Tramadol for opiate withdrawal

[shadowmike]

I have had very positive results using Tramadol for opiate withdrawal. I have read many posts in which people state that the addiction to Tramadol is worse than oxycontin or vicodin. That has not been my experience. I have been able to taper down my Tramadol use to zero within a few weeks without difficulty. I have had a serious addiction to opiates for the better part of a decade. Granted, I have relapsed several times and started using again. When I do detox, tramadol is no problem for me to taper down to zero. For me, it subsides the symptoms without producing the euphoria that the opiates produce, Therefore, I do not crave them like I do opiates.

[IBKleen]

It's really sad to hear that you are using Tramadol as a short-term maintenance drug. It is a seriously dangerous drug to be doing that with.

Hopefully you will stick around here and listen to members stories. We can support you and help you down the path to getting clean. GL

[Dav125]

Count your blessings on not experiencing any side effects from the tramadol use..There are a number of people in here that would beg to differ in their opinions of using that and then getting away from it.Some with pretty severe wd's that lasted a month or longer..

Have you quit the tramadol totally at this point in time??

[dominosarah]

Are you off tramadol now?  

[LeaAnn807]

OMG

[wantthissobad]

Do you think tramodoal is worse then suboxne? Cause I think I would have rather been put on that then on subs,

[avisg]

REALLY how long and how much of the tram have you been taking ? I have gone threw wd off many drugs tramadol was by far the worse its not a maintenance drug to get off other opiates and I would NEVER NEVER recommend ANYONE use it to come of another opiate you may find yourself digging your self a bigger hole then you were already in.

[vicki595]

What good is using Tramadol if: "Granted,I have relapsed several times..." ?

Tramadol is just another opiate. You're really not doing anything great here.

Try staying off the opiates completely. Aftercare will help you.

Good luck~

[yllwjcket]

tramadol is an opiod.  you dont feel the euphoria because you have such a tolerance to opiates.  it still binds to the opiate receptor in your brain.  withdrawal from tramadol can cause seizures, an since it also affects the serotonin level in your brain it can make you nasty depressed after quitting.  you are using another opiate.  i say this because i tried using my trams to detox from hydro before, but eventually you will have to withdraw from the tramadol too, and they give the worst RLS out off all.  

[maria88889]

i used tramadol just to get by the detox week, i highly doubt i will have w/d from 3 trams every couple of a days compared to my 210mg oxy habbit. i feel great, on day 7 with no oxy and dont plan on ever going back. i think about all the money i went threw and im ashammed.

[BrotherFrankie]

are u still taking trams?

[BrotherFrankie]

was just thinking, that is like drinking beer to dtox from booz..

[ladywithtime]

When I would run out of percs sometimes I would use trams to "get by" and it SEEMED to work..well, one time I got 90 trams and I was eating them like peanuts...then I ran out! I swear I didn't know what was happening to me. I started to get dizzy and it felt like I was disassociating, I was really scared! It truly was a horrible experience! Guess what made me feel better? That's right, my DOC...

I'm glad that you're ok from this experience, however, I WOULDN'T RECOMMENED IT because it's very dangerous...jumping from the frying pan into the flame!

[protramadol]

I am with you on that i did as well with 250 mg a day and tapered myself down as well and suffered no withdrawl at all. I am all for tramadol and they key is lowering the dose. I was at 50 mg for 3 wks and then cut that in half for a few days. Now I have been clean for 1 yr and 5 months. I am in support of tramadol

[fulmz]

I've used trams to w/ for years. it works weak on the mu, then converts to a drug called tapentadol(sp?) that is much stronger on the mu.  the pain of ultram w/d is that it is an ssr(n)i. thats like taking most any antideppresant & going cold turkey. yes it has a seizure risk, but iuse benzos.

[carlotta768]

Isn't it possible that the trick to dodging Tramadol's hideous tentacles is to be addicted to something stronger? I've found that withdrawal (from tramadol) for me kicks in at strange times. I can go 20 hours without it if I go to bed in a decent mood and sleep zonked through the night. If something BAD is going on in my world, withdrawal will kick in after 4 hours, even 3 if I have only taken 50 mg (2 pills). I've found to my shock that during long horrible migraines, 2-4 days, where vomitting is so severe I can't take anything by mouth, withdrawal never kicks in at all. When something GOOD is happening in my world, my tramadol dose will last through the happy experience until it winds up, whereupon I'm suddenly dizzy (that's the first withdrawal sign for me), tired and anxious, verging on feeling "sick" all over. If I spend several hours on Facebook  (I'm not addicted to Facebook) swapping brilliances with my political friends and looking at breathtaking photos of my stunningly cute, newest grandbaby, the tramadol in my system lasts as long as the Facebook session, even if I play on Fb all day. The minute I close the laptop and stand up, WHOOSH, I'm in second stage withdrawal. So maybe if I were addicted to Codien cough syrup, Darvon Compound capsules (10-20 a day), and barbiturates (for migraine nausea), as I was twice (18 months each time) in my long-ago youth, tramadol would behave differently in my system. Shadowmike claims he has tapered down to zero Tramadols easily each time he's had to do it. That fits right in with the outright strangeness I myself observe in tramadol. I've also learned, as I struggle with this octopus, if I go through a tapering down period and then start back up, my next tapering off period goes quicker and easier, as long as I try again before too many weeks go by. The only trick that's going to work for me is to get major stresses behind me so that my taper-off to ZERO mg of tramadol can progress unhindered by too many exteral events. Thanks to my now-advanced age (62, widowed from my ex, Social Securitied, not in debt, ideally situated), I can actually HOPE to put behind me the stresses that younger people cannot escape. My youngest son who was in Iraq twice (infantry), which started up the migraines of my younger days that I thought I'd seen the last of. He's out of that now, married and prospering. My sister robbing my brother and me of half the wealth in our late mother's estate is finally going to wind up sometime between today and January 23, 2013, after going on for over 4 years and crippling my bro' and I in the "helpless rage" department. I'm finally going to have money to fly across the country to SEE and HOLD that new grandbaby I've been pining for on Facebook (she is past a year old!). All my kids (5) are grown and doing well as are all the grandkids. The upcoming smooth stretch is my ticket to freedom from the god-awful tramadol. And I have to hurry, before this filthy drug is pulled off the market suddenly, leaving its million addicts up a dreadful creek. Tramadol is over-the-counter in UK and elsewhere overseas, isn't that astounding? How do people over there cope with its addictiveness? One thing, to Mike: he needs to stay off opioids or opiates or whatever the heavier painkillers are "known as" so he doesn't have to keep falling back on tramadol, because tramadol is going to get up all of a sudden and bite him right in half. That's what tramadol does. He'll be so surprised and disbelieving when it happens. I became addicted to it utterly by accident after taking it for 5-6 days, through a long headache, then finishing making a dent in the 60 pills in the bottle, and waking up at dawn in indescribable, all-over physical and mental misery, not knowing what on earth was going on. Took two tramadols, and the misery vanished. And there I was, addicted to it. It hasn't been finacially destructive as my 2 previous painkiller addictions were, because it takes so little tramadol to keep a step ahead of withdrawal, and so little of it (and so little time) to get hooked.

[smellzy]

hey i came clean too my gp about my codeine addiction she has given me s/r tramadol which i get no high from but takes away the w/d have relasped myself but going to try again ...when i went c/t couldnt get out of bed but diffrent taking s/r tramadols can still function and i could not see myself getting addicted to them as i say they are slow release so i getting nothng from the trams...

[Wes032]

Hi everyone.. am new on here.  Wished this was around 12Years ago!  
Okay I have been a LONG term chronic pain patient.  I have SEVERE intractable migraines as well as a lot of nerve damage from 5 major surgeries to both lungs.  
I was first put on Oxycontin and Tramadol about 12 years ago.  I could no longer afford the Oxycontin so they switched me over to methadone.  Had I been told about the withdrawl coming off the methadone I would have NEVER allowed myself to be put on it.  .  At the time I was 22yrs old.  I am now 34.  I was on Methadone, tramadol and Lortab for 7 years.  I then decided I had had enough of monthly visits to pain management out of town and was tired of always tied to needing to have medications with me so not to go without and start withdrawl.  I went to a local pain management doctor who gave me a prescription for klonopin for help with the jitters of withdrawl.  Well I lined up the pills on my dresser so they would be ready and I would not have to fumble with prescription bottles when in withdrawl.  I took the first 2 and thats all I remember.  Apparently I took an overdose and blackedout for a week.  I was living with parents at the time and a couple days into my blackout I took my blanket and went outside completely nude and layed in the yard.  I remember NOTHING.  A week later I came out of this "blackout" spell and had NO further withdrawls from all the opiates.  Well after being off for 2 years I had another MAJOR lung surgery and was on long term pain meds again.  This time was on short acting opiates.  Was placed on Norco and Tramadol.  I take the tramadol and if it doesnt or is not working I take the norco.  I have found myself dependent on opiates again.  I get enough norco to last me about 3 weeks out of the month then have to use tramadol the remainder of the month to keep from going into full withdrawl.  If I take the Tramadol I have NO withdrawls from the Norco at all but I HAVE to take one or the other or go into full withdrawl.  Now my doctor has warned me of the dangers of taking too much tramadol and the risk of seisures but seeing that I have used it for so many years with no problems even at higher doeses than prescribed I have never had any issues.  ONLY problem I have with being and using the Tramadol is that it keeps me awake.  I already have really bad insomnia, but the tramadol makes it SOOO much worse.  However I'd rather not sleep then deal with ALL of the withdrawl symptoms.  I dont really have any questions just thought I'd share my story.  I AM again really hating being dependant on medications and would love to get off of them again but due to chronic pain due to my lung issues I not only HAVE to be on them, they are going to give me a stronger opiate to take when the Norco isnt sufficient.  I have issues where my lungs will just collapse and since I have already had surgeries to fix the lungs there is no danger from the lungs leaking now but Im being admitted into the hospital usually once a month for about 3-5 days due to a leak and just for pain control.  So in my case I really dont see much use in trying to get off the narcotics again when due to the severe pain i'LL JUST HAVE TO TAKE THEM AND BECOME DEPENDANT AGAIN IF i MADE IT THROUGH A period of becoming clean.  
Thats where I'm at and as someone that has and does use tramadol to prevent severe withdrawl from norco I dont have any issues with it.  That being said everyone is different and what MIGHT be safe for me might not be safe for anyone else.  
Now What I am taking and the doses is as follows (Though I am not taking the amount prescribed which is why I run out of meds before I should...
-Tramadol 150MG's 2X a day..  Supposed to be 50MG's ever 4hrs PRN (As Needed)
-Norco 25/812.5Mg's 3X a day..  Supposed to be 10/325MG's ever 6Hrs PRN.  
They are trying to decide what to give me to keep me from having to be admitted every month for pain control, and are thinking fentanyl patches or morphine.  Usually when I am admitted they put me on Dilaudid IV ever 4hrs PRN.  Or course while taking it I take NOTHING else.  They have mentioned Dilaudid prescription.. so not sure yet what they are going to put me on.  
I DO want to make it known I do NOT take the narcotics for the "high" or to make me "feel good" other than for relief in pain.  It just takes more of it to do the job than what is prescribed.  
So if anyone would like to comment or has questions feel free to ask away, but I will NOT suggest that anyone take meds the way I am, or for the reasons that I do..  
Hope everyone has a great weekend!  ;)
~Wes~

[Wes032]

I should also add that I have my liver checked every 3 months to make sure that it is working as it should.  No problems as of yet as far as taking the higher doses of Norco and the acetomenophen doses that I take.  Now I should also add that I do not take the norco EVERY day.  there are some days that the pain isnt so bad and could probably get away with just Advil but on those days I MUST take the tramadol to keep from going into withdrawl from the norco.  
Just FYI.. ;)

[roober]

Just for your information Tramadol is not available without a prescription in the U.K. I had to go to the doctors to get more as I was prescribed it in France and am just finding out how terrible it can make you feel after trying to decrease my dose

[wildm]

I have been long term Done to Bupe.  Found Bupe seriously in-effective coming off Done.  Now taking 100mg Tramadol and feel better than on the other two.  I have been on maintenance for a very long time and found the Bupe withdrawal too severe.  Tramadol is helping me to get Bupe out of my system.  Think that after spending half my life on maintenance that abstinence is unrealistic, hence the use of Tramadol which is by contrast to Methadone and Bupe a far less potent and addictive drug.  I have decided Tramadol is lesser of three evils but in the context of being on for over twenty years that I simply need a biochemical fix to function versus what appears to be a never ending struggle getting off the Bupe applying the equal-opposite rule means a very protracted abstinence placing me at higher risk of psychosocial dysfunction the Tramadol appears to mitigate against.  Also having a neurological condition, Bupe withdrawal was just plain pain.  So in short one is surely better to be on Tramadol as it is at the very least less potent than the other two where withdrawal is ridiculously painful, persistent and dangerous psychosocially.  Like one has to function and I don't have months to waste in protracted withdrawal at this point because I certainly couldn't work without chemical support to assist - particularly with neurologically aggregated tremor for instance.  What ever works and keeps one held is surely better than suffering to death in poverty.  This is my take on this issue...!  You can't expect to come off a potent mind altering drug if you've been on it for much of your life so for me Tramadol helps with the little things while maintaining less abuse potential.  Everyone is different and abstinence is not always the goal ahead of self care assisted by a drug similar to codeine v full agonist.  Plus Tramadol assists to deal with the withdrawal and rehab elements using a far less load than the others for me.  I haven't given up on abstinence but instead realise that I need to wind back far more slowly that I thought would be the case and if it wasn't for Tramadol I would most likely still be experiencing withdrawal this time next year.  It gets harder to break free the older you get so a little help like responsibly using Tramadol is helping me to more likely achieve abstinence in the long run.  Just saying is all - based on my own unique situation and mitigating factors such as pre-existing neurological complexities (nystagmus) really makes abstinence at this stage too risky in the physical sense more than psychophysiological addictive sense.  I guess just don't rush things that need time is my final comment.  And no I am not in denial just need to take things very slow...!  Thanks...! (MW)
#BeKindToYourselfAndDontRushItIfPossible...

[wildm]

DEFINITELY AGREE SUBS ARE DANGEROUS AND ARE 40-60 TIMES MORE POTENT THAN MORPH COMPARED TO TRAMADOL WHICH IS TEN PERCENT LESS POTENT THAN MORPH IF YOU FELL HELD BY IT.  

[wildm]

No...subs are far more difficult to come off than Bupe in my experience.  Plus Tramadol provides a better program deal than more regulated Bupe.  Bupe is fine in the beginning then all sorts of weird stuff begins over time due to the relative toxicity of Bupe V Tramadol.  Bupe never really held me but I find Tramadole does in a similar way but with less toxicity (MW)...

[wildm]

Re: RLS - taking potassium supplements (6x50mg-day) can greatly assist with RLS because it helps STOP the severity...(MW)

[IBKleen]

wildm..this is an old post and the members you are chatting with are not active. You can start your own post and you will get great support.