Ultram

[vanessa0034]

I found this website awhile ago and have been doing alot of reading. It will be a year of taking Ultram (tramadol) next week. I think this is what is pushing me to stop. I want to see how I feel without it. I have forgotten how to live, laugh and to be myself. I will admit I have taken more than I should. Probably between 15-20 a day. Yesterday I only took three in the morning and stretched it for as long as I could, about 6 hours. I got so freaked and panicy I took 3, that did not work so I took 4, then 4 more, then 3 more. I kind of lost track, until I counted an hour later. 14 in one hour. OMG! I went to take a shower and started to get real shaky, I tried to fight it but it got worse, then I felt like I was going to pass out. I had to force myself to walk and talk for 2 hours straight, and tried my best to keep my heart rate down and to walk, I could not feel my legs. Okay, that scared the hell out of me. It's time to stop. Today I took 2 every 4 hours which ended up being 8 for the day. I have been shaky and very sweaty all day. I would like to taper from these once I get my body to get adjusted to my supposed dosage which is 6 a day. I would really like to know if there is anyone out there that can help me. Noone knows about this, so I am going to have to hide it. When I am done tapering am I going to go into full w/d's? I tried cold turkey before and thought I was going to die. I could really use some help here.

[here4all]

sorry I didn't get back to you sooner.  I don't get much time on the computer. I hated the chills and I had them bad.  They were bad for about 5-6 days and on and off for 10.  The restless legs were also horrible.  Fast heart rate, sweating and insomnia among other things were bad.  Don't know if it helps much.  

There is nothing pathetic about not wanting to go through the horrible feelings from w/d's.  You are on the right track.  You want to stop and people here can help support you.  Yes, exercise is great and gets your mind off things and will help with sleeping.  

Van, stay strong and fight for this.  Just think, days, weeks, months and years will go by and we can look back at all this as something we lived through and it made us stronger.  

I thought about how I can explain this to you and here it is.  It's like going through a dark tunnel.  It's a promise that there is something better on the other side, but you can't see it.  You have to enter it on your own and by yourself.  It's scary, dark and painful.  As you go through this tunnel you know you can turn around and go back to the light you came from.  A world you are familiar with and have a little control over. But, it's the world you weren't happy in.  So keep going forward in this tunnel and don't look back because you will eventually see the light on the other side and find it's reachable.  When you get there it will be a brighter, happier, and free life with real happiness and feelings that are yours.

Sorry, that's the best I could come up with.

Hang in, you are doing good.  There is nothing wrong with tapering off.  Find strength in anything you can.  Keep posting and let me know how you are doing and what (if anything) I can do.

[vanessa0034]

i am so glad that you posted to me and i hope that you can help me along the way. i am still at 8 a day and struggling. i am taking 2 every 4 hours and having a hell of a time. the chills are killin me. i don't know how you did this cold turkey, this morning when i woke up i felt very strange. i wish i had never touched the stuff. too late for that now. i really don't think i will have a problem mentally, i just don't want them anymore. the only reason i am taking them is so i won't get sick and that's pathetic. when did the chills and sweats end for you? I am going to start walking tomorrow, do you think that will help with anything? i have been reading a book that says taking alot of amino acids are supposed to help but i don't see that they would help with the rls. thanks for listening.

[here4all]

We are a lot alike.  I took Ultram for about the same amount of time and about the same dosing.  I quit c/t and went through hell.  I didn't tell any family my problem or that I was going to quit.  I think that was harder than anything (going through w/d alone).  It was impossible to hide in the end and I told my wife.  

I am now 18 days clean and am much better.  The mental "happy" is slow to come back.  That feeling we got on Ultram felt so good, but I am like you and wanted to feel the real thing.  My two year old daughter is my strength.  I want her to know her real dad and not the one on Ultram.  

You have to be strong.  The pain is bad from w/d but the lack of that happy feeling we got from ultram is the toughest.  People say it will return, but it is slow to coming.  

I hope you choose to do this and stop the ultram.  It will probably be the hardest thing you have ever done but, you sound like me.......I want to feel real things again and break free from this stuff.

STAY STRONG!  and lean on these people in here, they are a great source of strength and support.  Good luck.

[Uncle Joe]

Hello Vanessa

Yup, I would strongly suggest continueing the taper as you are.  Decreasing to 6 per day is fabulous!!!!  You are on the final stretch!  I know this from my own experience.  It is a good medication for people with a condition causing perpetual (aka "chronic") pain in comparison to true narcotics.  Yes...I also know this from my own experience.  After two surgeries (one ~12 years ago, one ~5 years ago), I was given vicodin for quite some time.  Fortunately I did not need any form of "detox," but I certainly didn't want to stop the occasional euphoric breaks caused by codeine.

I was given tramadol for a much longer time period after the latter surgery (after stopping vicodon).  I also have been prescribed tramadol more recently...but have now stopped.  If I had to describe it, I would call it "codeine light".  

Tramadol can cause seizures if one takes too much.  Abruptly stopping use (aka "cold turkey") can also cause serious problems...including seizures.  If you look at the manufacturers' cya write-up that comes with the prescription, this is all stated.  But as you know, them "cya" comments seem to look the same for every medication.  Well...this one for this medication is indeed the case.

That's right...you can have a seizure from taking tramadol, and you can have a seizure from not!!!!

Keep that ramp-down going!  Once you're at 2 a day, set up plans for a tramdol-free party with no tramadol but lots of booze!

Uncle Joe

[addict13]

You are very lucky you didn't have a seizure. Ultrams have a very high rate of causing seizures, and you took 14 in ONE hour? Geeeeeeeez you are very lucky to be okay! I hope you get off of them and please, don't ever take that many again!!!!!!!!

[minnie11]

If you have any will power at all (and I wasn't sure I had what it took, when I stopped) I would recommend that you tapered down to at least 8 a day before going c/t. I went c/t from 12 Ultram a day and I was sick as a dog for a month (sorry to be so brutally honest). We are all different and you may not experience as severe withdrawals as I did, but you have been taking a lot a day, and I really think your best option would be to taper. Maybe you can get somene to help you, hold the pills etc. I wish you the best, you have come to the right place, lots of support and advice here, so stick aorund.
Minnie

[kyjobr]

good luck getting some sleep!  Take a vitamin, drink lots of water and eat bananas (helps with the legs).  I think you'll be fine physically.  Next step, find out why you are taking more than you should in the first place.  That's the hardest part....be sure to post updates.

[kyjobr]

I've never been addicted to Ultram and supposedly it's not addictive but I know many many people would disagree.  Most people will say to decrease your intake by 20% per week.  How long has it been since your last dose?  I would say to wait as long as you can and then take a pill when/if you do actually start to feel bad.  Wait 30 minutes and take another if you still feel bad.  You may find that you don't need to take anything.  You have to be really careful with Ultram as it causes seizures with relatively low doses (I've heard of them happening with 5 pills).  

[vanessa0034]

I took two about an hour ago so the RLS does not kick in when I am sleeping. I am going to try and take away one pill every 7 days, I think that's a pretty slow taper. Yes I have heard of the seizures and thought for sure I was going to have one. Thanks for talking with me, it helps to know that I am not alone. I am going to bed now, so I hope that we talk soon!
Vanessa

[vanessa0034]

Thanks so much for your post. Actually aside from being cold/hot and shakey off and on today between doses my mood is actually better! Could you give me an idea as to what a slow taper is?
Vanessa

[kyjobr]

if you can taper slowly enough then you should be able to avoid the w/d's.  Except the mental ones.  You most likely will still have some depression because you have damaged that part of your brain that makes dopamine and makes you feel "good" naturally.  It will come back though.  Exercising and doing things you enjoy will make it heal faster.  Good luck!