"my primary gave me a prescription for tramadol after an er visit from a sports injury. er gave me a narcotic which caused stomach pain and very depressed feeling the next day. i am very active physically everyday 5k, 18 holes of golf, swimming on a consistent basis, not all in one day .i must say tramadol is great because it does not slow me down. i take it in afternoon and it keeps me pain free all night. if i stop it, very mild side effects a little like flu symptoms that do not last more than a day. warning do not take an ssri with other depression meds or benzodiazepines because it can cause heart problems and cause an acute crisis of heart failure."