I was told by my [then] doctor that Tramadol is NOT an opioid; that it was created to use in PLACE of opioids. A few years later, it was added to the list of controlled substances. Personally, I feel it is just another way of controlling what we can have. As we all know, we cannot get real pain prescriptions any more. I've probably said enough. Mine was prescribed for severe back pain, but does not help with real pain at all, but I discovered that it did relieve my fibromyalgia aches! So, I take it just for that. When I did not take it for a while, there were no symptoms of withdrawal at all.