tram withdrawal

[saphire1]

I am a new member so first I want to give you the short version of my story. I never had an addiction problem before had several surgerys laminectomy,hysterectomy,torn rotor cuff. etc.  In f2006 I was assulted herniated 3 cervical discs. five surgeons told me they were in operable because of advanced degeration arthritis and ostoporosis. i  was then referred to pain managent. I had neck pain, arm pain, muscle spasms and constant headaches. i was thenrefereed to pain manaagement. as i built up tolerences to the meds i required more and more to relieve th pain.I was about 2 ms in physical therapy but it was stopped when they said the did all they could do.  I wound up on 100mc Fentanyl , 3vic 10/325 4x day, 1 soma 4x day,lyrica 150mg 2x day and tramadol as needed. used all this daily for 2 1/2 years.  I was in the ER 2x for bowel obstruction. thought I was going to die the abd pain was so bad. my GI doctor told me I had to get off the lyrica  and the opiates because my bowel was becoming atonic.  so that day I called the insurance co and demanded they approve more physical therapy. i went to painmanagement got the prescription for therapy and started to wean off the meds one at a time.  This process has taking seven months.  i think i have had every type of w/d symptom known to man. i have all interest in everything i used to do and all i could focus was on getting off this s--t. Today is my first day opiate free. This morning I woke up with some anxiety--which I expected.  but then started having chest pain and palpitations similar to when I was withdrawing from lyrica.
first question- Is this normal for tram withdrawal.   I took 2 otc motrin, and 1 otc,benadryl and this helped. but by the afternoon the anxiety was so bad I took 1/2 tab of ativan slept for three ours and right now I feel pretty good...almost normal.  I was reluctant to use the ativan because I an so afraid of a new addiction.  My doctor gave me a script about 3 ms to use for occaisional insomnia and for the chest pain and palps assoc with the lyrica w/d. (i did have a cardiac work up wich was normal) I still have most of that script.
second question--did I do the right thing by taking the ativan.  I read last night on a post that 1 mg of ativan=10mg of valium. I just want to be off this stuff.

[benevolentlaughter]

Was the abdominal pain REALLY bad that you're talking about here? Because that is what I'm going through right now is SEVERE abdominal pain, and I'm hoping that everything is alright, you know?

[soccerMOM6884]

I can't answer correctly if you should/shouldn't have taken the Ativan.  If you have a good working relationship with a responsible Primary Care Physician, I would counsult him/her.  Mine is unbelievable.  She tells me just like it is and even when I would rather not hear what she says I know she is working for my good.  I was also on Fentanol (sp?) patch which I used in between my prescriptions when they would run out each month.  You may wind up agreeing with some of the other posts like I did that the pain that you think you are in so bad each month seems to disappear with the addiction.  I literally would wake up between 2 and 3 AM each morning crawling to the bathroom, take my next Roxicet then breathe a sigh of relief.  I imagined that I was in the worst pain you could imagine.  Muscles aches...you name it.  I had to have this pill.  By 8 AM, I needed to take one to get ready... on and on.  When I became totally clear of the pain I was able (just in the last two days) to acknowledge what is true pain and what was imagined.  I have had 9 major abdominal surgeries.  I have pain after eating.  But I can live through it without the pain med's.   That's the difference.  The  true need vs. the excuse.  I wasn't able to see the difference until I was clear of the pills.

It sounds like you have almost won your battle.  The fact that you question using Adivan was great.  It shows you truly want free.  What many describe here as restless leg is actually the joint pain you have while detoxing.  I was told that while detoxing my body does everything it can to get the opiates out of my system (sweating, diarrea (diarrhea), vomiting, etc).  I don't know why but this made me feel better knowing that while I was suffering through this horriffic stuff that the nasty meds were actually leaving my system.  Also, drinking tons of water helps!

[tylersblueeyedmama]

First, let me say Congratulations on your first opiate free day!!!!  I second everything SoccerMom had said!  There is an OTC med to help with restless legs and it is by Hylands, now I used that and it was great, but you may want to check with the PCP first to make sure it won't interact with anything else.

You are on the right path and I am very proud of you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Keep us updated :)

[theeagle]

You did just fine by using your ativan .... it would take you several days of stronger use to even think about developing a problem with it - but you know yourself better than we do ... to yourself be true.....

How long and how many of the trams have you been doing? They arent real narcottic but they can be problematic.........it even sounds a little like tram w/d's.....they are more of a souped up AD than a narcotic.  But they work with serotonin in the brain and they need to be tapered long and slow....and during withdrawals from them you may have depression and panic attacks..... Do some breathing exercises for the anxiety and palpitations...

[avisg]

That could be the trams they can give you some nasty panic attacks as well.There is a muscle relaxer that works really well for tram wd its called zanaflex as your do about it .it is the only thing that ever has helped with the muscle pain and it made me feel all around better.You can do this look how much you have already done .

[saphire1]

thanks for the reply. I can relate to everything you said I've woke up in the middle of the night  many times bottle clutching.  Today is day 2, I feel alitle anxious but not bad. but the musclespasm in my back and neck are worse.  I took the other 1/2 of the ativan last night  with a benedryl and slept thru the night.  Iam going to try not to use the ativan today unless the chest pain comes back. I'll let you kknow how it goes. thanks for caring.