Tramadol detox w/ Suboxone?

[sone393]

Help!!! I have a year long tramadol habit at 50 mg. @ 15-20 per day. 2 years ago I went off of Tram cold turkey, no tapering and from 20 to zero overnight.  It was traumatic to say the least.  Now I am back at that dark place of desperation, ready to be done but fear the whole withdrawal process.  This is my dilemna.......I have a doctor who is willing to work w/ me to get me off the tramadol with suboxone.  I am confused esp after reading some of the experiences here about the horrors of suboxne.  I was hoping to do a short and quick taper using sub to ease the withdrawal process.  (I know I am not going to get out of this nightmare comfortably by any means.)  The doc wants to put me on suboxone until spring!!!  He gave me a script of 30 tablets.  He also said that if I did not want to use the suboxone he would help me withdrawal from the tram using klonipin and other meds to ease the discomfort......he was actually pretty compassionate.  However, I am not trusting of the medical profession and the loseness at which these sorts of things are perscribed and we well, here we are!!!  I am afraid he is going to string me along on this stuff, along with the office calls and fee's that go with it because it serves his practice and the pharaceutical company to keep me there.  

Anyway my indcuction is scheduled for friday 10/31 at which time I am supposed to be in moderate withdrawals.  If I decide not to do it we'll go the other direction.  If I decide to do it he says he will send me home on the right dose of suboxone for me.  How long does it take to be in moderate withdrawls?  I know everyone is different but can any of you give me some of your personal experience?  Does anyone know the half life of tramadol?

I only have 15 tablets of tramadol left so I feel a bit pressured to do something...........If I use small amounts of suboxone can I be detoxed from the tramadols and do a quick detox of the sub?????  

Please share with me some of your experiences and knowledge you have of these processes.....I surely appreciate any feedback.  I have tried tapering many many times only to fail.  I just want to be free from this and all drugs and dont want to end up hooked on suboxone.  I also am scared of the torture of the tramadol detox, again.

Thank you so much.  Reading your posts has givin me the desire and the hope that I can really be clean again.  I am ready, just confused!!

sone

[ochooked]

I just had to chime in on this thread.   Hope you will not allow the doc to get you hooked on Sub.   I think there is very limited help from Sub for a Tram addiction.  Sub will most likely turn out to be another huge addiction that you will not be able to W/D from easily.  I was on Sub for 21 days (small doses) and then took two months to get through the most horrible W/D's after I quit the Sub.  I would not wish what I went through on my worst enemy ----  The W/D from Sub is 10 times worse than from Trams.  Find a new doctor or use the one you have but tell him NO SUB ---   Somehow the doctors just don't get it as to how addictive and debilitating Sub is.   Wish you all the best.   Get informed before you take Sub.  Read all the old posts you can on this site from those of us who used Sub.

[troubleinohio]

Im usually an advocate of going CT off opiates and not using Methadone or Sub (this is just MY opinion, I know Sub has helped alot of pepole here and its a very controversial topic sometimes here) but the other posters are right in that you should not stop Tramadol  (or benzos for that matter) Cold Turkey. YOu could have a seizure or die even. Speak to your Dr. again and see if you can work out a taper plan. Good luck to you!  

[OtisDaMan]

Perhaps an approach is to ask the doctor for a short script of tramal, calculated to allow a smooth taper over a shortish period of time. Hopefully that can help with keeping the withdrawal to a manageable level but not lead to the temptation to step back up, since you won't have enough tramal.

As for your doctor, just be polite but firm about wanting to do it this way, and let him know you want his help to monitor and be the "stern hand" that keeps you on the straight and narrow, or something like that. Hopefully that will show him you are committed, and as well as that will appeal to his sense of professional pride in helping patients. Good luck however you decide to play it.

Personally, I have gone cold turkey on tramal (twice!) due to poor advice - the first time a fill-in doctor didn't like my usual doctor's choice of medication for me because it was "highly addictive". My prescription records would have shown my usage to be only two thirds of the maximum recommended dose, and that I had been on a stable dose for at least two years. Anyway, the fill-in doctor told me matter-of-factly that she was writing me a script for tramadol to start immediately. I'd never heard of tramadol at that stage; when I got home with it I realised that I was going to (unintentionally) go cold turkey on my previous medication, because the fill-in doctor had ushered me out of the clinic before I had my head around my bizarre consult. Turns out I had no withdrawal from the previous drug, but when the tramal ran out three months later (my normal doctor, being a good doctor, had a full diary for a month or so) I went on enforced cold-turkey. I would describe it as like a shocking case of the flu; joints all ache, muscles are weak, head is foggy, appetite is shot to pieces, and motivation goes south for a holiday somewhere. It lasted about 4-5 days I think; anyway, that was on a moderate dose of tramadol, well within normal bounds. I took sick leave thinkin it actually was the flu; only realised in hindsight what I had done, and a second withdrawal from tramal several months later just confirmed it to be w/d symptoms both times.

I would not recommend to anyone to go cold turkey on a drug like tramal/tramadol (same thing, different name): it screws around with the brain and body, so suddenly stopping it is a mighty shock to the system.

[122 Tactical Fighter Group]

You really really do not want to be on sub until next Spring....Very bad plan that is.....it sounds to me like you should detox the tram and never get in this position again. And I have been in similar straights myself.............let the Doc help you detox - - - but do your homework before you start sub until next spring. Unless you just like detox when the floweres are in bloom..........

[cathy5841]

i am really surprised at your dr.  trams should never be stopped c/t....there is a huge risk of seizures, even seath.  i have not heard of anyone using sub to get off trams....they are not an opiate...i dont think....if you did not do the sub, he said he would give you kolonipin?????   i would check with another dr.  do some research, trams should NEVER be stopped c/t....you NEED to taper.  i am not sure sub is a good choise either.  i am not a dr, but you can research it on the net....also talk to avisg that was her doc.  she also has alot of info in trams in her journal...just click on her name it will take you to her orfile and you will find her journals.  keep us posted, i am curious to know about the sun and trams.  good luck in whatever you chose to do.

BTW, welcome to the forum.