Go on I'm curious. I mean people smoke weed and get real exited and can sleep for weeks.
this post was submitted on 03 Oct 2025
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Yes, so, since you are an expert. Why do tramadol and marihuana seem to help for my cPTSD (sometimes even days after taking it one time), while benzodiazepines do not help? I need to explain it to my physician.
Ok so the chemical bit is slightly exaggerated because i couldn’t fit in “the various ways they interact with the body and conscious mind” and i was really struggling on how to word it.
Also: I AM NOT A DOCTOR; THIS IS NOT MEDICAL ADVICE!!!
But i do have some understanding of this:
First Benzos enhance GABA activity it does two things. Sedate you and suppress anxiety. This is helpful in trying to aid with acute systems but its not proactively helping your brain heal.
The effects of cannabis on ptsd are well known, the endocannabinoid system is crucial in how memories get stored, what it can also do is update parts of those memories when you recall them. When your body recalls memories of fear but you know that you are actually safe there is a chance your memory adapts to learn that it did not need to be emotionally triggered.
What the extra cannabinoids can also do in the system is break your chain of thought, for example a spiral of negative memories.
People with ptsd have lower base levels of natural endocannabinoids also.
Now for Tramadol, you have the immediate opioid effect but more importantly it also inhibits reuptake of serotonin and norepinephrine (SNRI) This strengthens the ability of the prefrontal cortex to manage the overactive amygdala, part of your high alert state.
This chemical rebalancing can work therapeutically on these systems longer term as they relearn to function properly, which is likely why you notice positive effects days later.
The main reason your doctor may be hesitant about tramadol is its addiction risk (on top of cannabis dependence risk). But there are other SNRIs like venlafaxine or duloxetine that work through the same mechanism without the opioid component and are actually common treatments for PTSD.
I hope this helps in some way. Good luck!
That really helps! I have less experience with cannabis, but the times I used it, I felt so much better for like a week. And then it was like a switch got turned on again and it was like before.
I know that there is an addiction risk for tramadol. However, I have been using it for months once every two weeks and never more often than that. Also, I need to be in a somewhat calm state before I use it to make sure that I do not use it to manage overwhelming feelings and teach myself I cannot do it myself. I hope this helps to reduce my chances of getting addicted to it.
What you are saying makes a lot of sense. It makes me feel safe, which is almost impossible for me. I was hoping that this gives my brain the opportunity to get used to that feeling and create it itself. I was traumatised at a very early age, so I think that feeling safe is something my brain still needs to learn. I think this is almost exactly what you are describing what happens from a chemical point of view. That really helps me! I hope it helps me to explain it to the physician as well.
The physician tries to subscribe me benzodiazepines (which are also addictive). But they make me feel like I am in a chemical straight jacket and afterwards I feel even more hyperalert and irritated. I have tried venlafaxine, citalopram and mirtazapine and I seem to be immune or something. Just nothing happens even after taking it for a longer time or in higher doses. I do not know why.
In any case, this really helps me! Even if the physician does not listen, it helps me to understand better. Thank you so much!
Benzene cores do weird things to our brain. We just have to tweak the outer molecules and compounds to experience different effects.