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tramadol addiction
Hello everyone, I am new to this forum. I am addicted to tramadol and have been taking 30-40 pills a day for a year or more. I cannot stand it anymore and I surely cannot afford it anymore as tramadol has become much more expensive for smaller quantities lately. In any event, I was very ashamed of my huge habit and have had this secret for all this time. Nobody else knows at all....this is the first time I am able to be honest about it and I am grateful. I felt like the only one in the world that had such a huge habit and I am very ashamed of it. My tramadol if finally going to run out in a few days for good. Im an addict and my attempts to taper NEVER work. I ordered some kratom. does anybody have any advice about kratom.? Thanks again everyone!
Hi and welcome! I'm so glad that you're quitting and getting your life back! I'm only on day 6 and was taking a heck of a lot more than 2 a day :)!!! You're going to be fine and it's great that you're making the decision to quit. Many of us have done this / are doing this without anyone knowing. This forum is great but you've replied on an older form. All you need to do it copy/paste your post and click on the orange button at the top that says "Post a Question." I'm so happy for you! This is your first day at a brand new life!
I'm brand new to this site, only 2 pathetic days of Tramadol. I am embarassed to be on here for help as I was only taking 2 a day, but it's been 8 months and I'm already totally addicted and can't go a day without it. I am doing it cold turkey.I've been on here reading for hours and it helped immensely. I thought I was the only person in the world with the feelings of your life being conrtrolled by a little while pill (the *******!) but apparently I'm not. I have to agree with a few others that it somehow oddly seemed to give my energy. I have zero experience with addiciton of any kind, either myself or my family. One question I have - did many you do this by yourself? Some mentioned a spouse...NO one, and I mean NO has any idea I take this stuff or that I'm addicted. I stupidly keep asking my dr for an Rx and she stupidly keeps writing them (only 50 a month) but I have them all gone. Is it possible that I do this? I have a corporate job; no one at work knows, no friends know, and my husband has no idea. He may be wondering why I've been spontaneously crying the last two days, or woke up drenched in sweat (it was a cold night) Scary people right - and this is from only 2 A DAY!
Dane, please tell me why kratom is so bad? I can't believe how much it has been helping me with this withdrawl.. I could never have gone 3 days now without tramadol unless I obtained something else such as oxy. I researched kraom a bit and it seemed to me that people really had good things to say about it but I would really appreciate it if you'd let me know what you know. Thanks!!
I applaud you for getting off the Tram, but worried for you as well. First off you need to be careful with the Tram as it could cause seizures and please do not take the Kratom, that crap is dangerous, do your research on it, its bad news. As for the sleep, it takes time and it will come back but it takes some time, try over the counter stuff, it does help a bit, but your body has to go through the detox process in order to heal, think of it as releasing all the toxins in your body.
Hi there -
Please reconsider the kratom. We are going to keep this thread up as it has some good info, but kratom can be extremely addictive, and dangerous. Also, buying any drug, medication or supplement online can be dangerous as there is no guarantee that you will get what you should be getting, or if it's made in a sanitary environment, etc.
We would really hate for you to come off one thing only to end up addicted to something else in the process.
Emily
Please reconsider the kratom. We are going to keep this thread up as it has some good info, but kratom can be extremely addictive, and dangerous. Also, buying any drug, medication or supplement online can be dangerous as there is no guarantee that you will get what you should be getting, or if it's made in a sanitary environment, etc.
We would really hate for you to come off one thing only to end up addicted to something else in the process.
Emily
Its 4 o clock in the morning and guess what...I can't sleep! I was amazed at how great I felt last night when I went to sleep, but now I must admit the last 5 hours have been tossing and turning and wrestling my blankets. Nevertheless, I still feel optimistic because of how free I felt last night. I think the kratom is really doing something great because I have gone this far in withdrawl before and I know how I should be feeling...I'm just not feeling it....Well i just took 2 of the 4 tramadols i had stashed for this very reason. Maybe i can sleep some more. I'll check in again. Blessings to all.
Sounds good so far - for me it took about a day or so before the w/d's set in, but I did start sneezing right away. Like Zoey said, it will likely be rough, but you can get through it. I am anxious to hear about how the Kratom works. Did you get info on how/when to take it and how much? Please be careful with it . . . last thing you want to do is end up getting hooked on something else. Just take it as little as possible I guess. I do hope it helps. But no matter what happens, remember that this WILL pass in a few days. By the end of the week the worst of the physical stuff should be over. Keep posting and let us know how you are doing ok? Good luck . . . . .
Hi, hang in there. Keep posting and checking in, please. It's going to be rough, no doubt. It is only temporary. You can do this.
Well day one with no tramadol. I have taken a bunch of kratom capsules and I really don't feel anything. I am not sneezing or anything like I should be from tramadol withdrawl so maybe the kratom really does help. I saved 3 tramadol pills and then found 1 more so I have 4 that I plan to take tonight if I can't sleep. I'll post again later tomorrow.
Just have your mind ready for this because it is rough BUT at least the physical stuff is just a few days. I did 70 days sober from 10-12 Hyrdocodone a day for 10years I was Feeling good and making it. I have pain issues and they put me on Roxy, as of course they were concerned about my liver with all that Tylenol. Narcotics will never work for me. I am now day one CT and it has been a very emotional day but its almost over and soon I will be on to day 2 ;-). Like every one says-cut all sources, tell your secret and aftercare. I did a little bit of each the first time but not in a timely manner. At least I let my husband know right away that I am starting withdrawal today. Let me know how the kratom. Hang in there and keep posting!!
God bless you for your concern. I am just so happy to feel like somebody understands and doesn't judge me.
Jullie, my name is Wendy...thank you sooo much for your support. My kratom arrived today so thats great because my tramadol is now gone. I have 3 pills for tomorrow if its intolerable, and thats it. I don't have the funds to see an outside doctor and I do not wish to inform my regular doctor about this issue so the other prescription meds will not be an option. I don't particularily like benzos anyway but it would be nice to have around for sleep. I may go to my doctor for the restless legs if they are bad I just won't tell her why I have them. I feel positive now, but I know how easily I get frustrated. I will keep in touch over the next few days. God bless you for your concern and help. I no longer feel totally alone.
Sounds like you're heading into the thick of it. FourJays had great advice, just hang in there and try various things to see what helps. If you can get a script for Clonidine, that can help a ton. As an aside I've heard of Trileptal helping immensely, too, but of course you'll have to find a doc willing to prescribe that. It's used in benzo and alcohol detox and there's been one study on using it for Tramadol detox...it looked very promising. Not sure if you'll have time to get seen for any of that before you're in the worst of it, but if you can manage at least the Clonidine that could help a lot. Other than that, do yourself a favor and get those Epsom salts...I didn't discover the joy of those until too late almost. It's easy to dismiss something so benign and non-pharmaceutical, haha. Music you love, great movies, anything that can distract you and remind you of who you are and who you want to get back to--I heartily recommend that type of thing. I listened to a lot of Grateful Dead, perhaps ironically :)
Hello and welcome -
Do not be ashamed - you wont be judged here; you've come to the right place! I had a very serious tramadol addiction myself and actually was taking a little bit more than you are over the last year or so before I quit cold turkey on Dec. 1st, 2012. I cannot help you with the Kratom thing; I have never tried it and in fact did not hear about it until after I had gone through the detox. I have heard some things about it - both good and not so good; hopefully someone else will come along with some advice that has tried it.
In the mean time, sounds like you are going to be starting your detox very soon? There are lots of things that you can do to help alleviate the w/d symptoms and help you get though the worst of it. First - have you seen a dr. about this? Its best to do so before a cold turkey; there are a few prescription meds that could really help you. SO many people have used Clonidine to aid in w/d's. Again, I really didn't know much about it and never got it myself, but I have heard it can make a huge difference in the severity of symptoms, and most importantly, it helps to control blood pressure (a common problem in w/drawal). If there is ANY way to get ahold of this, do so. Look up the Thomas Recipe (link on this page) for tons of great information on home detox remedies.
A few other things that I personally found helpful: magnesium/potassium supplements (or any foods containing them) will help with the restless leg thing. You have to drink lots of fluids to keep hydrated & eat some light meals (soup, crackers, ensure, whatever you can manage) - my best friend was Vitamin Water "Revive" formula. It has a bunch of potassium, b vitamins, electrolytes - all things you need in those first days. There is a product called "Restless Legs" that I found at the vitamin store that helped too. Have some ibuprophen or Tylenol for the aches and pains; and even better - soaks in a hot tub w/or w/out Epsom salts are like Heaven. I lit some candles, put some soothing music on and literally sat in the tub for hours many times those first few days. If you don't have a tub, I have recently learned from another (very smart :) member to use the Epsom salts even in the shower; just rub them on your skin. Be prepared with plenty of clean towels, tshirts, underwear - anything cotton/comfy so you can change as often as needed should you get any of the sweat/cold thing. I changed my clothes every couple of hours those first few days. Use Immodium if you need it; it will work wonders for tummy and gastro problems. I did use a Benzo - Klonipin - to help w/anxiety and rest (wouldn't call it sleep; don't expect much of that for a few days). It is a prescription med (Xanax would do the same). If you go with these, just be careful to use only what you need and don't keep them around afterward. They have a pretty high risk for abuse as well, but should be ok if you are only going to use them for a week or so.
Mostly just expect to feel like crap for a couple of days, kinda similar to the flu. NOT fun, but you can get through it, and with a cold turkey as you are intending, you can get it over with - IT IS TEMPORARY and very normal; and you can really reduce your discomfort using the remedies outlined above. I am sure that others will have some great advice too. It usually peaks between day 3 -4 and will slowly get better after that (well at least the physical stuff will). I took the crap for over 10 years at really high doses and I am now 90 days clean. It is NOT easy, still have the crumby days, but SO much better that being stoned out on the Tram, worrying about your next order, fretting about money and feeling like a piece of s***, It is so nice to break free of these evil pills.
Tramadol is known to cause some emotional ups and downs even after the detox period. There are lots of helpful supplements and things you can do to help with that also (exercise is HUGE and as SOON as you can manage, get up and walk, ride, anything to get moving). For now, just get through the next few days and pamper yourself as much as possible. You will then soon need to think about aftercare also - support through NA meetings, therapy, or some kind of help that will aid in your overall recovery and reduce relapse chances.
Sorry this got so long - but I SO totally understand and can feel exactly where you are right now and I want you to know you CAN and WILL get through it. There are lots of people here that will support you too; keep on posting your progress ok? Good luck . . . . . and congratulations on your decision to get out of the tram Hell . . . it IS absolutely the right thing to do. Im pulling for you :))
Julie
Do not be ashamed - you wont be judged here; you've come to the right place! I had a very serious tramadol addiction myself and actually was taking a little bit more than you are over the last year or so before I quit cold turkey on Dec. 1st, 2012. I cannot help you with the Kratom thing; I have never tried it and in fact did not hear about it until after I had gone through the detox. I have heard some things about it - both good and not so good; hopefully someone else will come along with some advice that has tried it.
In the mean time, sounds like you are going to be starting your detox very soon? There are lots of things that you can do to help alleviate the w/d symptoms and help you get though the worst of it. First - have you seen a dr. about this? Its best to do so before a cold turkey; there are a few prescription meds that could really help you. SO many people have used Clonidine to aid in w/d's. Again, I really didn't know much about it and never got it myself, but I have heard it can make a huge difference in the severity of symptoms, and most importantly, it helps to control blood pressure (a common problem in w/drawal). If there is ANY way to get ahold of this, do so. Look up the Thomas Recipe (link on this page) for tons of great information on home detox remedies.
A few other things that I personally found helpful: magnesium/potassium supplements (or any foods containing them) will help with the restless leg thing. You have to drink lots of fluids to keep hydrated & eat some light meals (soup, crackers, ensure, whatever you can manage) - my best friend was Vitamin Water "Revive" formula. It has a bunch of potassium, b vitamins, electrolytes - all things you need in those first days. There is a product called "Restless Legs" that I found at the vitamin store that helped too. Have some ibuprophen or Tylenol for the aches and pains; and even better - soaks in a hot tub w/or w/out Epsom salts are like Heaven. I lit some candles, put some soothing music on and literally sat in the tub for hours many times those first few days. If you don't have a tub, I have recently learned from another (very smart :) member to use the Epsom salts even in the shower; just rub them on your skin. Be prepared with plenty of clean towels, tshirts, underwear - anything cotton/comfy so you can change as often as needed should you get any of the sweat/cold thing. I changed my clothes every couple of hours those first few days. Use Immodium if you need it; it will work wonders for tummy and gastro problems. I did use a Benzo - Klonipin - to help w/anxiety and rest (wouldn't call it sleep; don't expect much of that for a few days). It is a prescription med (Xanax would do the same). If you go with these, just be careful to use only what you need and don't keep them around afterward. They have a pretty high risk for abuse as well, but should be ok if you are only going to use them for a week or so.
Mostly just expect to feel like crap for a couple of days, kinda similar to the flu. NOT fun, but you can get through it, and with a cold turkey as you are intending, you can get it over with - IT IS TEMPORARY and very normal; and you can really reduce your discomfort using the remedies outlined above. I am sure that others will have some great advice too. It usually peaks between day 3 -4 and will slowly get better after that (well at least the physical stuff will). I took the crap for over 10 years at really high doses and I am now 90 days clean. It is NOT easy, still have the crumby days, but SO much better that being stoned out on the Tram, worrying about your next order, fretting about money and feeling like a piece of s***, It is so nice to break free of these evil pills.
Tramadol is known to cause some emotional ups and downs even after the detox period. There are lots of helpful supplements and things you can do to help with that also (exercise is HUGE and as SOON as you can manage, get up and walk, ride, anything to get moving). For now, just get through the next few days and pamper yourself as much as possible. You will then soon need to think about aftercare also - support through NA meetings, therapy, or some kind of help that will aid in your overall recovery and reduce relapse chances.
Sorry this got so long - but I SO totally understand and can feel exactly where you are right now and I want you to know you CAN and WILL get through it. There are lots of people here that will support you too; keep on posting your progress ok? Good luck . . . . . and congratulations on your decision to get out of the tram Hell . . . it IS absolutely the right thing to do. Im pulling for you :))
Julie
Thank you so much for your suggestions and for your time. Tomorrow is my last day of tramadol and I am praying my kratom arrives tomorrow.
Thank you for your response and suggestions. Tomorrow is my last day of tramadol and I'm praying the kratom gets here tomorrow.
Hey Lokisnooper...I replied to your other post on the old thread. Will stay with this newer thread...let us know how we can help. Also you might want to go back and read the old EmilyPost journals on here..she was an early warrior in the fight against Tramadol addiction and her early journals really spoke to me and helped me. Can search her name in the search bar and go to her journals on the right.
Hi and welcome! I was taking only 1/4 to 1/2 what you've been taking, but I took Tramadol for a year, as well. The revolving door of orders and deliveries, the secrecy, the haze...it was awful. I wanted to quit for a long time and I am so glad that the shipments started getting delayed because it forced me to stretch time between doses, which gave me strength to taper and finally quit.
I did so fairly quickly but I had hydrocodone left over to help me do so. I tapered down then tapered over to the hydros, which I used for about two weeks after quitting the Tramadol, to buffer the worst of the chills/sweats/restless legs and insomnia. Quitting, though it took a full month to really get through, really wasn't bad at any one given point in time. The worst was the insomnia. But Tramadol does not cause the same experience with use or withdrawal in all people, it is my understanding, as it is the metabolites of the drug that create its effects.
I chose to use the hydrocodone as I had read success stories from this method, and I had also heard success stories from people getting off hydros by using Tramadol. There's something about the switching-to-quit method that seems to work somehow, as long as you don't take the quitting aid too long, of course, and just swap one drug for another. And that comes down to motivation and honesty, I think. I knew I didn't want to stay on ANY drug, and I followed through with quitting the hydros. If I hadn't had the hydros, I may have considered Kratom. But again, I knew my ultimate intent and I was so tired of being on something. I also felt justified in doing it that way because of my immense responsibilities as a single mother of young children, working a job and a half, etc. I couldn't drop any balls in the process.
I wanted to put this in "I" statements rather than give advice. I hope this is helpful in some way. I wish you all the best with whatever path you take to sobriety.
By the way, if you're interested in reading about most of my journey it's in a very long thread called "Trying to Quit Tramadol". Here's a link:
http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Addiction-Substance-Abuse/Trying-to-quit-Tramadol/show/1877895
I did so fairly quickly but I had hydrocodone left over to help me do so. I tapered down then tapered over to the hydros, which I used for about two weeks after quitting the Tramadol, to buffer the worst of the chills/sweats/restless legs and insomnia. Quitting, though it took a full month to really get through, really wasn't bad at any one given point in time. The worst was the insomnia. But Tramadol does not cause the same experience with use or withdrawal in all people, it is my understanding, as it is the metabolites of the drug that create its effects.
I chose to use the hydrocodone as I had read success stories from this method, and I had also heard success stories from people getting off hydros by using Tramadol. There's something about the switching-to-quit method that seems to work somehow, as long as you don't take the quitting aid too long, of course, and just swap one drug for another. And that comes down to motivation and honesty, I think. I knew I didn't want to stay on ANY drug, and I followed through with quitting the hydros. If I hadn't had the hydros, I may have considered Kratom. But again, I knew my ultimate intent and I was so tired of being on something. I also felt justified in doing it that way because of my immense responsibilities as a single mother of young children, working a job and a half, etc. I couldn't drop any balls in the process.
I wanted to put this in "I" statements rather than give advice. I hope this is helpful in some way. I wish you all the best with whatever path you take to sobriety.
By the way, if you're interested in reading about most of my journey it's in a very long thread called "Trying to Quit Tramadol". Here's a link:
http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Addiction-Substance-Abuse/Trying-to-quit-Tramadol/show/1877895
Hi welcome. Do not go away. They will be rolling in and out. There is alot of good experience on here and they will help you out. I have seen many bleesing on here.....Just keep checking post...
vickie
PS check out some of the old posting pages over regarding your med..
vickie
PS check out some of the old posting pages over regarding your med..
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