Problems With Tramadol

[Bsta1382]

I am a mid-aged male whom has been taking Tramadol Hydrochloride for about 2 years.  I began taking it to control the paid from back spasms that would occur at least once a week.  It was great, providing be the ability to forget about the pain, and be able to work/sleep/live.  As time went on, I needed to increase the dosage to manage the pain.  I then began to feel awful the day after, with little to no energy  I began taking Tramadol during those periods, to get rid of the pain of not being on pain killers (the irony of this situation does not escape me).  It has now become a mandatory daily ritual in order to even function.  

I have tried to stop cold turkey a few times, but my withdrawal symptoms (depression, vomiting, hot/cold flashes, diarrhea, etc) put me in bed for days until I give in, eventually repeating the cycle all over again.

I also have tried many times to slowly decrease the number of pills (50mg) taken and lengthening the time between dosages.  Without fail, I become seriously lethargic and depressed around the clock.  Eventually I give in, and again the cycle starts all over again.

Most embarrassing is that there is a direct relation between taking higher dosages, and my face breaking out.  In addition to the affect on my face, I am concerned about the damage I may be doing on the inside of my body, as well as the fact that it is impossible to function without taking the pills.

Can someone advise the long term affect of taking Tramadol, as well as how best minimize the withdrawal symptoms (especially the energy level) while quitting Tramadol.  I am unfortunately working overseas and getting good and confidential doctor's advise is not really possible.

Thank You!!

[ExodICE]

Are you off them now? What is your life like? I think at some point this medication will wear off, and not that it takes months. The problem with Chronic Pain is that unless we allow ourselves to feel it, we have no idea what the broken nervous system is causing us to feel. My symptoms are not too bad at this point. However, if they stayed at the levels when I tried to get off before the surgery. I would most likely need another medication to cope with a life long pain reality. Doctors need to treat us as people of pain, not addicts. Quality of Life rather then Quantity.....

[ExodICE]

Maybe that is the natural state of your pain. This is my fear as the days move forward. As I remind myself, I want to live with chronic pain, not be held down by it. Yet, doctors will not give me other pain medications like the Fentanyl Patch that really made life so much better. Thankfully, I was approved for Social Security, but not a day comes by in this new world order that I do not fear being taken off it by a doctor who says you are no longer disabled...

[ExodICE]

Gore, I am so glad this thread is still alive. Reading my old post, and knowing what I know now. Tramadol will not kill you, but it will prevent even the most hard self determined soul from stopping, and finding out if they can handle their chronic pain with out it. I am off it, I plan to stay off it. As a matter of fact. I am not taking any pain medications. I believe all pain has a source, and even if we can not find a surgery, there is a way to treat pain. There is a big difference between being and ADDICT and Physical Dependency. Yet all doctors in the South seem to treat pain people like addicts and refuse medications they need for peace of mind. I hope no one has to go through the hell I did to come off this medication, but I also know this is a once of a kind drug. There is nothing else like it. If you stay on it too long, it will begin to increase the pain you are using it to stop. And it does it over a long term making getting off hell.

[ExodICE]

I am the rockhawk poster of 2007. Fast forward to today, and just 2 and a half days off medication. The worst things are the severe head throbs. this restless arm muscles that is unexplained. I am in an isolated area, so I do not have access to meetings or support. However, I was so glad someone posted the difference to Addiction and Physical Dependency. As this DRUG/CHEMICAL creates a one of kind.

To think it is now 11 09 2013 and there is no information on the side effects! This medication was actually keeping the pain growing. Now that it is just a little out of my system, here is what has stopped, and was the soul reason I was taking it.

Burning hands, broken glass in elbows, repetitive movements a no no, Spine pain, Lower Back that is was invented for became the worst pain while on this chemical. Stiffening of muscles, feeling of nerves even to the point of the big transfer tubes. Constipation, Sleepy all the time. Oh and the worst was whenever waking up my head would just be hell. All this while using it proper. I was just taking 100mgs every 6 hours for the last 12 years.

Feel much better at this point, and hope to never ever have to put this item into my system.

[ExodICE]

And I get this weird pain, very deep in my bones (I don't know how to describe it)...

That is what I am dealing with. I am now 2 and a half days after 12 years of Tramadol use, I guess when the price went down from $140 for 240 pills to $16 dollars for the same amount, and being told it is non-narcotic I had found a miracle pill. NOT!

How are you today Inner brain sensation, and those what i call tugging sensations in my upper arms. I guess this withdrawal is a restless disorder brought on by the drug.

[ExodICE]

I hope you did get off the Medication. I took up and beyond the pills you say. I had to as I was taken off Fentanyl Patches that I had been on for 5 years. My story is in here. Yet, I would go to Detox, meetings, and consider that these hellish sensations can be knocked down with some other pain medication, so you do not have to go crazy. I have been on this drug since it came out. I am now 2 days off and reading all these post to help me get through. I do believe this chemicals from this one of kind medication end up in our brain tissue and this is why it take like maybe over a month to be free. Yet, I am off and doing all I need to keep it that way.

[ExodICE]

Hey you, I have been on Tramadol aka Ultram for 12 years, and like you every time I tried to get off it my pain became way too much before the withdrawals. I finally did some research to find the cause of my Xiphoid Process Pain Syndrome, and had the surgery to remove my Xiphoid Tip.

However, a year later I was still not able to stop Cold Turkey. I say never do that with this medication/DRUG. Yet, I have become committed and slowly weened myself down from 800mgs a day to now just 2 days completely off. I am still going through the withdrawals, it seems the chemical of this drug start to stick in the brain. I can not prove that as I live with Chronic Pain.

Yet, I have never had and drug and I have done many that took over more than a day to leave the system. I too was sleeping all the time, waking to gawd awful head pains, arm and hand pains, spine pain, muscles tightening, nerves compressing. Yet, at this point in my getting off it, all those things are mostly gone, and pains that would drive me nuts have repealed.

I was one of the first to use this product, so I have been on it since it was released by the FDA. I am not happy that it was promoted as a non-narcotic, but if that is so, it is not without complexity, the main one being after a time it begins to mimic your pain so when you try to stop to see how you pain is all symptoms skyrocket. After many attempts at stopping, I can say I am off it.

Yet from what I hear, it could still take another 2 - 3 weeks before this stuff is out of my system, and that is why I think this stuff gets into our brain tissue. I have brain atrophy with caused by chronic pain, or this long term use of Ultram/Tramadol.

[Dowsett]

I have been on tramadole but abaused it I was taking  2 200g at night and 4 50g at night never new there was a come down till yestaday I'm going cold turkey and it is he'll it is the 2nd night now still no sleep  and its 430 in morning it's my legs I can not keep them in one spot I'm up every 10 mins I feel like death when I was on them I was invinsable HOW long will this last I need help

[shinty]

This post is from 2007! See the hourglass after the date in the first post? The hourglass means it's an old post. I do the same thing once in a while, especially when I can contribute something relevant to the discussion!
                     shinty

[Seeker60]

Look up the side afects and tell the doc you are having them and you dont like how it makes you feal and to please swich you back to what you wer on.

[mtsuter]

I too have been on tramadol and lexapro for a long time almost 4 years. I have severe mood swings now and have all the same issues with restlessness at night but days that are incredible where i feel perfect fresh alive productive. I want out though. I feel like i have turned into someone else.  

[Dalina]

Quit taking ultram!!!!!!! They cause seizures! My mother has them and takes ultram! They misdiagnosed her with epilepsy and she never even had it as a child! I have been on ultrams too for about 2 years! I recently started having them! They are awful! Awful! I wake up scared, bite my tongue, I hate seizures. I have been off of ultram now for almost a month. I quit cold turkey no tapering or anything. I have not had a seizure at all (knock on wood) in 3 weeks. Ultram is sooooo bad for u I am trying to get my mother off of them. Withdraw symptoms are HELL! There is no easier way to describe it. But, I rather be going through these symptoms then have a seizure, hit my head, die, and be away from my husband and 4 small kids. Please try to get off of them! It makes life so much better! I'm praying for u!

[tramuser]

So what ever happened with your tramadol addiction?  I myself take 9 50mg pills, 3 times a day.  I've had 7 grand mal seizures.  I didn't know anyone who was taking as many, until I read your story.  Now I don't feel alone.   I'm gonna try to taper down but, like you, ive tried it so many times and always the amount goes back up.  Ugh.  

[marycarmel]

I think I dodged a bullet when the side effects of Tramadol weren't something I could tolerate.  I wasn't on it long enough to see if it was effective for my pain at the time either.  I recently inquired about Nycunta but decided to stay where I am at the moment as I'm having okay relief.  I am trying to avoid being on a long-acting med again.  It means having to deal with more pain than if I was on one, but for now, I'm okay with that.

I responded to Gore because I feel so bad he/she felt I was being sarcastic when I pointed out this was an old post.  I've often posted on an older post accidently and am glad when it's pointed out.  And while I think reading older posts can be helpful in a lot of ways, I think people need to be aware of it because so many things can change with medications, procedures, etc.

I have no idea what happened that I couldn't log in to my old account.  I tried everything but nothing worked.  And MedHelp couldn't help me either so I had to create the new profile.

[femmy29]

Hi All:

Mellie!!!  That is the new you!  :)

I was on tramadol for 4 years at the maximum pharmaceutical dose of 400 mg per day.  The tramadol I was prescribed did not contain tylenol (i.e., acetaminophen or paracetamol).  If it dose contain tylenol, I believe it is called tramacet or ultracet.  I was also told (just like Mary) that it was nonaddicting and was a great medication for pain.

It stopped working completely a year before I switched 1/2 of my daily tramadol dose to vicodin.  I had horrible withdrawals even with the addition of vicodin.  My doctor gave me ativan to help with the withdrawals.  It took about 3 months for the withdrawals to completely go away.  

Earlier this year in March I got completely off the tramadol and the vicodin as that vicodin wasn't doing much for my pain anymore and I was taking the tramadol just to prevent withdrawal (that is how much I didn't want to face the tramadol withdrawal).  But, during my normal Sunday chores, I added further injury my low back and the pain increased in intensity.  In March, I switched off both the Tramadol and Vicodin to Percocet which wasn't helping much by itself with the pain.  In April, I was put on Morphine ER with Percocet for breakthrough pain.  AMAZINGLY, I experienced ZERO tramadol withdrawal.  So it appears that if you replace it with something much more powerful, the withdrawals will be lessoned or not occur at all.

There is still a lot of debate going on with Tramadol related to its addictive properties and whether or not it is an opioid or narcotic medicine.  I wholeheartedly believe Tramadol is a opioid with weak affinity to the opioid receptors and is addictive.  

There is a new drug out there called Nycunta (or Tapentadol) and it is commonly referred to as Tramadol's big brother.  It has the same dual action of binding to opioid receptors and increasing serotonin in the brain, but it is much more stronger.  Nycunta is a schedule II drug, which requires a new written prescription every month and it cannot have refills.  The scheduling is probably because so many have had problems getting off the Tramadol either or both due to addiction and severe withdrawal symptoms, that doctors told patients were nonexistent.  

To Gore:  I don't think Tramadol rots your insides and tears up your instestines.  Too much tylenol can damage your liver though.  That is definitely true.  It just may feel like your insides are rotting because of how harsh the withdrawal is.  Regardless, the healthcare community needs to come clean about Tramadol and tell patients the truth.  

femmy

[marycarmel]

I truly apologize if you felt I was being sarcastic about your comment on this post.  (I had to change my screen name due to computer problems and not being able to log into MedHelp.)  I only pointed out that this was an old post and that you would get more responses to your questions if you posted a new question.

What I meant about it being easy was that sometimes an older post pops up and it's very easy to not see the date.  I've done it often myself.  When looking at older posts, sometimes the information may be outdated.  It could be that there are new medications or procedures now.

I don't always see every post here.  If I had seen Ssloan or someone else post on an old thread, I would have pointed it out, but I didn't see it.  I've had people point out to me that I was posting on an older thread and I was thankful for it.

Again, I am genuinely sorry if you felt my response was sarcastic.  It wasn't written that way.  Sometimes things come across differently in a typed response than it would have come across if the conversation was in person.

I am sorry about your disability.  I am totally disabled myself and I understand all of the issues that surround chronic pain and disability.

You're very right in that reading older posts can often be helpful but it's also important to have current information.  For example, over the years, there have been a lot of discussions about many drugs, including Tramadol, that have changed.  I hope that anyone looking for information about any medications or procedures have up-to-date information.

The Pain Management Forum is a great resource for so many people with chronic pain and disabilities, including myself.  I hope you will be an active member here as I'm sure you can bring help to other members here, as well as finding support and information for yourself.

To Darrellslady28, again, if you post a new question, you may get more responses to your question.  Tramadol, I believe, should not be stopped cold turkey as there can be a risk of seizures.  It should be tapered off.  I was on Tramadol many years ago for a short period of time but couldn't tolerate the side effects.  I wasn't on it long enough to have to deal with withdrawal.

At the time I was on it, I remember the prescribing doctor told me what a wonderful medication it was.  They believed it was a very effective pain medication and there was no worry of dependence/addiction.  Now it seems that many people have had trouble with Tramadol.  They have found it does cause dependence and/or addiction and also that the withdrawals can be very difficult.

I hope you have been able to find effective ways to handle your pain.

[darrellslady28]

I HAVE BEEN ON TRAMADOL FOR FIVE YRS., IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TAPERING OFF, QUITTING COLD TURKEY, AND GETTING ANY DR. TO LISTEN TO YOU IS BASICALLY OUT OF THE QUESTION COS THEY BELIEVE ITS NOT ADDICTIVE, WELL IT IS, AND I DON'T CARE WAT A DR. OR ANYONE ELSE, SAYS ONCE U GET ON IT UR BASICALLY SCREWED IF U GET ADDICTED. I WENT A WHOLE MONTH WITH NONE AND MY ACHES AND OTHER WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS NEVER WENT AWAY. WHEN I STARTED OUT I WAS ONLY TAKING ONE 50MG. A DAY NOW ITS UP TO 5 OR 6 100 MG. A DAY. I KNOW FROM EXPERIENCE THAT NONE OF THIS HELPS, SO WAT A DR. TELLS U OR SOMEONE WHO HASN'T BEEN THROUGHT IT IS BS.

[Gore]

What such easy thing mellie? thank you for your sarcasm - If I did not need help, I would not post here. I am a disabled person, physically and a bit mentally too, I am Italian from Napoli. Old or new post does not matter, someone may respond somehow, or people might just read the info from web searches on Tramadol etc. Ssloan posted on July 2011 and yet you did not made any comment like you did on mine. Thank you once again fro you kind comment.

[mellie4]

Gore, I just wanted to let you know that you're commenting on a very old post.  It's such an easy thing to do.  The original post was from 2007.

[Gore]

Tramadol will start giving you problems after 4 yrs, curious to know how are U now? please tell us if you are still fine on the trams. Also just reminding yous that ultram has paracetamol on it, so when taking 300 mg of ultram, always think about the paracetamol % for your liver's health.

[Gore]

you can switch to tramadol and go on it for yrs provided you stay on 3 or 4 (50 mg) a day or less day. If this is not enouh to relieve pain, then going on trams by increading the dose will be a bad idea, as more of it will start creating problems in the long run. It will be fantastic in the first yrs of course. Also maybe you should try to take a day off the trams in between during the week, I mean never stay on it continuously as I did.

[Gore]

Addiction with trammies is mainly because of it's serotonergic effect and not really analgesic effect, So comparing with morphine, suboxone etc is not a great idea but I will not go into a debate and lecture here. I am sure most of yous here know about the serononergic effect of tramadol.

[Gore]

I noticed that norgesic _orphenadrine citrate can stop or decrease the withdrawal synptoms or make things easier for you if you are starting to taper. I remember I got down to 2 a day while on Norgesic. That was for 2 days only and there was a noticeable difference on me, body , skin and even believe it or not, a bit of weight in only 2 days.

[Gore]

Tramadol has stop working on me after taking it for 4 yrs now, in the last two yrs I was on 4-5 (50 mg) a day. Ok what does it do to your inside (I am not a doctor - but telling from my own experience and from what others had) 1)  I heard it rots your bones 2) your Intestinal track will be messed up, you will end up with chronic loose stool, malabsorption and of course weight lost 3) messes up with your autoimmunitary system, in fact at the beginning you immune system will be really strong, gradually it becomes so strong that autoiimmunitary problems wil start (your body starts to attack or react to normal cells/organs). As long as you stay on 3 or less a day, you are more or less ok. The best is to take a day off it in between.Please feel free to correct me if what I said is not clear. Also will like to mention that there are lots of fake tramadol on the market, so do not be impress if you are taking 30 a day and no effect at all. The authorities should really be concerned with all the fake meds.