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SCARED need help to kick Tramadol addiction

I've been on Tramadol's for about one year now, maybe longer.  I started out fine and usually took less than prescribed.  This summer I worked landscaping job and could work all day if I took more trams.  It seems the trams help me do other things too, like house cleaning and studying.  I know I am actually lesss productive and only function in energy spirts when I'm taking a lot of the pills.  I'm missing appointments now and the expense is really bad too.  I average 20 trams a day.  However, it's not a steady 20 pills every day.  One day I might take as many as 50 and another day when my supply is really low I'll only have 5 available.

I want to do the taper but know I don't need to start at 20.  I could get by with 8 per day without having withdrawals.  One big problem is I only have 40 pills for the next 5 days.  I know I'm going to be extremely tired and unmotivated.

First off, please scare the bergeberz out of me and tell me which organs I'm screwing up?
2nd give me advice on tapering.
The part I hate the most is the leg cramps, I have muscle relaxers for that.
If I taper down how long does it take and if I do it right will I still have to go through painful w/d symptoms.

Please tell me I'm really robbing myself of true energy, and that once I'm off of these I'll regain my natural energy and love for life.

I read tramadol also is a serotonin something or other and you withdraw from that as well.  I'm on zoloft which is an SSRI.

I hope you take me seriously, I'm very addicted, very scared and fear I'll be a real wreck.   Please tell me how long this will take?  

Is the withdrawal worse the longr you've taken the drug?  Would kicking it at 6 months be almost the same as kicking it at one year?

Sorry so many questions, I've needed someone to talk to for sooo long and have no where to go.
Thank you for any advice you can give me.   Trammy717
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Avatar universal
YES....I had seizures from taking too many....several times.  And the zoloft adds to the possibility of seizure.  You are loading your body with too much of the same thing.  The body jerks is a form of seizure, probably.  I had grand mal ones.  Please be careful and talk to someone, even if you have to go to another doc for help.  This can be very dangerous.  I am not trying to scare you, but you DO need to be cautious and stop taking so many at a time very soon.  I had a seizure while driving and I shattered my arm and had a rod put in it.  This is very serious!
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Avatar universal
My average is 14-20, but I do fine on 10 when I slow down.  I've never taken a consistent amount on a regular basis.  My problem is more of a binging type.  I know I'm an addict there's no denying that.  When I say average it doesn't mean I take 14-20 per day on an every day basis.  It means I get between 420-600 pills in a one month period.  Sometimes I binge and stay up all night, doing a writing assignment or cleaning the house.  Since I have taken much more than the 20 a day at times, I I've had to go down to even 5 or 3 a day before the next script came in and I did not go into withdrawals.

As for jumping off the zoloft, that seems scary.  I didn't have my zoloft for 5 days one time and I got really angry and flipped out crying and stuff.  I definately have the depression gene, if not bipolar disorder.

I take 100 mgs. of zoloft.   If I were going to have serotonine reaction shouldn't it of happened when I took so many on a partticular day.

I am more scared than I was before.
Do people get seizures from taking too many or reducing their amounts rather drastically?
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Avatar universal
Yes...everything avis said.  Please don't take Tramadol and Zoloft together.  That is very dangerous!  I am almost a week off of them right now.  It has been a rough week, but it's doable.  Please talk to your doc for help.  It will be easier and safer!
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199177 tn?1490498534
Going for twenty to 8 a day is going to be very rough its very dangerous.  The amout of tram  WITH zolft it can cause sezuires and serationion sysdrome .I would go to your doc  come clean get some help with a taper if you have been taking twenty a day i would start at about 14 for a week and cut a pill out a week when you get really low like under 5 a day  then restart the zoloft at a low does until you are all the way off the tram then takeing your normal dosage will probably help  cuz you serationion level is going to plummet... Do you know what seration sysndrome is?


Tests & diagnosis
Prognosis
Prevention
Complications
When to contact a doctor

U.S. National Library of Medicine
Find this content and more from trusted sources.

Overview
Serotonin syndrome is a potentialyl life-threatening drug reaction that causes the body to have too much serotonin, a chemical produced by nerve cells.

Symptoms
Symptoms occur within minutes to hours, and may include:

Agitation or restlessness
Diarrhea
Fast heart beat
Hallucinations
Increased body temperature
Loss of coordination
Nausea
Overactive reflexes
Rapid changes in blood pressure
Vomiting
Treatment
Patients with serotonin syndrome should stay in the hospital for at least 24 hours for close observation.

Treatment may include:

Benzodiazepines such as diazepam (Valium) or lorazepam (Ativan) to decrease agitation, seizure-like movements, and muscle stiffness
Cyproheptadine (Periactin), a drug that blocks serotonin production
Fluids by IV
Withdrawal of medicines that caused the syndrome
In life-threatening cases, medicines that keep your muscles still (paralyze them) and a temporary breathing tube and breathing machine will be needed to prevent further muscle damage.

Causes
Serotonin syndrome most often occurs when two drugs that affect the body's level of serotonin are taken together at the same time. The drugs cause too much serotonin to be released or to remain in the brain area.

For example, you can develop this syndrome if you take migraine medicines called triptans together with antidepressants called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and selective serotonin/norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SSNRIs). Popular SSRI's include Celexa, Zoloft, Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil, and Lexapro. SNRI's include Cymbalta and Effexor. Brand names of triptans include Imitrex, Zomig, Frova, Maxalt, Axert, Amerge, and Relpax.

The FDA recently asked the manufacturers of these types of drugs to include warning labels on their products that tell you about the potential risk of serotonin syndrome. Talk to your doctor before stopping any medication.

Serotonin syndrome is more likely to occur when you first start or increase the medicine.

Older antidepressants called monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) can also cause serotonin syndrome with the medicines describe above, as well as meperidine (Demerol, a painkiller) or dextromethorphan (cough medicine).

Drugs of abuse, such as ecstasy and LSD have also been associated with serotonin syndrome.

Tests & diagnosis
The diagnosis is usually made by asking questions about your medical history, including the types of drugs you take.

To be diagnosed with serotonin syndrome, you must have been taking a drug that changes the body's serotonin levels (serotonergic drug) and have at least three of the following signs or symptoms:

Agitation
Diarrhea
Heavy sweating not due to activity
Fever
Mental status changes such as confusion or hypomania
Muscle spasms (myoclonus)
Overactive reflexes (hyperreflexia)
Shivering
Tremor
Uncoordinated movements (ataxia)
Serotonin syndrome is not diagnosed until all other possible causes have been ruled out, including infections, intoxications, metabolic and hormone problems, and drug withdrawal. Some symptoms of serotonin syndrome can mimic those due to an overdose of cocaine, lithium, or an MAOI.

If you have just start taking or increased the dosage of a tranquilizer (neuroleptic drug), other conditions such as neuroleptic malignant syndrome will be considered.

Tests may include:

Blood cultures (to check for infection)
Complete blood count (CBC)
Drug (toxicology) screen
Electrolyte levels
Electrocardiogram (ECG)
Kidney and liver function tests
Thyroid function tests
Prognosis
Patients may get slowly worse and can become severely ill if not quickly treated. Untreated serotonin syndrome can be deadly. However, with treatment, symptoms can usually go away in less than 24 hours.

Prevention
Always tell all of your healthcare providers what medicines you take. Patients who take triptans with SSRIs or SNRIs should be closely followed, especially right after starting a medicine or increasing its dosage.

Complications
Uncontrolled muscle spasms can cause severe muscle breakdown. The products produced when the muscles break down are released into your blood and eventually go through the kidneys. This can cause severe kidney damage if not recognized and treated appropriately. With appropriate treatment, the condition is reversible.

When to contact a doctor
Call your health care provider right away if you have symptoms of serotonin syndrome.   News More »
Older patients with refractory depression may not be getting the treatment ...
Healthcanal.com - 3 weeks ago
... any emergency department or acute care admissions for serious adverse events associated with MAOI use—namely, serotonin syndrome or hypertensive crisis. ...
The Alternative Remedy Frenzy
Psychology Today (blog) - 1 week ago
This combination can lead to a condition known as “serotonin syndrome,” with symptoms of mania, hypomania, anxiety, agitation, rigidity and fever. ...
Google Scholar More »
The serotonin syndrome
H Sternbach - American Journal of Psychiatry, 1991 - ajp.psychiatryonline.org
The serotonin syndrome
EW Boyer,M Shannon - The New England journal of medicine, 2005 - nejm.highwire.org
The serotonin syndrome. Implicated drugs, pathophysiology and management.
K Sporer - Drug safety: an international journal of medical toxicology and drug experience, 1995 - www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
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