Drinking alcohol while taking Tramadol may increase your risk of certain tramadol side effects, such as:
Seizures
Unusual behavior
Memory problems
Drowsiness
Dizziness
Problems with coordination
Shallow or infrequent breathing
Passing out.
You may also be more sensitive to the effects of alcohol if you are taking tramadol. You may not be able to safely drink as much alcohol as you are used to drinking. According to the prescribing information for this medication, people who are intoxicated with alcohol should not take tramadol.
While people are advised to avoid alcohol while taking this drug, you should not stop taking tramadol or stop drinking alcohol abruptly. People who are withdrawing from alcohol ("detoxing") are at a higher risk of seizures due to tramadol. Also, stopping tramadol abruptly can lead to withdrawal symptoms (see Tramadol Withdrawal). Do not attempt to detox from either tramadol or alcohol (or both) by yourself, as these are complicated situations that require the skills and knowledge of a qualified healthcare provider.
Overall, don't combine the two, it is not good for a person's body...
As far as I can read, the thing that a person needs to be concerned about when combining alcohol and tramadol is that the % chance of negative effects go up. I would recommend doing a google search, an erowid experiences search, and also go to some reputable medical websites. Most reputable medical sites that discuss medications cover what types of interactions can take place between alcohol and a given prescription. Erowid is a source that some people have shared their experiences, and maybe you will find something on there of someone who had a difficult experience. Google is useful because if can help you find articles on what you are interested in learning about.
Overall, my rabbit wouldn't recommend anyone to mix tramadol and alcohol because alone they are both hard on the liver, so when combined the damage done probably would increase. Especially if the Tramadol is a version that includes acetaminophen, asprin, and other agents. Dosing daily with a version with any of those versions on a regular basis would potentially lead to other health problems too...
Clover tells me that he has mixed tramadol and alcohol before. The result wasn't necessarily bad, but he says that alcohol tends to make the tramadol less effective for him.
Pharmacologically it's never a good idea to mix alcohol with any drug. Alcohol combined with other drugs tends to increase the risk of liver and kidney damage. This is not something that is specific to tramadol, but it is specific to alcohol. Alcohol is a very 'dirty' drug pharmacologically speaking. Alcohol affects a wide array of different biochemical processes in the body, it permeates nearly all cellular compartments, and so it's toxic effects can damage cells throughout the body.
For most healthy people though it does take a lot to do permanent damage. Binge drinking is worse than chronic drinking and things like milk thistle and abstinence can allow the body to repair most damage done.
Sorry I don't have any specific information regarding the toxicity of tramadol and alcohol combined.
My pet ferret has tried mixing tramadol with almost everything, including alcohol. Her conclusion is that it's pretty pointless.
The alcohol dampens the euphoric SSRI kick from the tramadol. And the alcohol experience ( since it's a depressant ) seems even more sluggish when mixed with tramadol. In other words, they almost cancel each other out. Use alcohol...or use the tramadol alone.....but don't mix them. Stick with one or the other.
i am rx tramadol. i also drink, at night. this actually helps with the pain, which is why i started back drinking again
i often dont drink until very late..when there is no chance of needing to drive ( and i swear to Krishna, i NEVER drink and drive)
the alcohol makes me super tired, and i often go to sleep shortly after fixing the second drink, that i only sip a time or two
so the alcohol will be very powerful, as above poster said, and the uncoordinated type side effects of alcohol are more pronounced
hope this helps
