Ultram Withdrawal

Hello, i was addicted to hydrocodone for YEARS- i stopped it cold turkey, and went through hell for about 10 days, and I was doing great....... My legit pain made me go back to it, but I was honest with my Dr, so he gave me about 12 day worth per month, and a RX for ultram for the off days. AHHHHHH seemed like a miracle. No withdrawal, and all was fine. Well, now? i stopped taking the hydrocodone about 2 months ago and went solely on ultram for 2 months...... i put that down, thinking i am done with all this and im not hooked.  Well, mentally im not.... have never craved them, etc... but physically i feel like im gonna die. My QUESTION is this. if I take 1 ultram today will it stop the obvious physical withdrawal I am going thru from Ultram?  thanks for any help

[ImDONENoMore]

Hi whitedove and welcome!

And yes, if you took the 1 ultram it will stop the withdrawal because your body would still be getting the drug.  Ultram is the worst in my book - I too had taken other opiates throughout the years and getting off of those was a cakewalk for me by comparison.

And if you do have the ultram left and want to quit entirely, tapering is the best way to go.  I took ultram for over 6 years and quit cold turkey over 10 months ago (along with xanax) and the withdrawal was horrendous - worst experience of my life.  The problem with ultram is that it contains the same components found in an anti-depressant (very similar to effexor) and that makes withdrawal that much worse.  But I can tell you that now over 10 months later I am feeling almost 100% better - getting off this drug (and the xanax) was the best decision of my life and it will be for you too.

But from what I've read, tapering is a much easier and safer way to detox off the ultram.  I didn't know that when I quit - and quite frankly, I didn't have the discipline at that time to taper anyway - so I just jumped off.

And physical side of withdrawal will be tough but there are a lot of things you can do to help with those symptoms (hot showers or baths with epsom salts, vitamins and supplements, staying hydrated, walking, etc.) so keep posting and I'm sure some of our other "tramavictims" will reply to you as well.  And like I said, getting off of this drug was the best thing I could have done for myself.  Life is SO much better off the tram you'll see.  And it does take a while to get there, but the journey will be well worth it in the long run.

Good luck to you and feel free to pm me and I'd be happy to share what I did at different stages to help alleviate the withdrawal symptoms.  You CAN do this!!!  :)

[gnarly_1]

how much ultram are you taking now ???

[whitedove83]

none......... I have some, but I dont want to UNDO what I've already gone thruby taking any.  if I thought it would help but not STOP the withdrawal, id probably take one- but I am NOT willing to ever go thru this again.

[gnarly_1]

hi this is one of those drugs you need to go off slowly or risk seizure I have no personal experence with it but have read it is a real bit ch to get off off do your research go to the top of this page and put it in the search box it will bring up all kinds of stuff for you to read....better safe the sorry we have several regular members who are familiar with this drug
I e/mailed a few hopefully theywill get back to you in the next few days good luck and God bless......Gnarly  

[banders66]

Hi, I also took the Ultram for a couple of months as the Dr directed for pain. I have taken a variety of other pain killers in the last year (after a bad hysterectomy) including morphine and never had a problem with becoming dependent. I am very health conscious and have never had problems with addiction in the past...until....the NON-ADDICTIVE, NON-NARCOTIC ultram (tramadol) was prescribed. I became dependant in only two months. I took as directed but started noticing that I needed more for pain relief. When I began taking more, the Dr refused to refill my prescription. I began having cold sweats, panic attacks, abdominal pain that left me on the floor in the bathroom until I threw up. I couldn't sleep AT ALL-and talk about restless legs-it felt like a 1000 pound weight had been set on my body and then I began to fill up with sand.I decided that If I was going to pull it together enough to stay out of the bathroom I would have to taper.I had to taper quick because I only had a few left. I cut in half and quartered-stretched them out as long as I could. I also had a nurse friend that gave me Xanax. It was a godsend. I finally was able to get to sleep and was able to avoid going into seizures.  I also started taking Higlands Leg cramp medicine for the all over body aches, take multi vitamin and stay hydrated. If you can make it through the first 3 days, it will get better. It is day 14 for me and I am so thankful that I got off this deadly pill-it's evil! and withdrawal can be hell-try to taper! You can do it.

[topher69]

When Ultram first came out in the oh...mid 90's as I remember, I was in my glory days of hydrocodone addiction and thought I had found my savior drug. Not narcotic? Not habit forming? Perfect, no more pain and no more withdrawal. On my third day of taking it I had a massive gran mal seizure,no more Ultram. I never reallly thought about it again until four years ago and started on my Suboxone and our Doc started to use it in very small doses after a patient was off of Suboxone but still having withdrawal symptoms and seemed to work very well. Well, we all know that it is addictive now,( I think the makers new it before they released it).I don't know how much you are taking a day, but I think a tapering down tactict might work for you. Be sure to talk to your Doctor before trying it.

[Ballgame]

You will get wd from ultram. It's attaches to pain receptors. It's brutal to get off of

[whitedove83]

I didn't even know I had grown dependent on these things?!  i took them for 2 months and HATED them. i stopped abruptly and it took me days to figure out what happened?!  Well, it's day 8 and I STILL have profound chills and sweats, diarhea (diarrhea) and a dark, gloomy depression with anxiety (THIS IS NOT ME!)   My question now is- WHEN will these things start to subside? i went to er yest and they told me no no no ultram isnt addictive- i got angry and I told them what time it was......... they gave me celexa and ativan..... i havent taken them-but i will if this crap doesnt start to feel better!

HOW long til the chills go away? Id be happy with just knowing that!
Plus- I have ZERO stamina. I can barely walk, no energy. When does this start to get better?

[ImDONENoMore]

Yup what you're experiencing is pretty typical - the withdrawal from Ultram was by far worse for me than any other opiate.  The WORST.

The symptoms you mention are normal.  I wish I could tell you exactly when it's going to end but that seems to be different for all of us.  It took me over two weeks to get past the majority of the physical side of withdrawal.  And it was about three months later that I finally realized I was turning that corner.  And now, over 10 months later, the symptoms are all but gone - I do have the bad day now and again but I attribute that to just regular life.

Have you tried the thomas recipe or amino acid protocol?  Those things were huge in my recovery and I think they could help you too?

[DavidX65]

I feel the same way day 3 and my nerves are iraitating  the stuff out of me. my doctor has me taking clordiazepoxide which so far doesnt do anything

fighting pain

Davidx65