Tramadol detox at home

[2old4ths]

Hello Everyone,

I am new to this community and this is my first post even though I have been reading past posts for a couple of weeks now.  My question is fairly simple.  Can I safely detox at home or do I have to go to detox?  I want to detox at home because if I am going to be miserable I would rather be somewhere where I can be comfortable.  I have a lot of different health problems and suffer from chronic pain.  My psychiatrist says he cannot help me unless I go into detox but I don't think that is because I can't detox at home I think that is just because he's covering his bottom.  I have been taking tramadol 50mg three times a day for about 18 months and Vicodin 750mg three times a day for the same period.  I have fibromyalgia and pituitary problems which cause me to be exhausted all the time.  What I found was that the tramadol helped with energy.  About two months ago I ran out and in desperation I found how to order it off the internet, that was the beginning of my downfall.  I am now taking 17 tramadol a day.  The vicodin I only take acouple of times and I always have extra of those.  The really strange part is that I prefer the tramadol to the vicodin.  Anyway, sorry I got long winded.  Anyone who can share with me how to get off this stuff I would greatly appreciate it.

Thanks to all the warriers that have come before me.

[dominosarah]

Tramadol HAS to be tapered as there are risks of seizures.  Given your other medical history i would really find a doctor that will help you with a taper plan.  Am glad you found this forum and we are all here to support you.........sara

[leeisgettingclean]

Please do involve a doctor with this concern, tramadol has side effects when coming off, and with your medical issues it would be impossible for anyone here to give you a taper//detox.However, let me say, you have to stop ordering your pills online, yhis is illegal and dangerous..Tramadol is a controlled substance and CAN NOT LEGALLY BE OBTAINED WITHOUT SCRIPT..also when you get these pills off line you never know what you are really getting..I am telling you if you continue to get these pills online you are going to find yourself in legal trouble

[emwave]

Hi -- glad you found this place, stick around and you will learn.  Tramadol is a really dangerous drug and you are in a bind.  You can't just stop taking it do to the risk of seizures, but if you keep taking 17 a day, you also risk seizures.  Seriously, you need to find a doctor that will at least guide you while you taper off of the Tramadol.  It is a very strange drug -- some people love it -- I have tried it and absolutely hate the way it makes me feel.

The good news is that you know you need to get off and I don't think it will be very difficult -- but you need to do it safely.  Be careful with the Vicodin you have, the 750mg is the amount of tylenol each has (I believe they have 7.5mg of hydrocodone in them).  Don't take more of those than u r currently taking (3 per day, max).  I wouldn't even put that much tylenol in my system, but technically you are under the max dose per day.

Good luck with finding a new doctor -- or maybe you can get some guidance from the one you have.  He may be willing to tell you how to taper, but he probably doesn't want to write you any more scripts.  Is he the doctor that originally got you on them?  If so, that might be part of the reason he wants you to go in-patient (as do I -- it's just much safer for you).  I'm concerned about your other health problems, too.    

Keep us informed

[2old4ths]

I know I have to get off the tramadol asap and that I need to find a doctor that I can trust.  I have been on psych wards for depression many times and about 20 years ago I was in a 30 day treatment center for addiction to pain meds for migrains.  In each of these situations I was treated badly. I think the memories of the things that happened there have traumatized me.  They also ignored all of my other health issues and even denied me something for the constipation and the results of that were extremely painful.  Without going into the details of my other health issues (they can be embarassing) I was hoping that I could do it at home so I don't have to suffer the degrading and embarassing aspects of my other health issues. Does anyone know if their is such a thing as a detox that allows you to rest and recouperate while detoxing as opposed to a one size fits all treatment schedule?

emwave, I am afraid to tell the physician who prescribed the meds to me because if I decide that tapering is the best thing she will probably not prescribe the meds anymore and then I would be ordering off the internet which I know I have to stop doing.

My husband knows about the addiction, I came clean three days ago.  He is going to make me accountable and he is very supportive.  I would like all of you to be my support group during this process.

Again, Thanks

[googzy]

Yeah u gotta taper and eventually quit the trams... You can do it!

[ginsa]

I don't know what you mean by rest and recuperate, but the detox center I went to did not require clients to participate in the classes during detox. It wasn't very restful though, because the med cart was just outside my door, the beds were hard and lumpy and my roommate snored worse than I do! I went there because I too had health issues and was afraid to detox at home alone.

With a supportive husband and foreknowledge you should be able to detox at home. Just get your doctor involved so that you can taper safely. You  probably need to be able to cut your pills to taper and you can't do this accurately with all medications. If you go to detox they will probably expect you to quit cold turkey and will give you meds to prevent seizure. Not necessarily a bad way to go. I wish I had done that  instead of tapering and suffering for months.

Go to the health pages and look up The Thomas Recipe. Ask your Dr. about the medications recommended and tell him your plans. He might be able to help you with this if he becomes fully informed. Sadly, a lot of doctors seem to know very little about weaning patients effectively. If you have an addiction specialist in your area try to get a referral.

You can beat this monster. Were all behind you!

[kolo13]

Many years ago I was a patient in a drug study and was given Ultram daily for several years. The study was part of an application to get tramadol classified for over-the-counter use (it was a long time ago and at that point it was claimed that it was not addictive). I kept telling my doctor that it felt exactly like instant Prozac. She totally dismissed that. Well lo and behold, a few years later it was determined that it did function as a rapid selective serontonin re-uptake inhibitor and I was right all along. I think that people who like the effect of tramadol are the same people who respond well to Prozac and drugs like it because of underlying issues with depression. It turns out also that some of those patients get effective pain relief from anti-depressants. Please be careful detoxing from the tramadol. You know, if you go to in-patient detox there are a lot of things that they can do to make you more comfortable that you can't do at home. Don't let a concern about being comfortable lead you to a risky home detox when your doctor is giving you good advice and you have the opportunity to take it. You experience from twenty years ago might not necessarily be relevant today There are a lot of people here who wish they had the option of in-patient detox and in your situation the doctor is giving you very good advice. By the way there is a very good reason doctors do not give anything for constipation during detox except for maybe stool softener. I won't go into the details unless you really want to know but suffice it to say that the effects of using a laxative for constipation during detox are horrible and  even dangerous.

[2old4ths]

Thanks for your input.  I guess I am just the kind of person who would prefer to suffer alone rather than with people around.  I had three kids and always waited until I was almost ready to deliver to go to the hospital because I preferred to be in pain at home.  I guess that's because I am a very considerate person and would be devastated if I offended anyone with something that I might say when I am in pain.  I understand what you are saying about the laxatives but I think in too many situations people are put into a box when they go in treatment. The doctors should work with patients and allow patients to have some input and say in their treatment. So many people that I talk to have had similar experiences.  When you fear the cure more than the addiction guess who wins.

[2old4ths]

Thanks for the input.  What I mean by rest and recouperate is being allowed to sleep if I need to, changing my cloths when I am covered in sweat instead of having to wait 2 hours for someone to bring me dry cloths during which time I have been freezing and shaking uncontrolably.  When I have tried to take less before I became so weak I could hardly stand and I am so sleepy I have trouble staying awake.  So basically I just want a safe place to go to quit taking the meds cold turkey and then when the worst is over to go home and finish detoxing.  I do not want to attend classes, lectures or meetings.  I just want to detox and that's it.

[leeisgettingclean]

"detox and thats it" ...but thats NOT it, there is more to it than that. you need to research addiction so you will be aware that its a on going thing, if you think you are just going to be sick a few days then come home and be "Susie the homemaker" you are going to be in for a suprsise

[kolo13]

And don't get me wrong. If it wasn't for that 17/day tramadol thing I would definitely say go ahead and deal with it yourself ( with support from the wonderful people on this site). But apparently those tramadol have some unexpected and fairly extreme complications as compared to other opiates and I am worried about the consequences for you of quitting something that nobody seem to know too much about except that it is more dangerous than anyone realized it would be when it came out as the latest new wonder drug. Good Luck.

[2old4ths]

Sorry I guess I am not really good at my online communication skills.  Up until two years ago (when I first started the Tramadol) I was a recovering addict with 15 years under my belt.  I resisted taking the tramadol at first but was assured it was non addictive.  The prescribing doctor knew I was an addict.  At first it was like a miracle drug and I was so relieved that I had found something that was not addicting but helped with my cronic pain (ha ha on me right).  I actually took it as prescribed (3x daily) for 18 months.  So when things went wrong two months ago things got out of control pretty quickly.  I am not saying that I want to detox and then go live my "susie homemaker life".  I know I will need group and re-education for tramadol addiction.  I just want to detox comfortably (as comfortably as is possible) and then go home and do my recovery with people who will work with me instead of dictating at me.  Is that really too much to ask?

[2old4ths]

Thank you so much for your caring and encouraging words.  I need to know that there are people out there who understand what I am facing without judgement.  I am taking yours and others advise and will not cold turkey at home unless I have a doctor that says I can.  I am in the process of finding a doctor so wish me luck.

[leeisgettingclean]

i understand what you are saying, and even agree with you, please dont take my comment rude, i do think i miss spoke..i just was tryin to make the point of aftercare, but clearly said it wrong, sorry

[2old4ths]

No problem lee.  I understood where you were coming from and I would have said the same not knowing the full story.  I appreciate you cared enough to be honest.

[ginsa]

Wow. I didn't know that tram acted like a ssri. No wonder it didn't help me with pain. Neither do ssri's that have been rx'd for depression.

[dominosarah]

Keep us posted on what you are doing okay?  Am glad to see you are going to get therapy of some sort.  That will be a huge help to you also.........sara

[ginsa]

The detox facility I went to encouraged showering often to ease pain and sleeping as much as needed. I don't know about any other detox, but I doubt you would have to do much of anything besides rest. If it's an option you can afford...by all means, go to a detox facility. The peace of mind knowing that there is medical care if needed helped me a lot. It helped me be calm about the symptoms I was experiencing.

[newway]

detox centres have changed a great deal - you can look into the one your Dr. is recommending and see what it is all about, what their routine is.  Medical detox helps prevent a lot of discomfort and danger from tram withdrawal - one of the main advantages is the ability to sleep.  At home you will experience insomnia and RLS - which makes all the other symptoms feel 10 times worse.
If I had the choice I would do a medical detox - just the idea of being somewhere for a few weeks where I didn't have to worry about any of lifes daily stuff - where I wouldn't be tempted to cheat and take more, and where they could give me drugs to help me sleep and ease my discomfort.
Do a bit of investigating before you completely dismiss medical detox.

[2old4ths]

Well, I guess I am going to have to bite the bullet and go to detox.  Everyone is talking about the fact that you cannot sleep during detox.  The tramadol makes me have energy and if I take it I can't sleep.  If I don't take it I am really tired and sleepy.  Has anyone else experienced that from tramadol?  

[lonce]

Hi 2old. Tramadol can be a big problem, especially when mixing with any opiate, since Tramado (Ultram) is synthetically engineered. I am very surprised you have not had seizures.
The best way to detox from Tramadol is to taper the use. Decrease your dose by one pill per day for a couple weeks and repeat that cycle until you are down to a manageable dose or one pill per day, this will significantly decrease any withdrawl's if any.
I got off of them when i caught the flu and had no problems at all.I've done this twice with both Ultram and Hydrocodone. Now, i'm not recommending you go catch the flu, especially with H1N1, but i have cleaned out this way.
The best thing to do is to talk to your Physician, there are home detox treatments available to you,it's the best way.