"i&#039;m 32 yrs old and have been taking 50 mg of tramadol hcl for pain associated with thoracic outlet syndrome on and off for about a year now. although it does lessen the pain, i&#039;ve noticed that my brain is much more even keel after i&#039;ve taken it. i have tried other anti-depressants and xanax, but i don&#039;t like them because they make me feel like a zombie. this doesn&#039;t do that. it just clears away the anxiety fuzz, stops the attacks, and makes it so that i can actually function like a somewhat normal human again. i thought it was just me, but after seeing all of this, i know it&#039;s not. i&#039;m going to have to talk to my doctor about it. i can&#039;t remember the last time i felt this normal. and there are no withdrawal effects for a missed day."