addiction to tramadol

[Sjoggie]

How long does it take to become addicted or dependent on tramadol?

[Sjoggie]

I hope you get things taken care of soon.  I hope you don't have to go far from home for the surgery.  I guess I always figured a big city would have a surgeon that could take care of various situations.

I'm so sorry it has been such a bad month.  You really are kind and a special person to take the time to deal with people here when you are not feeling ok.

I will hope things set up fast and the pain will let up.  I sometimes think doctors don't really understand pain and that it is something that can't just wait.  Some doctors get it but a lot don't seem to understand.

Lizzy

[avisg]

Thank you ,
I dont know yet the doctor has a protocol he has to go threw before he can send me to MUSC which is a teaching hospital and one of the only few that care properly do what has to be done .it been a long few month thing have gotten worse in the last week and seen as I have been on the last med for the last 4 weeks I am going to call him and see if we can line up the appointment asap..The city I live in is pretty big I would have never occurred to me that there would not be any doctor that could preform the surgery.

[Sjoggie]

I am so glad to here about the zanflex and that after 90 days I have a chance of doing better.

My doc didn't think I was taking enough Soma for it to be a problem but I will watch for that and not increase and try to skip some times.

I am so sorry you will have to have surgery.  I hate hospitals and surgery. I hope you get good, caring nurses, a caring doc and heal very fast!  May you not be sick from the anesthetic and get to go home fast!

You also let me know how things go for you.  When will the surgery happen?

Lizzy

[avisg]

It really does now i have some other pain issues but there is nothing that going to fix this except sugery ..My normal cronic pain it keep under control .I liked the zanflex because I could do my normal things and it works alittle diffrently in you body it has by far helped the most .I think addiction wise it safer then th soma ..I am gald you dont take that all of the time .We have a few in here addicted to that.I dont think it could hurt to ask the doctor ....Let me know how things go

[Sjoggie]

Oh, thank you.  I'm glad I won't have to worry about them.  I took the last one at noon.

It is too bad that I can't handle the nuerontin.

I do take a muscle relaxant, Soma, but only at night or if I'm not going somewhere as it makes me loopy.

I'm going to be tested to see if there is any sort of anti-inflammatory I can take.  I wound up with a  rash from one and even aspirin causes my heart rate to race and makes me shaky and sweaty.

Tylenol doesn't touch anything.  There must be something out there that isn't addicting I can take.

Wonder if zanaflex would be something I could take during the day and still function.

So, it sounds like if I make it through the first 90 days things might calm down some??  That would give me some hope.  

I can't thank you enough for your help!

Lizzy

[avisg]

Lizzy,
If you stop taking them tonight u should be fine tomorrow ...I deal with chronic pain as well the first 90 all definitely the worst I now use an OTC pain meds and a muscle relaxer zanaflex it does the job for me now ... I only got partial relief in the first 90 days since it then it works now so U might discuss muscle relaxers with your family doctor .

[Sjoggie]

I have taken the tramadol for only two days.  I am assuming if I just go back to the neurontin tomorrow that I will not have major problems such as a seizure?

I mean I will just take 3 neurontin as opposed to the two and take no tramadol.  Yesterday, I only took one tramadol and today I took two.

I hate this.  My doctor is fully aware of the detox.  She just is so sure that tramadol would be easy to come off of.  With the way meds hit me she should know better.  I surely do not want the withdrawal from the tramadols and I thank you for your help so I don't get stuck with that type of withdrawal!!

It is so hard, when you are in pain, to think clearly plus no doubt I am in PAWS as well and then there is the neurontin which seems to whack me out as well.

So, I see a pain management doc on Monday.  She specializes in acupuncture and epidurals if needed.

I hope something works.

Lizzy

[avisg]

how many days have you been taking it so far ..... you really have to get off it asap or you will have some nasty wd.

[LeaAnn807]

It's very sad.  I wish that sometimes they would read the fine print in the PDR!  I am an opiate addict and the very person who sent me to rehab gave me the tramadol!  Doesn't make sense!

[Sjoggie]

Thanks, actually, I have 2 doctors apts tomorrow and one on Monday.  Surely, one of these doctors should work out and be understanding?

I'm doing everything in my power to mitigate the pain in other ways, PT, massage, ouch.  I even have a tens unit.

So far I'm taking 2 tramadol (50mg) a day and 2 nuerontin.  Actually, the tramadol is not working well, even with tylenol and I'm not going up on it but it is the only way I can get around and still be able to see straight.

I can't drop another nuerontin for 4 days and I'm praying by that time I will have a better pain med for this or maybe the workouts will finally start to pay off, unless the disk above the fusion has collapsed, which is a possibility.

I am so thankful to all on reinforcing that I must get off the tramadol.  Why is it doctor's don't understand?  It is pretty bad when you know more than your doctor and then you cannot get your doctor to listen to you!

Lizzy

[LeaAnn807]

Good luck!  Just watch the tramadol.  It will get you QUICK!  

[Sjoggie]

I know I need another drug but I don't know how to get it out of the d doctor.  She will not listen to me.

I have made an apt with a new doctor.  Wish me luck.  I see her tomorrow and will have to explain everything that has happened with the oxycontin's and so on.  I'm just hoping she is understanding.

I rather give up.

Lizzy

[LeaAnn807]

OOPS....I wrote that first comment to the wrong person!  So sorry!  Was supposed to go to sjoggie!

[LeaAnn807]

No doubt.  It can get you quicker than even opiates can.  I, like everyone else, was told it was a safe medicine by a doctor who KNEW I was an opiate addict!  Like.....read the fine print, doc.  I'm not blaming a doctor here.  I knew what I was doing, but my point is that no matter how many times you hear that it's safe.....I'm living proof that it's NOT!  I'm not kidding.  I took it for ONE week after I was off opiates for several months, and I was hooked.  30 pills later and it was withdrawal time for me!  I hate to see that happen to anyone else!

[avisg]

tram is right i only took 30 pills the first time  over two weeks i went into full blown wd

[LeaAnn807]

I am with avisg.  I have detoxed many, many times on opiates and tramadol, and if you have been addicted to opiates, it will NOT take even a month to get hooked on tramadol.  The withdrawal from both is awful, but tramadol is longer in my opinion.  With opiates, in 3 or 4 days you're fine, and it gets better everyday....not the case with tramadol.  It takes a lot longer to get your body and mind back to normal, not to mention that it's not a very good pain med.  You're pain could actually get worse.  Mine did.  And I only have my experience to speak about.  I would never advise anyone to take it.  I am on day 4 off of it right now, and I am just now getting to a point that I can get out of bed.  It will be another week before I feel like really doing anything.  I had seizures when I took it.  It's bad, bad stuff.  Good luck to you Lizzie, and please, please, please don't take the nasty stuff.  You will only regret it later!

[avisg]

i did not even take me 30 days let me assure you tram is not the way u want to go wd is far worse then some of of the opiates .you wd will be worse then with oxys or hydro because it works like both a anti depressant and a pain med. i wish I NEVER had taken it .it took me along time to get clean not to mention I was always afraid of having a seizure because it lowers your seizure threshold as well.

[Sjoggie]

Thank you.  I am having a terrible time at this point.  That at least gives me some hope.  Mental isn't a problem.  Pain is and this is not the drug for me.  I'm on lexapro and have been warned I can get a serotonin syndrome.  So I will drop the lexapro which will no doubt cause a major problem.

I can't get into to see my back surgeon until Feb.  I am going to schedule a pain management as quick (yeah, right) as possible.

I think my doctor has flipped out.  Everybody always told me she was dangerous and at this point I see it.

Finding a new doc will be such fun but so be it.

Hopefully, I can get help before I get addicted to this.  I just detoxed off of oxycontin and percocet in Dec.  Wasn't really expecting the back pain to be a real pain.  So much for that.

I have been on neurontin but I cannot take that drug so am weaning off of that at the same time.

I hate my life.

Lizzy  

[freedom007]

btw...I have nothing to back this up...and it may be different for each individual.  It took me about 3 years of on and off use for detox symptoms to seriously affect my life...even though I was going through moderate withdrawal every time I would binge and purge prior to that period.  In the beginning...most of the symptoms were mental...until last year when my body really started to react negatively to cessation of use.

[freedom007]

I have heard that 30 days of continuous use will leave someone physically addicted to pain meds.  Mentally...now there's a entirely different issue.  What you will hear most here is stop now...if you haven't been using for very long...and the detox process will be minimal.  You start getting into the 6+ month area and detox becomes much more difficult.