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TRAMADOL ADICTION
I HAVE BEEN ON TRAMADOL FOR ABOUT 12YRS. I WANT TO STOP TAKING THEM! CAN ANYONE PLEASE HELP WITH A GOOD STRUCTURED PLAN?
Hey Thorn- the reason we tell you to get medical help is because tramadol is not something you want to go CT from its very dangerous due to the anti-depressant component and the large number you are taking. The doctors tell you to taper because that is how you safely get off of them- I understand your frustration but they are telling you the truth and "doing it your way" may end up causing you to have seizures or possibly death. I think letting a doctor help you is much better than the risk of that right!???
We just want to help you which is why you came here right? If it were just a painkiller we could tell you to tough it out but with tramadol it's a little more complicated and you are taking quite a few..
Hang in there and please listen to the people above who have experience getting off of this drug they only want to help you...
We just want to help you which is why you came here right? If it were just a painkiller we could tell you to tough it out but with tramadol it's a little more complicated and you are taking quite a few..
Hang in there and please listen to the people above who have experience getting off of this drug they only want to help you...
Thank you! I am hanging in there! I must get anxiety times because all of a sudden I will just feel bad... anxious and sometimes break into sweats on my forehead. Last for about 10 minutes until I can think about someting else.
Did you take excedrin at the same time you did Aleve? I have about 4 things wrong with my back. Traveling is the worse..and my hubby and I do a fair bit of that. I'm doing PT also.
God bless you guys for writing. It helps! Take care. Judy
Did you take excedrin at the same time you did Aleve? I have about 4 things wrong with my back. Traveling is the worse..and my hubby and I do a fair bit of that. I'm doing PT also.
God bless you guys for writing. It helps! Take care. Judy
Hi judy,
I think what you're experiencing is rebound pain - I had that too for a while after I quit. The pain did get better with time and I'm able to manage it now with OTC pain meds (aleve and excedrin). So I think you can be hopeful that it will be the same for you too. Especially since you say you weren't taking as much as some of us, that will only work in your favor as you continue to move forward.
Good luck to you! And hang in there, I know how much this s**** right now I remember those days VERY well. You're doing great even though you're probably not feeling that entirely yet - your body needs some time to readjust itself and your natural pain receptors will get back in check with time and will be able to fight off some of this pain naturally for you. :)
I think what you're experiencing is rebound pain - I had that too for a while after I quit. The pain did get better with time and I'm able to manage it now with OTC pain meds (aleve and excedrin). So I think you can be hopeful that it will be the same for you too. Especially since you say you weren't taking as much as some of us, that will only work in your favor as you continue to move forward.
Good luck to you! And hang in there, I know how much this s**** right now I remember those days VERY well. You're doing great even though you're probably not feeling that entirely yet - your body needs some time to readjust itself and your natural pain receptors will get back in check with time and will be able to fight off some of this pain naturally for you. :)
I have been on here a couple of times. Just read your messages. I have been off the drug now for 7 days. I was only taking 200 mg time release but tapered off. I don't feel so good. I still am getting sweats...tummy feels yucky. BUT...my appetite is coming back! I am starting to get the headaches. How do I know this is all coming from getting off Tramadol? I was not on it as much like you guys. My back is hurting alot...that was the reason for getting on it to begin with! Did one of you say that the pains come back stronger for while? Pain is really bad. I am taking Alleve and Tylneol. They sure don't help much. The Tramadol made me feel really sick to my tummy all the time. Did help with the pain though. I really think about taking it again but don't want the sick tummy.
Thank you for all being there.
JN
Thank you for all being there.
JN
PLZ do not ct of 25 to 40 a day a beg you that is so dangerous and put you at a high risk of sezuires that why they want you to taper down ...we will totally be here for moral support .
This was also MY drug of chioce I have been of it 2 and a half years so you can do it .its hard but I will be here for support feel free to pm me if you need an ear
This was also MY drug of chioce I have been of it 2 and a half years so you can do it .its hard but I will be here for support feel free to pm me if you need an ear
IF I SEEK MEDICAL HELP THEY WILL JUST WANNA KEEP ME ON THEM THEN TAPER ME DOWN. I HAVE BEEN CONSUMING BETWEEN 25-40 ADAY. IF I HAVE THEM I WILL TAKE THEM AND OR FIND THEM. I GUESS TO SUM IT UP I GOTTA QUIT CT. I NEED MORAL SUPPORT MORE THE ANYTHING THAT IS WHY I AM HERE. I REFUSE TO STEP FOOT IN A DOCTORS OFFICE OR HOSPITAL. I AM ALL I HAVE LEFT. IF CANT GET THRU THIS ON MY OWN THEN I WILL NEVER GET THRU IT! IT HAS TO BE DONE. I WILL TAKE ANY ADVICE FROM ANYONE OTHER THAN ADVICE ADVISING ME TO SEEK MEDICAL HELP!
The best advice is to seek medical help. Even though some are able to quit cold turkey on Tramadol. You risk SEIZURES that can be Very serious. It is a small percentage of people, but do you want to bet that you're one that will be OK?
I wouldn't risk it.
I wouldn't risk it.
Tramadol was my DOC for over 6 years and quitting was the best decision I ever made. It is possible to live your life without this drug! Not sure if you are aware of this, but in addition to the synthetic opiate in this drug, there's also an anti-depressant in there as well. I was NEVER told this when it was prescribed to me and let me tell you - it REALLY ticked me off when I found this out (and not by my Dr. but from the research I did). Tramadol is a nasty and awful drug in my opinion.
I quit cold turkey almost 9 months ago. They say the best way to stop is to taper off although I didn't know that when I quit. So if at all possible, try to slowly wean yourself off by reducing the amount you take every week. This however requires a LOT of discipline and if it's possible to have someone you trust dole out your reduced does, that is the best way to go. So although it is possible to quit cold turkey, I understand tapering is probably the more comfortable way to do this. And it's probably just as well since I NEVER would have had the discipline to taper off - but that's just me.
But if you do decide the just quit, then I can tell you some of the things I did to help with the withdrawal symptoms. The first week to 10 days you will go through the physical side of withdrawal. This means night sweats, shaking, insomnia, headaches and an upset stomach. But showers help a LOT during this time - especially for the anxiety. And I would use epsom salts in the shower as a "scrub" to help draw the toxins out of my body - something to do with the magnesium in the salts helps this process. Bath's with epsom salts are better I'm just not a bath kind of person.
Also it's important to stay hydrated - that will help with the headaches, and the restless legs I experienced (RLS). Eating a banana before bedtime helped with my RLS a LOT (potassium in the bananas is why it helps with this). I drank a lot of juice (orange or apple) along with a b vitamin smoothie (blue goodness is really good) and gatorade for the electrolytes. And since my apetite was basically non-existent for that first week or so, stuff like soup, crackers (saltines - no salt added kind), hot tea (regular or sleepytime) and yogurt were easiest to keep down. After about a week or so eating became a little easier. And comfort foods are good to have at this point - stuff like roasted chicken, mashed potatoes, jello, think "hospital" food for a while (obviously it's better than that since you're the one making it!).
Other things that helped my mindset were keeping clean comfy clothes on hand for those night sweats so I would have something to change into and fresh linens on my bed since I spent the first few days not really moving around very much. And I also began taking the vitamins/supplements recommended by the thomas recipe (found on this page, lower left hand corner). I began a daily multi-vitamin, b12 sublingual vitamins for energy (morning and noon only), fish oil tablets 3 times a day (good for joint pain and depression), and I did start taking the st. john's wort as well to help ward off the depression which worked WONDERS for me as they say depression can also be a struggle after you quit. Just be sure if you do start the st. john's that there are no interactions with any other meds you may be taking - and do NOT start the st. john's until a few days after you quit the tramadol to avoid the risk of too much serotonin in your system.
And distractions are SO important right now too. Whether that means going for a walk if you feel up to it, or just watching a good movie or some TV, ANYTHING to help keep your mind off things will help. It does get SO much better with time although it's a good idea to keep your expectations kind of low for a while. Meaning don't expect to feel better right away - you didn't get addicted overnight and you won't get out of this overnight either. But it will happen, slowly, and you will feel SO much better with time.
Feel free to message me with any other questions you might have and I'd be happy to tell you what I did at different phases to help with my recovery. You are in the right place by coming here I can tell you that! This place was HUGE for my recovery - just knowing what I was going through, and what to expect and that there was HOPE made all the difference in the world. You CAN do this - and I'll be rooting for you! :)
I quit cold turkey almost 9 months ago. They say the best way to stop is to taper off although I didn't know that when I quit. So if at all possible, try to slowly wean yourself off by reducing the amount you take every week. This however requires a LOT of discipline and if it's possible to have someone you trust dole out your reduced does, that is the best way to go. So although it is possible to quit cold turkey, I understand tapering is probably the more comfortable way to do this. And it's probably just as well since I NEVER would have had the discipline to taper off - but that's just me.
But if you do decide the just quit, then I can tell you some of the things I did to help with the withdrawal symptoms. The first week to 10 days you will go through the physical side of withdrawal. This means night sweats, shaking, insomnia, headaches and an upset stomach. But showers help a LOT during this time - especially for the anxiety. And I would use epsom salts in the shower as a "scrub" to help draw the toxins out of my body - something to do with the magnesium in the salts helps this process. Bath's with epsom salts are better I'm just not a bath kind of person.
Also it's important to stay hydrated - that will help with the headaches, and the restless legs I experienced (RLS). Eating a banana before bedtime helped with my RLS a LOT (potassium in the bananas is why it helps with this). I drank a lot of juice (orange or apple) along with a b vitamin smoothie (blue goodness is really good) and gatorade for the electrolytes. And since my apetite was basically non-existent for that first week or so, stuff like soup, crackers (saltines - no salt added kind), hot tea (regular or sleepytime) and yogurt were easiest to keep down. After about a week or so eating became a little easier. And comfort foods are good to have at this point - stuff like roasted chicken, mashed potatoes, jello, think "hospital" food for a while (obviously it's better than that since you're the one making it!).
Other things that helped my mindset were keeping clean comfy clothes on hand for those night sweats so I would have something to change into and fresh linens on my bed since I spent the first few days not really moving around very much. And I also began taking the vitamins/supplements recommended by the thomas recipe (found on this page, lower left hand corner). I began a daily multi-vitamin, b12 sublingual vitamins for energy (morning and noon only), fish oil tablets 3 times a day (good for joint pain and depression), and I did start taking the st. john's wort as well to help ward off the depression which worked WONDERS for me as they say depression can also be a struggle after you quit. Just be sure if you do start the st. john's that there are no interactions with any other meds you may be taking - and do NOT start the st. john's until a few days after you quit the tramadol to avoid the risk of too much serotonin in your system.
And distractions are SO important right now too. Whether that means going for a walk if you feel up to it, or just watching a good movie or some TV, ANYTHING to help keep your mind off things will help. It does get SO much better with time although it's a good idea to keep your expectations kind of low for a while. Meaning don't expect to feel better right away - you didn't get addicted overnight and you won't get out of this overnight either. But it will happen, slowly, and you will feel SO much better with time.
Feel free to message me with any other questions you might have and I'd be happy to tell you what I did at different phases to help with my recovery. You are in the right place by coming here I can tell you that! This place was HUGE for my recovery - just knowing what I was going through, and what to expect and that there was HOPE made all the difference in the world. You CAN do this - and I'll be rooting for you! :)
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