Not trying to start a fight about Tramadol and I know intentions are good here, just need to emphasize how bad of a medical decision it would be for anyone to try using Tramadol to help with an opiate addiction. To clear something up, it's common advice to hear - but it comes from when Tramadol was first marketed as a non-addicting alternative to opiates. Just like with heroin, they were wrong about it and how it works. Consider it an opiate just like any other, synthetic or not. Tramadol has only recently been forced to start placing addiction/dependence warnings in the drug information.
But bottom line is,
Tramadol is every bit as addicting as any opiate out there because it *is* a synthetic opiate despite older marketing claims. In addition, withdrawal from Tramadol is often psychologically harder than most other opiates. And if you've ever been through withdrawal you'll know how hellish opiate addiction/dependence already is. You don't throw gasoline on a kerosene fire to put it out, and you don't take Tramadol to help with opiate withdrawal.