Day 15 Cold Turkey off Tramadol!

Jul 04, 2008 - 11 comments
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Day 15 Cold Turkey off Tramadol!

Hello My Friends!

This is for any of us who are going thru Tramadol withdrawal. I hope you find it and I hope it helps comfort you and reassure you. It can be done. There is HOPE. The w/d is a viscous and rabid dog from H-E double toothpicks.

The voice of the drug (the antidepressant part of it and Not the synthetic opiate part) is dark and made me feel suicidal ideation the entire time I was taking it. Withdrawals have given me nightmares that really do look like a low budget horror film starring yours truly. But the thoughts belong to the DRUG itself. Those are not your thoughts. Make no mistake, this drug has a very distinct voice. It is evil evil stuff

*kicks Tramadol in the head again hard!*

I woke up this morning and could actually easily get out of bed, feel good, head is clear. WOW!

I'm enjoying the nice crisp cool morning we're having and I have a little orange tabby cat curled up over my heart purring madly as I write this. A few days ago his purring would have been too loud for me to be able to stand. I had such incredible sensitivity to light, sound, people, loud noise. It truly was like having a migraine and having the flu and having my back injuries all at the same time. Add in zero appetite. And no sense of thirst. (Weird!)

Anyhow I am over here feeling like Snow White; wanna sing and dance and have birds come help me put on my dress! Totally amazing and I have to remember it, so I am writing about it.

The withdrawal from the combination of drugs I was taking for my back pain comes and goes so fast and so wickedly that I'm not scared now because I know its pattern. It is a pattern called; completely RANDOM!  I woke up yesterday feeling like I was run down by a truck and I have had only two days since cold turkey that I did NOT wake up feeling that way.

At the moment I have only a very small headache. I also have supplies that I got yesterday. These include massive amounts of good for me foods. I think I will try to repost the list I found of "good foods" (Hey, Dudes, WATERMELON is on it!) but I also bought a good deal of multi-mineral-vits that can be dissolved in water. Boxes of Emergen-C.

Now the withdrawal pains have vanished. They might come back today or not. It's completely unpredictable.

One thing that happened? I woke up last night at the typical 1-2 am mark and usually the pain would have made me crawl out of bed and run for the ice packs. Last night I woke up and then fell right back to sleep. So I have actually had about 8-9 solid hours of sleep.

I do think that staying (Or being forced to stay active) after the hardest withdrawals is good. I am guessing that I am done with the hardest withdrawal. Days 1-4 I remember the sweat, the chills, the feeling of being freezing and burning. I couldn't make it down he stairs to get water. I remember sitting up at the top of the stairs thinking ... "I need water but I can't get down there." Walking into walls. Or rather, just being unable to walk a straight line. Incredible pain in all of my joints but esp in the injured joints.

Tramadol seems to intensify pain, and make you believe you need to take more, until the pain is unbearable. I have begged my husband to take me to the ER more times than I can remember in the last year from my back injury. One thing I forgot to mention was that I has another accident 8? 9? months ago and it irritated the old injuries again.

But yeah, I was mixing other drugs in there. Anything I could get. (I have no insurance) Codeine, Vicodin, Percoset, and then I remember thinking OK NOW I AM CRAZY when I was drinking big tumblers of WINE on top of it all. It wasn't to look for being high however. It was to look for NO PAIN. Or at least less pain.

What I did not know was that the Tramadol was increasing the pain.

But I know now.

To summarize for any poor souls who have managed to find this place and are coming off Tramadol; Days 1-7 are unbearable in my experience. Use the Thomas Detox and relax into the pain and don't be afraid of the pain because that only makes it worse.

The pain was unrelenting and it did not let me sleep. Any sleep I did get was with a heating pad pushed against my belly (highly recommend a heating pad) and Ice packs all over my back and an ice pack literally Velcro-ed to my burning right foot where there is nerve damage.

I can't begin to tell you how much it hurt.

Ok let me attempt. It hurt it hurt it hurt it was horribly painful. Razor blade pain ... beaten with a bat, run over by a truck, standing on the train tracks painful. (I so don't want to forget HOW sick I was from withdrawal)

I felt like my skin was going to burn off and at the same time, the center of my body felt like the Arctic Circle. So cold. Chills. Sweat that felt like sick sweat. Headache so bad it felt like constant migraine. I didn't want to speak to anyone. People's voices were distorted and loud. They sounded like very loud parrots. The glorious AvisG suggested that I get outside and get some light.  think that was maybe day 8? And I couldn't even conceive of how I would do that!? It seemed like Mission Impossible!

I discovered the mighty powers of SUNGLASSES! YAY for sunglasses when you are deep in withdrawal. I was wearing them inside for awhile. I could barely see the computer screen. The words on the screen would shake. At one point; June 30th so not long ago.  My husband was explaining something mathematical to me. Having to do with numbers and it felt like my brain was being stabbed with an ice pick. Because apparently Tramadol will mess with your ability to think with numbers!?

I can tell you that I am physically very very very strong and I thought to myself, "There's such a huge chance that if this happened to anyone else, they would need to be in a rehab or they would lose their mind for the pain and go to the ER; where they would be told Tramadol has no withdrawal symptoms and isn't an opiate or a dangerous drug."

Look out Kid! It's Something You Did!

By day 10 I was feeling pretty good.

By Day 12 I went back to work and B-12 sublinguals saved me and I was able to work a full 11 hour day.

Day 13 was hard, and I had w/d symptoms. I worked part of that day as well. And I managed to get to the eye doctor. Which was alot since days 1-7 I was terrified of people and wouldn't have been able to do it. Days 1-7 I also LOOKED like I was very very sick. Whiter than white skin, clammy, I had to ask a group of online hairdressers how to detangle my hair, because I had a big sorta tangle mess going on. It was painful to comb my hair.

Day 14 was also a day when I was supposed to work 11 hours, but cut the day short. I had to go banking, and then to the market and I did it! By then I was even keeping amino acids down on an empty stomach. The aminos really really help. So do the vitamins that are liquid. This literal cocktail (Tramadol was the man part of it) of drugs I was taking really ripped up my stomach and I suspect my kidneys and my liver.

Day 15 ... Oh so good so far!

I know it will come and go but I am fine with that because I feel like myself again. Not like someone else. I really had no clue that I was slowly and gradually falling apart and that Tramadol was the main culprit.

I know you can do it. The pain is only a temporary thing. Just flow with it. Pretend it is a very bad flu and do everything you can to help yourself. I was lucky in that my husband knew about all the pills and has been supportive. He can't really understand the way you all do, but he has tried and that's a beautiful thing.

I had to laugh yesterday when I came home from shopping. I asked for help getting the groceries out of the car and I hugged him. He looked at me and said, "What's going on with you? Why do you look that way?" (meaning pale, sickly, weak, exhausted) And I said, "I took Tramadol?" He thought I meant that I had actually found and taken Tramadol which he has and has hidden somewhere in  the house. I laughed and said, "No Sweetheart, I didn't take it today! I mean I took it for 3-4 years and this is what at home withdrawal looks like! I would rather eat RAT POISON than take a single capsule of Tramadol!"

Guess Tramadol isn't my DOC!?? I have no cravings. Oh and it took me a long time to figure out what DOC meant. Drug of Choice. I was thinking; are they talking about Documents? Why are they continually talking about linked computer documents. My poor brain!

Luckily; it's recovering! Yesterday I even talked to my husband in a mathematical way; using numbers and everything! Hooray for the returning hero!!! Yay for my brain!

Love and healing to all,
Emily

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Emily, wow you really nailed explaining a withdrawal to people. I didn't tak Tramadole But, I was put on a cocktail of medications for Bipolar 1 disorder, and anxiety. I had no idea that the doctors where making me a drug addict, I seriously had such awful withdrawls. I couldn't feel my legs, I didn't feel like myself at all, I felt like someone else, I couldn't go outside. I am now facing life without the use of antidepressents, anxiety medications, and mood stabalizers, and it's a whole lot better being myself and having short comings than trying to be a robot. Thanks for your post.

verna2
You are a very courageous person and you should celebrate.
But, please tell me if it is not impertinent: what pain did you have? Did you have any side effects such as dystonia?

Dear Denya;

Thank you so much for your kind compliment. You didn't take the same drug, but withdrawal from a cocktail of drugs esp antidepressants (Tramadol has that in it also; along with a fake-opiate) will make you feel absolutely horrible when withdrawing. I just hope people can find something in it that will make them feel less crazy and afraid when they are withdrawing from XY or Z.

I'm so on the same page with not wanting to feel like a Robot. That's it! It's like turning into a Robot. I will never ever forget when I was well enough to actually FEEL my heart again. It was a beautiful moment. Painful. But beautiful!

Thank you for your kind and generous comment!

Love and healing!
Emily

Dear Verna2;

Impertinent is such a great word. It's not an impertinent question and obviously, by my name, you know I appreciate good manners :) You're a sweety!

I have 2 herniated discs. One at L4 and one at L5. The accident also damaged the S1 nerve root. So if you mean dystonia as in does my right leg twitch uncontrollably at times? Then yes, I have had dystonia that comes and goes. If it starts, I can sit there and stare at it twitching. It is annoying. It doesn't exactly hurt, but it is strange and un-nerving. Like a small person has moved into my leg and is trying to kick their way out! LOL!

I have S1 neuropathy in the right leg.  Just meaning that the sciatica is a killer. It burns, it aches, it feels bruised, the muscle strength will vanish and I might fall down. Or, it can do what it does most often, just sort of tingly numbness. I used to find myself constantly trying to massage my right leg.

What happened was an SUV A Chevy Suburban 1989 (so very very heavy) rear ended my Honda when I was at a complete stop. My right foot was on the brake. Thus, the mechanism of the injury. That was in 2000. I avoided pain meds for 2 years. Then I got my body into really incredible shape. Becoming a very strong Bikrams yoga practitioner. That will be my after-care.

If you mean vocal dystonia or large limb dystonia then, we're not on the same page. My injury and chronic pain is all lower back and the right leg. It was acute and traumatic injury of the spine. It became chronic pain. And then it became drug dependence. And now; it's drug withdrawal.

The back pain and leg pain is lessening every day now. The first 1-10 days of withdrawal  I would say that the pain intensified in the areas of original injury. This is day 15, and it is nothing an ice pack and two Excedrin migraines can't handle. That and tons of water and good food and rest. And no drugs!!!

These are my own experiences, and I wouldn't invalidate anyone else's or discount their experience :)  We all have the right to express ourselves in whatever manner we choose. Happy 4th. Freedom of Speech is a huge part of the 4th; after all!

Love and Healing,
Emily

I'm going through tramadol withdrawl as well only on day 4 I have been sick for about 2 years with a very large liver cyst i just finished my last sergery on june 27 they shrunk the cyst down to the size of a gulf ball and Im feeling alot better that is until i decided to get off all the meds the doctors had me on I'm probably going through multiple withdrawls but i think tramadol is the worst horrible flu like symtoms last night i thought my legs were gonna fall off aching so bad from the knees down sweating so bad just soaking myself and the humidity here is terrible this time of year not sleeping well at all i hope by day 7 i will be back on my feet again. What foods should i eat to help myself with quickest recovery

(((((attypan)))))

I am so glad they shrunk the cyst. And I am also so glad you are on Day 4. Days 1-4 are the worst it got. I literally couldn't believe that much pain could come from withdrawal. I've withdrawn from Xanax and codeine and vicodin and darvoset and I have to tell you I didn't expect tramadol to be as bad as it was Days 1-4. So, luckily you are thru the worst part. By Day 7 you'll be feeling so much better. Today is day 15 for me and I've been 3/4ths good all day.

Here's the list of foods I found that help; TY whatever kind person assembled this list. I honestly can't remember who did this but they deserve a great deal of credit for helping us.

_________________________________________________________________
10 Foods That Help To Increase
Dopamine And Norepinephrine Naturally!

Apples: A compound found in apples called "quercetin' is an antioxidant that studies have shown may not only help in the prevention of cancer but may also play an important role in the prevention of neurodegenerative disorders.
There may be something to that old saying, "An apple a day keeps the doctor away . . ."

Banana: A banana is a good source of tyrosine. Tyrosine is the amino acid neurons turn into norepinephrine and dopamine. Norepinephrine and dopamine are excitatory neurotransmitters that are important in motivation, alertness, concentration and memory.

Beets: Betaine, an amino acid naturally present in certain vegetables, particularly beetroot (beets), is an antidepressant of the first order. Betaine acts as a stimulant for the production of SAM-e (S-adenoslmethionine). The body cannot do without SAM-e, which it produces.
SAM-e is directly related to the production of certain hormones, such as dopamine and serotonin. Dopamine is responsible for feelings of well-being and pleasure.

Chicken: Chicken, like eggs, contains complete protein that increases levels of the excitatory neurotransmitters norepinephrine and dopamine. Chicken is also a good source of coenzyme Q10 (Co Q10), which increases the energy generating potential of neurons.

Cheese: Cheese is a well known protein food . . . Protein provides amino acids, which help produce dopamine and norepinephrine.

Cottage Cheese: One of the “must eat” foods on every expert’s list, cottage cheese is recommended as a substitute for other soft cheeses and dairy products. Cottage cheese provides the protein that can help boost mood and energy levels, without some of the fat of hard cheeses.

Eggs: Research from the University of California, Berkeley suggests that people who suffer from depression have low amount of serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine in their brains. One natural antidepressant is to increase dopamine by eating protein-rich foods. such as eggs for this purpose, because they are versatile and appeal to some people who choose not to eat meat.

Fish: Omega-3 fatty acids are found in seafood, especially mackerel, salmon, striped bass, rainbow trout, halibut, tuna, and sardines.
These fatty acids may have many jobs in the body, including a possible role in the production of neurotransmitters. Fish have easily digestible protein, many trace nutrients, high quality essential fatty acids, low cholesterol levels and low saturated fat levels.

French scientists have shown that rats deficient in omega-3 fatty acids had more receptors for the neurotransmitter serotonin and a corresponding decrease in dopamine in the frontal cortex.

Watermelon: Watermelon juice is fat free and loaded with vitamins A, B6, and C! Vitamin B6 is used by the body to manufacture neurotransmitters such as serotonin, melatonin, and dopamine. Vitamin C also enhances the immune system while protecting the body from free radicals.

Wheat Germ: Wheat Germ is a good source of Phenylalanine. Phenylalanine is an essential amino acid found in the brain and blood plasma that can convert in the body to tyrosine, which in turn is used to synthesize dopamine.
A healthly, balanced diet is rich in whole “natural” and unprocessed foods. It is especially high in plant foods, such as fruits, vegetables, grains, beans, seeds and nuts. Fruits are vegetables are rich in fiber, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants that protect the body cells from damaging. They also help raise serotonin levels in the brain.

Beans and legumes are rich in protein and are healthful boosters of both dopamine and norepinephrine. Also, Protein Meat, Milk, Eggs, Cheese, fish and other seafood are very healthy, high-protein, dopamine-and-norepinephrine-booster food.

_________________________________________________________________

The thing about Tramadol that is different than other drugs is that the protein is so important. And also; Water. Tramadol leaves thru the urinary system. So drink esp w/ all the sweatiing ok?

Supplements also help. B-12 sublinguals have been really really helping me as I mentioned before. And also, a multi vit like Emergen-C packages that can be dumped into water have helped me. I can't believe how much calcium and magnesium have also helped.

I hope this helps you; you Dear Heart. You really are thru the worst. Sending you love and much good white light ....

Health and Healing,
Emily

Only on day 2 of going cold turkey from ultram (Tramadol). Boy, do I understand the pain! It does make the pain worse when you take it - so you just keep taking more and more, waiting for the "relief". It never comes though. And now the pain is worse than the day the Dr. gave me the prescrition! You nailed it with the sweats and chills! But I'm also having the awful tingle/prickle and twitching in my hands,arms, feet and legs. Any ideas how to cope with those? My water bill is gonna be out of this world! I've been in sooooo many hot baths! When might I expect any sleep? I'm on the roller coaster of emotions too. Happiness not being one of them. Mostly anger and depression. ALOT of anger really. And letts not forget the fear. Hate being awake, wish I could just crawl into a hole and die.

Emily, where did you find the info on tramadol increasing pain? I just came across this site while looking for some info on sweating. I have been suffering cold sweats for the last few weeks. Have been on tramadol for 7 years. recently started getting 'withdrawal' feelings- like i get when i miss a dose, whilst taking the full 400mg a day. Thanks Helen

im currently on day 9 from going cold turkey, and ive had about 5 hours sleep in total,i was taking700mg in the last few days i was on them and decided to go cold turkey,if anybody is prepereing to go cold turkey please go and see your doctor first,because words or reading other peoples storys will prepere you for this battle ahead,its horendouse,day one was a mixture of differents feelings ,,anxiouse, tired. afraid, and the first night i went to bed was something i never want to experiment again,it was like i had an alien inside my body,uncontrolable movements hot cold and no matter how hard you tride to get comfy,forget it,this continued for 2 more nights ,day 4 im so tired i nearly went back on them,the fear of another night without sleep really scared me as i was pale with bags under my eyes i looked awful,i got threw that night without any sleep again,but i was at least comfortable,it was like the alien had gone,im fighting this monster by now and thought i must be over the worst,day 5 and 6 made me so misserble i cried all threw the night i was so tired,only for my wife stroking my forehead that night i dont dont think i wud have got to were i am now,days 7 and 8 were much better but still no sleep apart from half hour here and there , day 9 i managed to get 5 hours sleep without waking up so i must be on the mend, cold turkey off tramadol is gona be a fight you will never forget.be prepered and most of all good luck,,you can do it.

*reading stories will NOT*

It was about 8 days ago that I must have logged on to every web site on how to kick my habit. I was not in this battle alone my wife was with me in the process,So a double whammy of withdraws and being stuck inside the house not wanting to talk no nobodie.My habbit was worse then hers cause she would only max out 4 a day me on the other hand I woud dabble up to 12 a day but this been goin on for 3 and a half years. I found myself saying so many times when the scripts were suppose to last me 30 or 40 days and saying OMG how am I gonna do this but I was lieing to myself saying ill just break them in half and I wont withdraw yeah right lol it never worked. I will give you all directions on how to stop cause nomatter if you were taking 1 a day or three years or 30 a day for that long you will still face withdraw. Ths is what I did I tryed going to the Er but lol they did not help me so dont do that at all I repeat do not do that causethey will laugh at you cause its not considerd a Vike or Perk or a heavy pain killer But it really is a bad pain killer maby stronger then most of the ones that people are useing for pain cause what other pain killer has an antidpressent and pain killer that produces morphine ? None . So this is what I had to do ,My First day was bad meaning my last dose was around am the day before so the withdraws were kicking in that day meaning the sweats and the going to bathroom thing started then sneezing and having to lay around cause I was tired and you all are ight nothing taste good at all nothing you want water but yuk.I saw a feind of mine who told me about Kratom but the ride was gonna be far to get it cause I dont or have a connection that would help me plus I wanted to just get this stuff out of me and not feel this way .I have animals too so I could not hve all my animals suffer cause I could not fuction and also had to t my best around the home front .Where to find kratom very easy its bought at a head shop it really does help alot its an alkaloide that hits the same receptors that tramadol does an opide. But its better to order online cause prices are very high at these shops and the supply will not last you as long as if you got the stuff online but do what you got to do. I was 36 hrs in and only hving to take kratom every 4 hrs since the first day of my withdraw .Also understand that you will still feel like you will have to go to the bathroom and sneeze till kratom kick in then after the kratom wears off you have to dose again. I also had another friiend that I had not spoke t 4 a long time and knew that I cant be wasting money on kratom but knew this person had suboxen and knew all about it cause a friend a long time ago let me try it and if you you run out of meds trust me that is what you wan around even if you want to kick the habbit of tramadol .My freind gave me 4 suboxen and thats all I needed I broke subs into amall peices and made like litle tiny crumbs and made alot of doses from it .The first dose I took lasted me very long and only had the secon dose the next day but by the time I wanted to take my 3rd dose I was so far away from withdraw and said to myself wow I made it. I am done with withdraw so dont need nothing so why shoud I dose ? I just stopped and I was happy I got my life back and 4 the first time in three years I was not puting anyhing in my body at all felt great. I did not have the eurporic affect anymore when I new coffee was on my morning menu but knew this is it Ian cut down on things and be ok. What the problem was the SSRI AND PAIN KILLER that was getting you its real har to get this stuff out of your system it really is sum say it is worse the H-. So be real carefull what you do from her on out meaning you will still have cravings and get the thing in your head well I am gonna order them online .If you think that you need more help and you still cant fuction you can get a doc that will help ou get subs but that is only if you think and know you you dont wan to take pills anymore and only take sonthing that may help you throught you day but understand if you get past day 8 keep goin keep going your free not in the tramadol prison anymore ............



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