Tramadol Withdrawals

[AGreatPerhaps]

I'm having a bit of trouble knowing exactly what to expect from tramadol withdrawal or what I can do to make it better. I'm having a terribly hard time with it myself, but my situation is sort of an odd one really. I was on it for six months, only on the days I needed to bring my pain down to a tolerable level for school sessions. I was on homebound study because I was sick, I was a senior in high school, and for YEARS I have had absolutely NO luck in getting doctors to treat any of my symptoms properly or work with me. My pain became crippling, and I was SO close, and I couldn't get anyone to work with me, so I used what I had. I took just enough to make it tolerable. Not enough to make me high, not enough to make the pain completely go away, just enough so I could do my work and graduate. I was of course told it was non-addictive and safe, and it was stupid to believe that. And what I did was stupid, I know. But I didn't know how else to get through, and I lost everything when I got sick... I just wanted my high school diploma SO bad. Now I am physically dependent though. I don't know the last time I took it. I took it a few times since school ended simply because the withdrawal got to be something I couldn't stand and I didn't think about it. The highest I was ever on was 250mg, I believe. And it wasn't even every day, I don't think I ever took it two days in a row, and never more than once a day or anything, and looking at other people's stories online, it seems that these were things they were doing. Somehow still not doing so well though. I am so sick these days I have no idea when the last time I took it was, I don't have any concept of time really. My doctors do not treat any of my symptoms properly, nor have they diagnosed me... so my quality of life is crap right now, and I can't be bothered to keep up with things like what day it is anymore, I'm too miserable. But it's been I'd say... three to five days since I've had it. I don't know what physical symptoms I have, because my body is absolute crap anyway, so I can't tell if it's just being sick or if it's withdrawal, but I KNOW I'm having psychological symptoms associated with withdrawal from it, I couldn't tell for a long time, but since I didn't take it everyday, I spent about as much time off it as on it, and I eventually realized it was what was given me the terrible panic, the obsessions and compulsions and severe depression and urge to self-harm. My insomnia seems worse now too. But that may be because I have nothing else for pain, because I spent years in severe pain before I even got the tramadol... so I exhausted all the OTC painkillers trying to get by then, and they won't touch it anymore. When I get to sleep I wake up screaming a lot because of the pain. Heh. That's... fun. Though, I've read that some people who have become dependent on tramadol have exaggerated pain during withdrawal so I hope maybe it will... be less severe if I can get past this. I mean, I  guess otherwise I will just have to suffer. Which I can do. Anyway, I suppose I was just wondering if anyone knew how long I might be expected to experience symptoms because of my odd situation? And what can I do to stay safe until then? Any advice would be great.

[murphyboy]

I;ve been taking Tramadol for 5 years, My Dr quit giving it to me, so I was ordering it on line. But now they don't ship to tennessee, Does anyone know if there is some where on line you can order it, I am going through hell, and want some to taper off and never see this stuff again, pleas help

[AGreatPerhaps]

Their first kid was in a wheelchair, so... in comparison, I suppose it is rather simple to look at her and look at me and say I don't LOOK sick. So it's easy to ignore. I don't know their whole issue, though, really. They were fairly abusive to me as a kid, and the emotional bit never totally stopped, so this is maybe still how they assert their control, make me miserable... can't throw me into walls, can't hit me, they know I'll fight back now, but they can let me suffer, let me die, and I can't so much make them care. Most of the basics come back normal, then other things... not so much. A total t3 came back high, lead to finding a nodule on my thyroid through ultrasound... but then, the thyroid scan came back normal. And while my illness is progressive, all of my symptoms really started before I gained any weight. It could make it worse, but then, I don't know it that it does. I gained a 100 pounds in a few years since I got sick, which is a lot, but then, I cannot eat anything lately and went on topamax for headaches as well, which while I was starving before and maintaining weight that allowed me to lose SOME... not all of it, but you would think 25 pounds in a few weeks, if my weight was making my symptoms any worse,  they would not continue to progress while I lost weight, they would get better, and they don't. Not to mention, everyone else in my family, more obese by a long shot, and older obviously, yet miles and miles healthier somehow... aside from being heavy they do not have my symptoms, so it wouldn't make a lot of sense for my weight to make me feel so terrible when I have grandparents even much more overweight who feel a HELL of a lot better than I do... and my parents, my aunts, my uncles. You would assume there would be some evidence in my family history of some sort of health caused weight problems, but my family all are quite overweight, but other than that, incredibly healthy, so it doesn't make a lot of sense. So I don't know. I know I'm fat and it kills me, I've been eating disordered my entire life, I can't be now, I can't eat, but I can never forget for a second, and I hate myself for it, I promise, I am suffering enough for it, but I also am 99% positive it isn't the cause of any of my issues. Does it make me worthless? Apparently so, but it doesn't really fit as being a cause of any of my issues. Right now, I'm 202 and 5'7", so... I have a BMI of 31.6. I spent most of the past year at 227, though. lost the 25 pounds in the last month, seemingly as a side effect of topamax. Because I can't ever eat anymore, but I haven't been able to eat for A LOT longer than a month. And my symptoms still got worse and not better, so it doesn't make a whole lot of sense, still. I've never had any other issues with addiction other than the tramadol, no. And then, today I was once again giving ridiculous high numbers when it came to my pulse... and I am fat, so that makes enough sense at first glance, but I'm young, have not been overweight long, and then, I have absolutely astounding BP and pulse when I am not in extreme pain. But on my bad days, it's ridiculous. They did an EKG, I was in sinus tachycardia, and the only reason they could pinpoint was because I was in pain. Still... didn't do a dang thing. At all. That seems just ridiculous to me, because that is certainly not normal. Heh. I don't know. I'm just doomed, I guess. I can't go out of town to see a doctor, though... I am unfortunately dependent on my parents, because I got caught up in this at a bad time... couldn't learn to drive, can't work a job myself, so I have no means of transportation or anything. Even if they did care that much, which I highly doubt they do particularly from the fight it took to get my mom to drive me around the BLOCK to the doctor's today, both of my parent's work full-time. It's hard enough for them to get the time off they need to take me to doctors in town, let alone out of town, not to mention, it'd be a sort of expensive venture, with gas money and all that... so... I don't know that it would be doable anyway. But at this point, it seems like it's pointless anyway. I suppose maybe I'm just not worth saving. Maybe nothing can change that.

[Devonlee]

Well this all sound very strange to me. You say you are 17?? where are your parents? Are they around to help you? If they are I cant imagine they would just sit around and watch you suffer! Have you just gone to an er and have them do tests there. I know whenever I have gone they run all kind fo blood tests...urine tests...etc etc. There are also many things that dont show up on tests that can cause widespread pain...exhaustion etc. such as fibromyalgia....chronic fatigue syndrome etc. I just dont understand how no dr is willing to help. Have you had issues with drug addcition other than the tramadol? And how obese are you? That can cause issues on its own never mind adding to anything that might actually be wrong with you. Anyway, I am sorry you are suffering so much and I hope you can find some kind of help. What about seeing a dr in another towm or state? I dont know this all sounds crazy....I wish you the best.

[AGreatPerhaps]

Yeah, I got through the worst of it and I'm feeling a lot better than I was. I was prescribed the tramadol for mirgraines, pretty much given a script enough for two a day for a month and six refills of that... this was as the doctor had given up, so I was just released with that. No one ever listened to my other complaints about "pain" I guess because I am so young they think it is muscle soreness or something. Didn't help so much with migraines, but it took the edge off my widespread, severe body pain no one ever bothered to address, so I ended up using it to cope with that. Not... the best choice I have ever made, obviously.
But I've seen about everyone in the city who will take me, and the docs around here are all crap. I don't know if it's that I'm young so they know they can eff around and I can't do anything about it, but not a ONE of them has EVER really tried. And I've seen everyone who will take me, everyone else finds some reason not to. So... I'm actually having to start seeing doctors again now that gave up on me once, and just hope to God they take some mercy on me now and will do something. I don't know why they won't help me... and I can't exactly MAKE them do anything, obviously. So... I guess if they don't, I just suffer and die. What can you do, though? I'm not a doctor, I don't have the proper means to diagnose or treat myself, and most of them seem to simply refuse to work with me because I can. Even asking for simple things... not morphine or anything, like asking them to run a certain medical tests with absolutely NO risks involved at all, if they don't want to sign off on it, if they aren't in the mood, I can't even have like... a cortisol urine test and it's ridiculous. Why the hell should someone NOT be able to just have someone test their God damn pee, but I've been fighting for YEARS for even the simple stuff, and can't get that. Now it's progressed a HELL of a lot more, and I probably sort of need something for some of my symptoms, because if I can't get a lot of them in check, there is going to eventually be some sort of immediate risk to my life, not to mention my quality of life has been about just... nothing, I have NO quality of life anymore lately, but if I can't get simple tests run with NO risks, then what are the chances I can get answers or treatments? I'm about to turn eighteen... not eighty. I should be able to walk, on my good days, I can walk short distances with a cane, but it's miserable. My pain isn't a whole lot better sitting or laying down either. But moving makes me want to scream. And when I can sleep, it's sort of amusing, because every dream I have... car wreck, some injury, so my mind can incorporate my pain into my dream. Cool how that works, I guess. But not too fun for me. I can't eat solid food. (And despite the fact at best I am eating a small meal every two to three days, and at least half the time, I cannot keep from throwing that up, I am STILL maintaining an obese body weight... something there seems wrong to me. Even with the lack of activity, other than physical therapy type stretching, I'm basically starving, so you would think if someone's body functioned like it should it would be REALLY hard to keep this up eating next to nothing. And besides making no sense, it's just... unfair. >.>) My body has no sense of temperature control. I cannot sleep. I'm always tired. And then if you look on a deeper level, none of my organs function on the level they should. But no one is doing anything. I guess perhaps it would help to be optimistic for some people, but I spent the last five years having hope do nothing but make the hope all that much farther, so at this point... I do wish that someone will help me, sure. But all my experience tells me they won't. So I'm going to suffer and die. Not too bright a future to look forward to, no. But I suppose that happens. I'm seeing the internist, ironically who prescribed this and released me a few months back, tomorrow. Heh. By coincidence. Not seeking a refill, on that, though, obviously. But we'll see if he has any ideas this time. Though, I think I will be a bit more careful about trusting his advice.

Personally, I am obviously not a doctor, but I would assume either an endocrine or autoimmune disorder of some kind fit with my symptoms most. I have a nodule on my thyroid, but then... no one will treat that, they swear it's not a problem, and I went to an endocrinologist, who looked at my chart and determined I was "just fat" and had me "diagnosed" with that before I walked in the room. And yes. I'm fat. I know. But I'm also sick, and I know that too, so... it's more than just that, but lately that is doctor's favorite thing. To diagnose me as "fat". Just loving that myself, makes me feel great. -_- But yeah, they swear that isn't a problem, somehow, though it throws odd numbers on blood tests, and is... a freakin' tumor on my thyroid. And I have a bunch of symptoms that totally go with that. But they say it's not that. I have a lot of autoimmune specific symptoms too, like the pain, and running fevers all the time for no reason, but no one will even LISTEN to the fact I have those problems, they simply ignore that I have them. And there are no rheumatologists in the city who will take me. So idk. I'm probably just doomed, I guess. Heh. That is life sometimes, I suppose.

[Devonlee]

Tramadol is best tapered off. But you said you have already stopped? 3-5 days? At this point you will just have to suffer through. Tramadol withdrawal cause you to feel ill....depression...anxiety.....insomnia....etc etc. It will go away but it can take a few weeks. Im curious as to if the doctor prescribed this to you? And for what condition? You say you are always in pain but no one helps you....do you have any idea what you have or any diagnosis from a dr? It sounds like you really need to find a dr to help you with all these things. Good luck.

[AGreatPerhaps]

Oh. And I'm a bit confused about how this place works, so I don't know if there is a way to edit posts or not, but I forgot to add that I did not taper off. I honestly simply couldn't figure out how to do it properly, and then with me never having taken it consistently to begin with, I didn't know if tapering would be a good idea, since it would require me to BEGIN to take it consistently, which would be more than I had ever used before, so I was too nervous to try and figure out how to taper off, so I just stopped. I have some left, I don't know how much, or if it would even be enough to effectively taper off, but at this point, I would really just very much like to NEVER see the stuff again. I would have thrown it all out by this point if I wasn't afraid that this wouldn't work. But I would sort of much rather just do without ever taking it again if at all possible. I never liked it much anyway, I just needed to get through school, and especially with it making me as miserable as it has, I really don't want to ever take any ever again.