I am a physician so my expertize lies more in pharmaceutical products that you are trying to avoid. There is nothing wrong with temporarily using one medication to help you to get off of the drug you are addicted to. The difference between "natural" and pharmaceutical is really not clear to me since they all affect your brain or body chemistry in one way or another.
When you take opiates for a long time like you have, your body's physiology has been altered. Your central nervous system has created a multitude of opioid receptors that all are screaming for endorphins (opiates) to fill them, but your body has now forgotten how to make them by itself. It will take time - four to six weeks at least, for your receptors to downregulate (for the brain begin to heal) and to start making its own endorphins. Brain heals pretty slowly, so it may take you as long as a couple of months to get rid of feelings of sluggishness, restlessness and depression. The best thing you can do is take good care of yourself, eat healthy food, stay hydrated, keep active and busy. Stay away from sugar, soda, and simple carbs. Do not consume caffeine at least 6 hours prior to bedtime.
See if your doctor can write you a prescription for some Requip for restlessness, Neurontin for anxiety and malaise, some Flexeril or Soma for a few weeks for muscle spasms and maybe some Seroquel low dose, for sleep. It will make your withdrawals easier. Valerian and Magnesium is sometimes helpful remedies over the counter.
The residual symptoms of insomnia and depression can last another few months .Tramadol also has an effect on the serotonin receptor in the central nervous system. That means you may also need an SSRI antidepressant to deal with some depression that may develop as the result of your withdrawal, so I would highly recommend for you to start taking an SSRI antidepressant i.e. Celexa or Zoloft, whichever one works better for you. Is not easy, but it gets better and better over time and you can look forward to a opiate free healthy energetic you in the future.
Look at my blog about it and especially the comments I got to the blog. You can find my blogs by clicking on my name in blue.
Good luck to you.
You are very welcome and good luck. I am always here for you if you need further help.
Dr. Julia
Dear Dr.Julia:
Thank you very much for your kindly advise, I will follow your indications about the pharmaceutical products, just to be honest with you, I believe that after this traumatic experience that I'm going through due to the "OPIATE MOUNSTER", I'm turning paranoid, Lately, it's so hard for me to take even one pill of tylenol, But, as you mentioned I will need them specially for my restlessness,sluggishness and with this chronic insomnia I feel that I'm getting worst instead.
Thanks a lot for your answer.
God bless you.