tramadol withdrawal

[Birdie23]

I am in the process of getting off of tramadol. It was prescribed for me for ocassional use for mild to moderate pain like headache, muscle soreness, etc. I used it only ocassionally for several months. About 4 months ago, I became involved in a fairly intense project and was experiencing more discomfort. Without really thinking much about it, I started using tramadol every day and then increased this to 2-3 times each day. The dosage was 100mg, so I was taking 100-300mg daily (or 2-6, 50mg pills) for 3 months. After I finished the project in mid-may, I decided that I needed to stop using a drug to get through the day, so I tried to just stop taking it. WOW! Serious withdrawal symptoms including joint and muscle pain, stomch issues, fatigue, depression and a strange hollowness in my nerves ensued. I didn't feel I could just stop functioning for a week or two or whatever it would take, so I used some hydrocodone that I had to help me get my tramadol use down to 100mg per day over the course of a week. I would just take the hydro when I started feeling really bad in the afternoon to get me through the rest of the day. Then, I decided to just quit the tramadol altogether. The withdrawal was really difficult. I was worried about getting addicted to the hydro, so I got some concentrated kratom powder and was alternating use with the hydro every day or two so that neither of them was in my system daily. This got me through week 2 which was a reduced amount of muscle pain, but more fatigue, lethargy, depression. Now I am beginning my third week. I am out of hydro and I am still experiencing some muscle and joint stuff, but the big problem is the lethargy and depression. It's just kicking my butt. The kratom is very helpful in this and lifts the dark cloud that I seem to wake up with, but I'm worried about an addition to this as well. I am now taking about 1.5-2 grams in the early afternoon to get through the rest of the day. I am not using any other drugs or substances. I have never been addicted to anything before and wasn't abusing the tramadol. It didn't make me high or anything, but it did get rid of ALL of my aches and pains and let me do everything I needed to in the day. I don't have any major pain and I know I shouldn't have been so lazy about my health. Now, I am trying to be really careful without losing myself to laying on the couch all day. My questions are: How long will the tramadol withdrawal take to be completely over? and How long can I use a small amount of Kratom on a daily basis without just creating another addiction that I have to get over? Or can I just slowly reduce the kratom to avoid the withdrawal since it is a powder and very easy to measure out? Any thoughts on this would be helpful. I am reluctant to engage my physician in this too much. he knows I am having withdrawal fromt he tramadol, but I don't want to ask for any other drugs if I don't have to. I just feel like I've done something really studpid and I want to get through it without his help, if possible. Thanks!

[Goldengrl57]

Tramadol is an evil drug with a horrible withdrawal.

One part of my withdrawal was to add Effexor to the mix. Tramadol and Effexor are very close, only no narcotic with Effexor. But the worst part of the withdrawal is because it's an SNRI anti-depressant, not that strong of narcotic.

I started on 75 mg, then kept going down little by little. Jumped off the Effexor at somewhere between 12 and 20 mg. It will really help the evil pill's withdrawal!

[FourJays]

There is nothing more I can say here except that I wish I could have read this 15 years ago.  Thank you for sharing your experience and congratulations on getting free of this med  (which I personally consider to be a proverbial "wolf in sheep's clothing").  Hope you feel better very soon.
Julie

[KIPPER061165]

If there is an evil in the world it indeed lurks under the cap of 50mg Tramadol tablets for pain. I injured my lower back a few weeks ago and was prescribed Tramadol for the pain fronted as a non narcotic way to treat the issue. At any rate I consumed 300 mg per day for 12 days and quit cold turkey because I was feeling better or so I thought. All I can say is that the sudden withdrawal from this medicine was pure hell. Here are a few of its lovely symptoms beginning on a Friday and lasting until the following Wednesday: High heart rate for 5 days, night sweats followed by chills, extreme sadness, extreme depression, high anxiety, no appetite and no sleep whatsoever. I checked myself into the Hospital emergency ward because I though my heart would explode. After being released I went and seen my doctor who was of course book up solid. So I drove myself out there and sat near his office waiting for a cancellation it was that bad!
I had been off an SSRI Paxil for 6 months and promptly got started on them again. I was also put on Ativan for a couple weeks for the anxiety to pass.
Tramadol is a particularly wicked pain killer to come off despite the common belief that it is a low level Opiate with no withdrawal symptoms. This drug is an atypical pain killer that targets some wicked brain chemicals that you don't want to screw up. Trust me, see a Doctor immediately and be monitored in your withdrawal. There is no other safe way. I will never take this prescribed medicine again period! God bless you in your journey, for out of the darkness and desolation of withdrawal you will see and be embraced by the light and love all around you very soon.

[owlshead317]

Hello,
Tramadol metabolizes in the body as morphine as does heroin. In the sad days after my young son died, I leaned on sniffing heroin to ease the pain, which it does well. It was expensive so it was time to stop. Tramadol to the rescue. For my bodys' chemistry 6 to 8 (50mg) tablets a day kept the horrors away and I could sleep a little. During the time I was using Tramadol, someone offered me a line of unadulterated light brown smack.Tried it but couldn't feel it while the others were being ill.
Point is, Tramadol can help getting off H. but it has it's own claws to bury in your back. Beware of using Tramadol for any extended time. Best Wishes,BL

[romeoplank]

Hi there,

My most recent blood test revealed that I had a liver enzyme AST level of 115. (Normal is 10-40 as I'm sure you know). I'm in perfect physical shape (or at least I was), but I've been taking 2 trams a day for OCD treatment for years. Quite often I'll have a couple glasses of wine while on it. I've never experienced any pain from it, so I was shocked when I was told that it might be destroying my liver. I saw your post about the docs suggesting your increased liver enzymes were due to the tram. Did they determine that that was the root of the issue?

Thanks in advance.

Eddie

[roadrash364]

Thank you so much for your reply. I was so mad reading all these posts I couldn't help but respond. We have all been lied too. It was labeled a non narcotic, but highly addictive and many of us never knew. I feel like absolute garbage. I have so any back issues and I am awaiting surgery. I would rather suffer in pain then go through this withdrawl again. Never again. This is a great community. We can all make it through. Best of Luck to you too.