DR gave me Tramadol last year for a shoulder injury, didnt rate it as an analgesic but as a legal way to feel stoned/high it was quite pleasant.
I found taking 2 tablets in the morning on an empty stomach would put me in a very ‘relaxed’ mood until about mid afternoon….couldnt really see any drawbacks provided things dont get silly, never took more than 4 a day….the one time i tried this it dropped my blood pressure too low and i came over faint and clammy for a while.
Didnt suffer with constipation like Codeine gives me, never felt nauseous like some opiates can make people….truth be told i was probably less of a grouch during the 3-4 months i took them!
As the OP said, cold turkey isnt pleasant….they are an opiate (synthetic) but an opiate nonetheless and i had a few days afterwards with headaches and cold/flu symptoms….withdrawal basically, nice.