I have been taking Tramadol for about 4 years now. I have been using it as an 'anti-everything', and it works great (your mileage may vary). Tramadol effectively stopped my craving for cocaine (the initial goal), but it works equally well for alchohol. Generally speaking, it also alleviates anxiety and depression. A small dosage (25-50mg at noon, 25-50mg at 3pm) provides a pleasant feeling of well being which lasts until about 11pm, at which time I sleep soundly and wake up feeling fine.
Tramadol does not reward me for taking 'more'. When I started taking it, there was not much info available, so I experimented with dosage. Higher dosage just lead to dehydration and constipation. Definitely NOT recommended. In order to prevent a moderate tolerance, I find it helpful to stop (or lower dosage) every few weeks. Stopping is easy, I just do it gradually. I do not take more than (3)50mg tablets/daily for any amount of time. I'm not aware of enough long-term user experieces to prove this will not kick my ass 10 or 20 years later, so I'm taking it really easy on the dosage.
