Looking for support on quitting tramadol

[kawaii33]

I posted this on the social addiction site as well but wasn't sure if that was correct so I decided to post here as figure the more places the more chance of help.
I've finally admitted to myself that I have a serious Tramadol addiction. I started with a prescription from a Doctor after I hurt my back after I finished the bottle I was fine until about a year ago. I was given more Tramadol for another injury and have not looked back since. What was one 50mg pill twice a day has escalated to 6 1/2 50mg pills in the morning. another 6 1/2 around 5:00 then another 61/2 at night around 11 or 12. There was one day where I did not take them and it was hell I began throwing up felt all pins and needles I didn' t know why but after looking online I realized they are addictive and I must have been going through withdrawl. I do not have anyone to help me through this. I just moved across the country and am going through a divorce. I do not know anyone the only person I have talked to more then once is the checker at the grocery store and I really don't think he'd be interested in helping me. I used to be an outgoing happy active person. Now I am addicted to the energy Tramadol gives me yet I don't seem to do much after I take them but lay around. I feel I need it to get me through the day and yet everytime I take it I say I will cut back next time. Of course I don't. I need a group that can help me get through this. People who understand and won't laugh or look down on me If I say I only took 15 today instead of 18. I do not have the strength to quit cold turkey but I'm hoping by tapering down I can not spend the day over the toilet puking.
I appreciate any suggestions. If anyone knows if there is a support group for this. Any suggestions on how much I should taper down at a time. Just anything. I have to get my life back I need to remember how to feel things again I will do this and in return I will do my best to help others so they will not have to go through this struggle. Please help me.

[rod05]

Hi your 100% correct malenurse well said...I am 4 weeks free from Tramadol and feeling a lot better than when i was on this nasty drug the anti depressant drug part is the thing that makes you go crazy..........It's a tough 1 to get off..........I got help and now i am feeling better every week that passes ..........

Well done

[j255]

I too admit I am addicted to this drug.  I was prescribed it for back pain about 1 year ago.  I take around 200 mgs per day total.  Well 2 days ago I ran out of pills...and I can't get my next refill for another 8 days.  8 days may not seem like a long time but for someone like me it seems impossible to wait that long.  Well I am on day 2 now of going cold turkey and am experiencing lots of withdrawal symptoms.  I can't seem to regulate my body temp...I'm either freezing or boiling hot.  I have this feeling of uneasiness and restlessness....I can't sit still and just feel out of sorts.  I can't sleep more than a couple hours and I wake up feeling the restlessness.  I'm dizzy and light-headed all the time.  I have muscle soreness and heachaches.  I am really hoping I start to feel better soon and that the worst of this is over.  I do not know what I am going to do next week when I can get my next refill.  I have a feeling that I'm going to get through this detox and start to feel like myself again...and I don't want to go back and have to  go through this all over again.  Tramadol is a highly-addictive drug and even though it's not classified as a controlled substance IT IS a synthetic opiate and i believe it is prescribed by md's because they are afraid to prescribe the real stuff like percocet and vicodin.  So they give us these pills instead.  The state I live in (OH) just as of May 1st, 2009 started monitoring tramadol use. Every pharmacy that fills a rx for this stuff has to electronically report it to a national database where they watch for abuse patterns...just the same as Vicodin or Oxycontin.  There are also several other states in the US that monitor this drug even though it is not controlled.  Sweden considers this drug a C-II same as hydrocodone.....I think the US needs to catch up and reclassify it.  Not only does it have pain-killing properites but it also has anti-depressant properites.  I makes you feel wonderful....like you can accomplish anything and you're on top of the world. You have to have it and cannot imagine getting through life without it.  But the more you take of it the more you need...and you build up a tolerance.  I have heard many times that Tramadol withdrawal is worse than any other opiate out there.

[malenurse57]

C\T off tramadol is not reccomend as it not only is a pain killer it also has anti depressant properties. I found this out after I had been c\t from them for about a week.
Weaning for you is best as long as you stick with your program otherwise seek a detox center for help. It is worth the fight if you look @ my tracker. I have'nt been here for awhile due to work. I am now off due to a trucking accident and been mostly without pain meds because of my addictive nature, so I will be hanging around to help if I can.
Good luck and God bless.

[worried878]

ct is not an aption with trams..they gotta be tapered if u r at a high dose or for a long time..seizures can occur if stopped abruptly...tapering is hard if u go it alone...is there someone u trust who cvan dole out ur pills to u?  I would be glad to help u with a taper if u shoot me a pm....dose per day//heaviest time of use, ur QUIT day, how many pills u have to work with

good luck   lots of support here..skimming the health pages may help as well..there is an article on tapering and the thomas recipe...both may help

[Josephtyler]

I have never heard of someone getting addicted like this to those.(then again I am a noobie here) That is deffinantly not worth it. Do those things even make you high when you take 6 or 7? Anyways, I can tell you from personal experiance, tappering off is harder than cold turkey. You said yourself that you promised to take less the next day, but then did not follow through.

However, if cold turkey just simply is not an option. A good Idea would be to cut off your supplier(s) completely. Set out a exact amount for the tappering time. And start your slow decrease. This works a bit better because you have to answer to a NASTY detox if you break the rules and take too many. It is a sort of self discipline you need at this point. Also, and THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT, once you have your tappering supply, make sure to tell your Docs. that you are addicted. This will hold you even more accountable for remaining on a path to a easier detox as the docs likely will stop prescribing it to you.

This is simply a test of self discipline and I think you can do it!!

Download AIM and send me a message if you need advice or just some support

Screename: Time4fun7165

[kawaii33]

Thank you for the help. I have already taken 2 less pills today and don't feel quite as bad I'm going to try not and take any at 12:00p.m which is what I usually do.

[Ella789]

Hi!  I just want to say that in order to quit the pills you will have to commit yourself to quitting.  Try taking one pill away every 2 wks, you must stick to the schedual, and it is tough. But doable!

Search the addiction forum for tips about tappering.  Do a search for "tappering" and see what pulls up.It is a bad time for you right now I'm sure.  It isn't easy to quit but it is not impossible either.  Search the Health Pages for the Thomas Recipe and see wjat you can use from it.  Keep posting and asking questions.

Best wishes
Ella