Tramadol use

[gothard]

I have been taking 4 Tramadol a day for approx. 2 weeks.  My understanding was that they were not addictive, since my doctor (who is very strict) was only willing to give me Tramadol for my back pain, and no other opitae drugs, due to the fact that I am on Methadone.
Now I'm getting worried after reading some of the messages about how horrible Tramadol is to kick.  Do you folks out there think that 2 weeks use of Tramadol I-CL 50 mg tab, taking 4 per day, will cause me problems with withdrawl?  I have about 30 left and wonder if I should throw them out.  They don't get me high, but thats probably due to the 135 mgs of methadone I take every day.  
Please respond folks, and give me your opinion.  

[MMarty]

Run like heck and throw them in the toilet. Uh, requestion your doctor or educate him about the drug as well. It clearly states they are addictive and not to be prescribed to patients who have been or are addicted to opiates. I fell in the same trap after beating a percocet/vicodin addiction and thought tramadol was safe. I have had way more trouble kicking the tramadol than I ever did vicodin or percocet. I curse the day I got my first tramadol prescription and if I had known then what I know now I would have never swallowed one. Please read as much as you can and make an informed decision. My opinion is it is the worst medication I have ever taken....GL, Marty

[BornofOsiris]

Throw that **** out brother!!! i was prescribed a bottle of tramadol for back pain...I went online did some research and tramadol is one of the hardest pills to kick same with the done...just flush them man you will be glad you did it...THROW THEM OUT!!!!! please im begging you just do it.....

PS
This WILL NOT last...This CANNOT last...

[mr.lucky66]

If your doctor told you that ultram is not addictive you should seriously reconsider about keeping him as your doctor. His next mistake could be worse.

[newway]

My Dr. prescribed tramadol for my chronic back pain.  It was the safe alternative - because I am an alcoholic and an opiate addict - she didn't want to give me anything addictive.
I was clean from my other addictions for 3 years.    
Tramadol has been pure hell to kick, emotionally and physically - it is the worst I have experienced.  I have been trying for over a year and still can't get off this stuff.      
Get rid of it - I wish someone would have told me what I was in for - it is not a journey you want to take.
Good Luck

[nessyness]

i was getting off of vicodin and was told to use ultram to help with withdrawls. I was told they were non narcotic and non addicting. Ha! I didnt feel the high i did from vics but they seemed to give me a feeling of ease, which struggling with depression for a long time i thought i had found the perfect thing. Boy was i wrong. I had no choice but to give them up cold turkey when the person i was getting them from couldnt get no more...that was the week from hell! I was crying all the time i couldnt get comfortable at night i was sick to my stomach and i had the weirdest vertigo feeling...thats when i stumbled upon this sight where i learned the facts i wish i woulda learned before i was stupid and put something in my body i knew nothing about.  So yes please throw them out!  Good luck and all the best to you.

[cubsmom]

i haven't had a vicodin in 15 day but started taking the tramadol because it was "safe". So now I'm trying to take just one but my body aches sooo bad and I am crying all the time too. I have a bottle of vicodins that I gave my husband so I wouldn't be tempted to take it but now I'm wondering if I should use it to ease of the tramadol and then wean off that or just use the thomas recipe and quit the trams. I can't sleep!  I have 4 kids I have to take care of. I need to get off the meds to see what is even real pain or withdrawal pain. I'm only taking 1 to 2 trams a day. WHAT TO DO?

[bkwrm679]

I don't think you'll have any withdrawals due to being on 135mg of methadone daily, if that's what you're worried about. Tramadol is an opiate agonist/antagonist and can cause precipitated withdrawals if taken with opiates that have less affinity for the same receptors. I think Tramadol does have less withdrawals than some of the other opiates, especially if you're only on it for a short period. I recall taking it for 2 weeks and then only having one bad night when I quit.

[mr.lucky66]

if this person was taking 135 mg. per day of methadone there is going to be a lot of withdrawals but I don't think that's what this poster said . Ultram is harder to get off than some opiates because of it antidepressant features.It's not a good idea to give after opiate addiction and as one poster wrote, she's thinking of going back to vicodin to kick ultram.

[worried878]

Methadone is one of the best pain relievers..not saying best one to be on for long term use as it is addictive...but throwing in a drug like tramadol makes no sense..it is not a very good pain releiver plus it is addictive as heck due to its narcotic like qualities and its anti-depressant qulaities/offers very little pain relief for the risk if u r an addict

no... 2 weeks on trams is ok to flush those puppies down the toilet..if the methadone u r on is not solving ur pain problems then u need to address that issue..methaone is a long acting potent pain reliever that Germany used during war times on the battle fields/due to its long duration of pain relief...the USA adopted it as a detox/maintenance drug for abusers of narcotics..but a dr can still rx this for pain///unlike sub which has very little pain relief qualities but is only approved for detox or addiction....u need to get some tests///find out why the methadone is not working as it is one of the most potent pain relievers on the market...be safe and keep posting

[josh231]

its hell i was hooked for a long time got clean off it around 17 months ago honestly not worth it one bit do the right hting and listen to everyone here cause if you dont you will regret it sorry

gl

[gothard]

Thank you for your thoughtful response to my question. I'm so glad that I discovered this web site in the first place (only 2 weeks ago) and really glad that I was able to find out about Tramadol.

  I asked my pharmacist about this drug and she indicated it was safe for an addict to take.  Then there is the doctor who prescibed them. He said he would only give me Tramadol because of my substance abuse issues. He gave me the prescription over a month ago, and I never took them, assuming they wouldn't do anything for my pain.

  So I decided 2 1/2 weeks ago to just take a few and see if they would help with my back pain (the prescription is for 90 of the 50mg pills).  Being an addict, the next day I took 8 of the damn things, to see if they would  give me a buzz.  They didn't.  But they actually helped my back pain.

For the last 18 days, I have taken them as prescribed (1 every 4 hours, no more than 4 per day).  Believe it or not, the last 2 days I have felt really crummy in the morning until I take one!  That's what prompted me to check the web site for peoples Tramadol experiences.  I just about flipped when I read the horror stories, and I believe them.  I only have 20 left, so I was planning to take 3 today, 2 tomorrow, 1 and a half the day after that, then one, then a half of one, then be done.

I should probably just throw them out and be done with it, and not even bother to taper them down, but I'm worried I will have unpleasant withdrawl.  Having to be dependant on another drug is the last thing I need.  

I was on Xanax for 8 years, and finally with the help of a different doctor, I tapered down and got off them 3 years ago.  I swore I would not get back on benzos, or let myself get another opiate habit on top of the Methadone.
It  would really suck to get hooked on a drug that doesn't even get you high!  This is the part I don't understand. How did all these people got hooked on them when they don't produce euphoria?  Maybe the Methadone I'm on was blocking the high from the Tramadol.  In any case, I appreciate all the advice.

[gothard]

Thank you for your thoughtful response to my question. I'm so glad that I discovered this web site in the first place (only 2 weeks ago) and really glad that I was able to find out about Tramadol.

  I asked my pharmacist about this drug and she indicated it was safe for an addict to take.  Then there is the doctor who prescibed them. He said he would only give me Tramadol because of my substance abuse issues. He gave me the prescription over a month ago, and I never took them, assuming they wouldn't do anything for my pain.

  So I decided 2 1/2 weeks ago to just take a few and see if they would help with my back pain (the prescription is for 90 of the 50mg pills).  Being an addict, the next day I took 8 of the damn things, to see if they would  give me a buzz.  They didn't.  But they actually helped my back pain.

For the last 18 days, I have taken them as prescribed (1 every 4 hours, no more than 4 per day).  Believe it or not, the last 2 days I have felt really crummy in the morning until I take one!  That's what prompted me to check the web site for peoples Tramadol experiences.  I just about flipped when I read the horror stories, and I believe them.  I only have 20 left, so I was planning to take 3 today, 2 tomorrow, 1 and a half the day after that, then one, then a half of one, then be done.

I should probably just throw them out and be done with it, and not even bother to taper them down, but I'm worried I will have unpleasant withdrawl.  Having to be dependant on another drug is the last thing I need.  

I was on Xanax for 8 years, and finally with the help of a different doctor, I tapered down and got off them 3 years ago.  I swore I would not get back on benzos, or let myself get another opiate habit on top of the Methadone.
It  would really suck to get hooked on a drug that doesn't even get you high!  This is the part I don't understand. How did all these people got hooked on them when they don't produce euphoria?  Maybe the Methadone I'm on was blocking the high from the Tramadol.  In any case, I appreciate all the advice.

[mr.lucky66]

Tramadol doesn't really have a "high'. and I never heard of anyone on methadone using it  or getting a high from it. There are other drugs that by themselves are nothing but taken with methadone have a synergistic effect. I think you should really re think about continuing with "doctor' who told you ultram isn't addictive. He could really mess you up in the future if he's that out of touch with recent medical info. You've done a good thing by quitting benzos while on methadone and that's rare. I did well on methadone until I started taking benzos then I had REAL problems and am now off all narcotics. all the best