Tramadol *****,

[badshadow]

I was prescribed Tramadol early this year for "Chronic Pain."  The  Dr. and the Pharmacist said that it was not addictive.

I have not abused the Medication.  I take 100mg 2 times a day.

I have also been doing exercise and physical therapy for my pain.  I decided to cut back and get off the Tramadol a couple of weeks ago because I'm not having bad pain, and it has been aliving Hell.  Just cutting down 50mg at a time gave me extreme anxiety.  so I thought I would just quit altogether and try to go "Cold Turkey."  If I thought I was in Hell before, I really was in Hell then.

The Anxiety was so bad  I couldn't stand it.  I only went a day and a half and today I took my regular dose again.

The Anxiety is greatly diminished and I don't feel so sick, but I am super-scared as to how I will get off this medication.

I have an appointment with my Dr. tomorrow to discuss it, but I don't really know what the Dr. can do for me.

I'm thinking I'll just have to do a really slow taper, just a quarter tablet at a time.

[badshadow]

That's what happened to me.  I started having this awful Anxiety after being on the Tramadol.

How do I read "Emily's Journal?"

Thank you so much for being here for me.  I am on the  Valium and with what you told me, I will stay on it and not switch.

I do know how to do the "Belly Breathing" exercises.  I did some and it did help calm me down, but it was also time for my "dose," so I took that as well.

I feel much less Anxiety right now.  I've been experimenting with the Amino Acids and I've noticed that when I take the Aminos my Anxiety gets worse.  I don't know why that would be, but I've tried an Amino Acid Complex several times, and each time I've taken it my Anxiety gets worse.

I'm in Menopause, so I know what your going through there.

Madtram, what did you do with your time while you were going through all these withdrawals?  Did you have to work?  I don't have to work right now, but I'm having a hard time concentrating on things.  Although posting here helps take up some of my time.  I try to read, but have a hard time concentrating.

I looked up the Jasmine Oil for Sleep and it said to put a few drops on your pillow.  It also said that it can give you "Vivid Dreams," which I don't need since I suffer from Nightmares from PTSD.  I hope it helps you though.  If you get the Pure Essential Oil from a Health Food Store, I don't think it would be too expensive.  When I was working as an Esthetician, I would use Aromatherapy in my Facials.  I have allergies though, so I cannot really tolerate prolonged exposure to them, although I do like Lavender.

I feel like I am finding friends here, like yourself, and it feels good.

My Dr. also prescribed a low dose of Seroquel for sleep at night.  I've read several posts here about it, and I think I will try it when I get it filled.

I've read bad things about it at higher doses, but people have reported it helpful for sleep at lower doses.

I'm also taking Dramamine at night to help for sleep.  Anything for some Blessed Sleep.

Hugs to you also, and thank you again for reaching out to me.  You really don't know how much it means.

I wish you Health and Wellness and Peaceful Sleep and all the good things you deserve and are working so hard for.

[madtram]

Hang in there, this will pass.  Emily was prescribed klonopin for anxiety that only started after being on tramadol for a while.  She was on the klonopin for at least a year & had a very hard time when tapering off.  You can read back through her journal for her experiences.

Benzos are best avoided but IMHO, based on Dr Ashton's recommendations & my experience, the least damage would be done by using the lowest effective dose of valium at night & tapering off that.  Valium has a much longer half life than klonopin so is easier to taper from.   Dr Ashton uses valium to taper people off other benzos.

Do you know how to do belly breathing exercises, they can be very helpful when the panic hits.

Thanks so  much for your concern for me.  I stopped the Lunesta cold turkey about 9 months ago, so it has taken a long time to recover from withdrawals & regain normal sleep.  I also hit perimenopause around the same time, hormones all over the shop which adds to the fun.

I will post some more precise info about the jasmine oil, once I check it out.  I have high hopes for this too.

I am better than I have been in so many years & you are closer to that point with every day that passes.  Even though you feel deep in the woods, the path will become clearer if you hold your current course.

Hugs from M

[badshadow]

I don't know why, but I just had/am having a horrible Anxiety Attack.  I felt like my skin was crawling, I kept having to go to the bathroom, and I felt like I was losing my mind.

I don't know if this withdrawal related or what.  Things haven't been too bad so far, but I am going lower and lower on my doses.  Still trying to keep them 6 hours apart.  It was getting close to the time of my next dose, so maybe my body is just starting to feel the withdrawals more.

Part of me just wants to say S**** this, and just stop, but if I stopped today I would be stopping at 45mg.

I still have enough for several more days, and I wanted to keep tapering down to 1/2 every 6 hours for a couple of days, and then stop.

This whole thing is crazy.  My Dr. wants me to take Seroquel at night for sleep.  I am sleeping some, and I'm scared to add another medication into the Mix that I may have trouble getting off of.

I also have Klonopin which he said I could take 1/4 of in the day for Anxiety and 1/2 to 1 at night for Anxiety and Sleep, but I have the same fear.  Even if it's only for a few weeks while I taper and get off this stuff, I'm still scared to add another Medication in.

I've had Klonopin before, a long time ago when I was having a really hard time with my Anxiety after my mother died.  My Dr. had me on it for awhile, and then slowly tapered me off it.  She said that tapering off Klonopin is easier than tapering off some of the other Anti-Anxiety Medications because it stays in your system longer.

Anyway, I don't know, and I'm not sure what to do.

I feel drowsy in the daytime, but I try to make sure I don't nap or sleep since that can make sleeping at night even harder.

I'm feeling depressed right now.

[badshadow]

Congratulations on being free from Tramadol for 2 years.  Are you off the Lunesta now as well?  I was reading that any long term use of Anti-Anxiety Medications depletes your Brain of Vitamin of B-6, which is a precursor for Seratonin and Melatonin.

It really s**** when we start on a medcation not really understanding where we can end up on it.  I had been doing well with my recovery and thought that the Tramadol was doing great for my Arthritis until I started noticing some strange side-effects, and then I looked on-line and found out how many people were addicted and having such a hard time getting off this.

One thing though, I'm learning alot about different supplements and how they can help me in this process.  I've been taking them every day and they really do seem to make a difference in terms of my Anxiety.

I'll definitely try the Jasmine Oil, and get some Jasmine Tea too, which I like.

What are you supposed to do with the Jasmine Oil?  Put it on your pillow or put a few drops in some water and drink it?

My fear of insomnia definitely impacts my life. I think I said that I don't travel because of it.  The thing I've noticed too is that it seems to be getting worse as I get older.

I'm trying to learn to meditate and just visualize all of my fears just leaving me.  Also, exercise is important too.  Now though, since I have problems with Arthritis I can't excercise like I used to. I can go for short walks, but I can't do intense exercise to tire myself out.

Some days I feel "Frozen" in Fear.  I don't want to move off my couch.  I don't know where that fear comes from.  I'm not really "afraid" to leave my house, I just don't want to.  Same with driving.  I don't have Panic Attacks, just alot of Generalized Anxiety.

A couple of years ago, my Dr. started me on 10mg of Valium at bedtime.  I could take one in the daytime if I needed it, but seldom have.  Now, the 10mg at bedtime doesn't work for me anymore, but I don't want to take more.  I want to get off the Vicodin, then get off the Valium, and just eat right, take supplements, learn to relax and meditate.

Madtram, I hope you find some comfort and relief from your fears.  If I had a Magic Wand and could just Magically Erase them I would.  I know what it's like to suffer with these fears, and unless your someone who has experienced it, it's hard to understand what it's like.

[madtram]

Your post really caused me to think about my fear of insomnia & understand what a strong influence this irrational fear has had on me.

I have been free of tramadol for two years but it was many months later before I appreciated that Lunesta, (it's like ambien only worse), was a benzo which was also having a negative effect on my body.  As Emily Post has said many times, we are prescribed drugs to treat the side effects of other drugs.

It's great that the vicodin taper is helping with your symptoms, particularly the insomnia.  I just read a reputable study where pure jasmine oil was found to be as effective as sleeping pills so I am keen to test this out.  It has to be 100% jasmine, not blended which is very expensive but hopefully a few drops a night will work.

Best wishes.

[badshadow]

Thank you for your support,

I haven't heard of Lunesta, and I'm not going to ask for anything for sleep because I don't want to end up in the same boat with another medication.

Switching over to Vicodin from Tramadol and tapering off the Vicodin seems to be working, and I am getting some sleep.

I'm down to 9 Vicodin today.  Monday I'll go down to 7 a day, and right now the Anxiety isn't so bad.  By the end of the week I should be off all Vicodin, and on the road to getting my life back.

MadTram, you've been through alot, and I'm sorry to hear of your suffering with this same horrible Sleep Anxiety.  The CBT has been helping me over the past few days.  Be kind to yourself and take care of yourself.  Do something that makes you feel good.  Go to bed with a Teddy Bear if it gives you comfort.  (I do.)  I also read Children's stores which for some reason makes me feel calm.

How long have you been off the Tramadol?

We can all do it together.  None of us are bad people, we did get caught up in  bad medication/s.  All we want is to feel better, and there are alot of meds that do make us feel better initially, but turn out to be monsters for us.  We end up taking more when they stop working as well, we end up forging scrips or doing other illegal things, but we are just Human that way.  At least we have a fighting chance to change ourselves and to try and help others.

I never knew until I came on this Forum that others had that same "Fear of Not Sleeping" as I do.  Knowing that others have the same problem makes me feel less alone.

Everyone on this Forum is in my prayers and I hope we stay here and help each other on our journey toward recovery and a better life.  I know I will stick around.