

GoldenMiles wrote:

Interesting. Why Tramadol and not more traditional opiates (hydrocodone, oxycodone, morphine, etc.)? I'm guessing they abuse it to stop the pain of hard athletic efforts?

If other opioids are banned and tramadol is not, that would be one reason--I'd google to see if this is the case.

Tramadol is also not merely an opioid; it is an extremely weird drug which functions as

1) A very weak opioid

2) A prodrug which is converted in the liver into a much stronger opioid

3) An SNRI, a la Venlafaxine (Effexor)

4) A serotonin-releasing agent, a la MDMA (Ecstasy)

There are other effects as well...

The effect on norepinephrine makes tramadol much more stimulating than pure opioids, this is advantageous to endurance athletes.

One thing I will say to those looking to abuse Tramadol (I've done it a few times when I had a low opiate tolerance, and it does give a nice, relaxing high), I've heard many say that it has worse withdrawals than comparable opiates in strength (hydrocodone, codeine, etc.), because, as mentioned by lol lol lol, it is both an opioid (not sure if it's technically an opiate) and an anti-depressant (an SNRI, as listed above). You will get both opiate withdrawals and anti-depressant withdrawals upon stopping taking it.

Not sure about this part, but if it is heavily drawing upon your serotonin, you might feel an awful crash similar to if you do too much Ecstasy, which leaves your brain and emotions feeling sapped (never did too much MDMA myself, since it never made me feel that good, surprisingly).

It makes sense if athletes would take it if it isn't banned or doesn't show up on drug tests. For instance, Suboxone doesn't show up on most drug tests I've taken as an opiate, since it's structurally close but still dissimilar to something like heroin/morphine, oxy/hydrocodone, codeine, or hydromorphone (Dilaudid).

Opiate abuse and addiction can be very dangerous for anyone, especially athletes who are pushing their bodies to the limits. Opiate dependency is built up over time and then the person begins to feel withdrawal symptoms. The dependency then start to change the brain chemistry creating unhealthy behaviors and thoughts, which slowly lead to a destructive pattern in work, school, relationships, and most areas of life. Opiate detox fortunately does not pose any risks of seizures like alcohol, but what the biggest threat that occurs is when a user stops using, withdrawals, and then goes back to using the amount when they stopped. This is extremely dangerous and is notorious for overdose and death because the person's tolerance had dropped off completely and then they went back to use a super high amount, which leads to overdose. Ultimately, anyone who is abusing opiates is on a slippery slope and should seek help to prevent it from becoming worse, which it typically does over time. I have been helping teens, adults, and families find help for their specific needs for the past 12 years and hope I can be a resource for anyone on this thread looking for help for themselves, friend, or family. Here is the info page for help on opiates https://thetreatmentspecialist.com/addiction/opiates/

ive raced my best half ever 1:11 PR...i was shooting for 1:17, after 6 days of 100mg tramadol prescribed for 10days (back pain).that sht works.