UPDATE

[vicaddict]

Hello everyone.....and welcome all new comers! Just an update for everyone. I took my last hydro on Monday morning...so today is day #6? However, I have cheated and I feel like s h i t b/c of it.
A friend of mine had tramadol, and soma. I have been taking one of each a few times a day the past week. Now limiting those, and spread them out or take NONE of them unless I feel symptoms.

I had barely any w/d's is this b/c of the tramadol and or the Soma? Neither one does anything for me, however I have not had severe w/'d's. OR, is the worst yet to come? I can't believe for someone like me who was at about 15+ of hydro's a day and have been in the start of w/d before didn't have nothing close to it this time. I am a little scared of what I have read about tramadol, however it does nothing for me so is there still a chance of "wanting it"?

Next thing is that right now my cravings for hydro are imense. I have called and called, even though I have no "bad symptoms" to get that fix, I am craving awfully. I thought once I was over ( if I am that is) the worst of the physical w/d I would not want to look back. Does this ever go away? I am scared, and at the same time releived that I have 6 days under my belt without those however like I said I cheated and leaned on another shoulder.
I have had some sweats, and my sciatic is in its worst but that seems to have lessened today. Leg cramps were minimal, but then again this could be b/c of the tramadol?

I could have went to Dr, and got more but I noticed it wasn't that "urgent" need to go get them. See, she weened me down 2 weeks at a time, which of course I did not stick to. I then told her that 1/day was not working for my pain (which its not) and she said to come in for an apt.I never even scheduled one. I have two parts of me right now, one says GO get some just get that feeling again, and the other says NO WAY you have come this far!

Any suggestions from anyone on how I should approach coming off the tramadol, or is it safe to just stop taking it if I have only been taking it since Monday?

I hope all is well with everyone, and I wish everyone struggling for the strength to beat this. This would be the best gift for Christmas EVER!
Happy Holidays!
Love & Huggs
Tracy

[Jennip]

In my opinion, I would not take the Tramadol.  EVen though it is not a very strong opiate, it is still in the family and the reason you probably are not feeling bad w/d's is probably because you are not withdrawling.  I have actully had some really bad w/d's from Tramadol.  As far as Soma's go, I eneded up in the hospital from taking only four of them.  I would not take those either.  

I used the same amount of pills that you used.  15-20 a day, or several oxy's a day.  A year ago I broke my back in a boating accident.  I was already an addict for 9 years prio to that so when my doctor handed me a script for 90 oxycotin a month, I was like "SCORE!"  Well my back is pretty much healed and had been for a while.  My point is I know I can call my "back doctor" and get pills, and damn good pills anytime I want to and probably for the rest of my life so the only way I could stop myself from doing that was tell on myself.  I called that doctor along with any other doctor I had, including my local hospital and explained to them that I had a problem with pills and that if I come in there asking for them, they should take a deeper look into the situation and decide if I really need them.  That was mainy for the hospital.  But my regular doctors won't give me a thing per my request.  I'm sure I have no say in it now.  But I knew that is what I needed to do if I really wanted to get of dope and have a chance at living.  It was a little embarressing, but that was a small price to pay.

You are on day 6.  That is a tough day to be on.  Yeah, the cravings you have are normal.  You will probably have them for a long time but they get easier to deal with and are not as strong with time.  It has been five months for me and when I go visit my Dad who is disabled and a walking pharmacy, I literally have to walk right up the stairs and stay away from his bedroom because I know that I would have a dandy old time making myself a little cocktail of pills that would last me a while.  But besides that, when I am just living my daily life, it rarely even crosses my mind.  Only when it is in my face.

You are going great, jut keep it up.  It is so worth it!

[1eagle]

You should be fine with the tramadol with the short duration of use and not escalating doses....the soma are a scary thing that might just possibly have helped you through the first several days....the psychological cravings won't stop right away - I am trying to get to three months and I still think about them (hydros)....but not nearly as much as the first few weeks post use. Listen to the part of you that says, "No way...you have come too far."

[vicaddict]

I would NOT suggest anyone turn to soma or tramadol for their w/d's. That is not what I meant by this post. I have read some horror stories on the tramadol and am trying very hard to be careful, and seem to work for me. This is not saying to anyone else they should do this. It is just something I have done, and probably is not the wisest choice to begin with.