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Tramadol Withdrawal

I am a 40 year old married man with 2 kids and have been taking tramadol for the last 6 years or so. I average about 750mg per day everyday. I order the pills through websites who send to my house via fedex. There are 2 reasons I want to quit. Number one is that I dont like being a "slave" to this drug and most importantly is the financial impact of this on me and my family. I have had to go 4 or 5 days without tramadol in  the past and for me it is like living death. I cannot function and I get very very irritable. I go through hot flashes and sweating profusely to freezing cold and clammy all the while having what I can only describe as electrical "zaps" in my head everytime I move my eyes or head. It is very very very uncomfortable and is a real threat to my employment which is very physical. When im on tramadol I have no negative feelings or thoughts and I am very happy and very energetic and everything in my life is positive. Im not in a "fog" I am very alert and aware of my surroundings and I have no side effects at least as far as I can tell.  Although I abuse it  I use it mostly as a treatment for depression which works very well but the money factor and the withdrawals when I dont have any is very hard on me. I quit cold turkey 3 years ago and managed to stay off of them for 2 months. I couldnt take it anymore and decided to take them again. The withdrawals lasted for 5-6 weeks although the first week or so was the worst. Now today I took my last 6 of them and I have no way to get anymore until friday and I have a very heavy workload this week.... Is there a way to lessen the misery of withdrawals or make them disappear altogether? I would like to  quit this altogether or preferably take 2-4 a day under a controlled dispensing arrangement which could be accomplished through a family friend. If the past is any indication than I cannot just quit. I suffer from depression and sometimes it is severe and tramadol has been the ONLY thing I have ever taken that works wonders for the depression. How do I ease the withdrawals for the times I do not have any for myself? Any help is greatly appreciated as I do not want to lose a job and/or family over this.  thank you :)
4 Responses
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599071 tn?1300068702
If the tramadol is working to control your depression, it would be worthwhile seeing your doctor to discuss getting a script for effexor which is the chemical structural equivalent of the antidepressant in tramadol.

Tramadol is a poor medium to long term med choice for many people as the opioid part of the drug leads to tolerance & frequently to updosing.

Effexor can also be hard to withdraw from but can also work well to control depression without the tolerance problems of tramadol.  Effexor can also help reduce the withdrawals from tram, although you will likely still have some withdrawals from the opiate side.

Best wishes.
Helpful - 0
401095 tn?1351391770
I did not know tramadol was an approved drug for depression?  I do know it is a weak pain reliever, but the effect it has on seratonin levels would make it be abused for depression...just as other narcotics are used for this as well.  Used for energy and to feel good verses pain.  As far as I know, none of the opiates, or opiate like drugs are approved to treat depression cos they r heck to get off of.
Tram has to be tapered as a rule and depression is a huge wd symptom due to the withdrawal of the seratonin the trams give you.  A plan is the way to quit and often involves cutting off supply and having someone dole them out to you daily during your taper.  Seizures can be a risk with sudden stoppage of trams as with benzos.  Aftercare is great but many addicts resist aftercare like the plague, so they actually defeat themselves trying to do this alone.  support is crucial,,,,just telling someone u trust can help a whole lot.

Trying to find a way to feel better when u r outta pills is another self defeating behavior, and good luck to you on doing so.,.some substitute other drugs...and the cycle continues...breaking the cycle is the way out of this whirlwind to nowhere....and u gotta want to do this to be able to do it.
What will happen when they stop selling trams online?   It is in the works and may be 6 mths or a year from now but the addictions associated with this drug are becoming more and more known.  I suspect the online npurchase will cease within a year as govt is cracking down on inet sales of drugs, especially dangerous ones.

Going to ur doctor and getting a true antidepressant would be a great start.  They take a month or so to kick in but is what i would do first.  reading thru the health pages and looking at the thomas recipe may also help

good luck to u....and really take a hard look at your reasoning.  How much depression do the actually trams cause u in the long run?

Keep posting
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
"There's really no good arrangement for taking tramsdol"

Actually OP mentions its the only thing working for depression. Thats a pretty big deal depression is a killer so it would be a good arrangement to find a way to balance out the addiction with the actual intended use of tramadol (pain/depression)

I take it 150/day for 2 years for chronic pain and its saved my life and is a wonder drug if used for its purpose. And yes it is a great antidepressant for me as well although not its primary purpose. there are currently ongoing trials for tramadol and depression.

Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hi!  You would have to see a doctor to get help with the wds. There are natural supplements you can get, but nothing will stop them completely. I would really consider stopping them for good. There's really no good arrangement for taking tramsdol. Until you decide to completely stop, this is your life. I'm not trying to be harsh, but that is a fact!  
Give it some thought ok?
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