Quitting Tramadol (Support Group)

[PanSinoeis]

I'm just trying to bring together some people interested in quitting Tramadol.  I have made up my mind 100% and am going to quit.  So I'm tapering down 1 pill per week or two.  I was at 15 per day a couple months ago.  Now I'm at 11 per day.  I had an excellent support group when I had to quit taking Methadone back in 2004 Aug. and it helped me a lot.  So if anyone would like to join me, come on in.

[Christy7438]

Hi there - I have been taking tram for about a year now. Was at about 6-8 per day (at one point was at 10). I have used my last refill and decided this is it. I can't do it anymore. No one knows, so I'm having to do this secretly - hiding any symptoms that may come.

I cut it down to 4 a day for a week, then 3/day for one week. I had 2 a day for 3 days, and I only have 2 pills left....I've decided to take one today, half tomorrow, 1/4 Wednesday and 1/4 Thursday.

So far - NO W/D!

However, I have been supplementing with the following:
Started taking Gabapentin 300mg about 2 weeks ago (not religiously, lol, only remembered in the mornings - however, not it's morning and night since I'm so low on tram)
Buspirone 15mg/AM for 1-2 weeks increasing to 30mg/AM and 15mg/PM

Vitamin list! Totally made a difference!
AM TIME:
Fish oil - triple strength
Super B Complex
B6
Iron
One-A-Day Multivitamin

PM (Around 9PM as it works fast)
Magnesium - Maximum strength (Relax and RLS help!)
Melatonin - 10mg

The vitamin regiment started about 3 days ago, and I haven't seen ANY w/d symptoms!

Will follow up on with how I am on Friday - Hopefully completely done and feeling great! :)

Praying for all and hoping for a speedy "recovery"!

Christy

[Poppytram]

Really enjoyed your comment, I'm 53 and have been taking tramadol for over a year. The withdrawals are terrible, I have only managed three to four daysmax before I'm back at it. It gives me energy, and I engage with everyone, always upbeat and definitely lost weight. The depression and anxiety are the worst when I try to detox. Today was the first time I felt it was necessary to find a support group on line.

[Mondo35]

Hi I am new to this. I have been taking tramodol for 4 years now and have tried to come off them countless times. I have done it as we'll but always gone back after a month. Now I have been taking 25 to 30 tablets 50mg a day and the great feeling they used to give me and the energy has all gone. Now I can't be bothered all the time. They make me feel crap now. The way I quit in the past was I took 2 weeks off. Work I explained to my partner how I was gona be feeling and told her to go easy on me with the kids and the housework. She totally understood. Stay in the house Ll that time and just chill out as much as you can. I need help stopping this time. I am in a bad way. I do not eat I have no appetite. I am miserable. I am thinking about seeing the doctor and getting some antidepressants and then comeing off the tramodol cold turkey again

[youwho451]

I hope someone is still here. I am on my second day of withdrawal from tramadol. You all know the symptoms, I don't have to describe I'm sure.So far today I've taken two aspirin, two Tylenol, 8 mg. of Zofran. I am not feeling as bad as I was when I woke up.

A neighbor (who of course thinks I have a bug) is going to bring me back some night time Thera Flu to drink. That always seems to help when I have the achies. I know that any "daytime" anything right now would probably make me junk right out of my skin.

[FourJays]

Hello and welcome to the forum.  Congrats on getting to day 7 - you got this; just hang in there.  You will start feeling better very soon.   First I just want to suggest that you copy & paste your post, scroll up to the top and click "post a question".  This will start a new thread and you will get more responses and support from other members.

In my opinion - YES, you should talk to your dr. about this tomorrow.  I know it is frustrating and scary to open up about it, but that is the best way.  There are so many of us that began taking this med believing it to be non-addictive and without the information about it's anti-depressant affect.  I think there are some dr's out there that are still prescribing it as such because they truly don't know.  This is what we can do to help "educate" them.  IMO I would go in there and (respectfully) lay it all out - tell him your story and how hard it has been for you to get off them.  Tell him about what you have learned about this med from reading the stories of others that have struggled as well.  Do NOT feel ashamed or embarrassed in any way - you did NOT choose for this to happen.  

You have a very legit concern about your husband too.  As far as tapering, yes it can be done and it can be done successfully.  Regarding an actual taper schedule, we are not allowed to advise on these here (for safety reasons).  That is another thing to ask the dr. about (is he your husband's dr. as well?).  There are also rx meds that can help a lot with w/d's.  The decision of how he is going to do this is personal.  It will difficult for you to have the pills around while he tapers - once you are clean, any pills in the house are going to be a constant threat to your sobriety.  There are a lot of things to think about here.  The most important fact is that you both want OFF them.  It can be done.  My personal experience is explained in the post above.  Again, please copy and paste your post (or you can re-write part or all of it) to open a new thread.  There are so many members here with personal experience that can help with information and support to get you through this.  You can also send me a personal message any time.  You can do this . . . . please stay strong too - you have made incredible progress!  
Julie

[Lshank]

I have been taking 2-5 50mg tramadol a day for close to a year. For the longest time I had convinced myself I was not addicted (my husband takes 6-8 a day). I decided to quit cold turkey one day when about 20 minutes after taking them I began throwing up and continued to throw up the rest of the day. The next day was pure hell. I was extremely achy and I felt like if I got up for more than a minute or two I needed to lay back down. That night the insomnia started. I only slept maybe 2 hours.

Day 2 I forced myself to eat and shower. I managed to get out of the house but I still did not feel like myself. I was very tired but trying to sleep was useless. That night I once again only got about 2 hours of sleep.

Day 3 I began to feel better. I went out to breakfast (what else is there to do when you can't sleep) and went shopping for a little while. It was the day before Easter so I went to an Easter party and I really felt ok.

Day 4 was Easter and after running around getting my 2 and 3 year old daughters ready and going to more parties I caved. I took 2 pills. I figured I would be ok and I wouldn't have to go through the horrible withdrawal again. I was wrong. I actually slept that night but i was going to pay for it.

The next day was my daughters 4th birthday. I felt ok until the afternoon which is when I typically took the pills. We went to Chuck E. Cheese and I was miserable. I was freezing with 2 jackets on and I just wanted to sit in the booth and stare off into space the whole time. I could not control my body temp. I was either hot or freezing the whole time and I couldn't even enjoy my daughter's birthday.

Day 6 I felt just like I had on day 2. I was a little better but I still did not feel like myself. I still had very little energy.

Today is day 7. I did not sleep once again last night. I feel like I have some energy and I can get some things done (my house is a wreck after not having the energy to clean for a week). I have had a chest cold pretty much this whole time and I am going to the doctor for it tomorrow. I am still struggling on whether or not to tell my doctor about the tramadol. It angers me everyday that I would let this drug have such a strong hold on my life. I know I will soon feel better and I need to keep a positive outlook.

My biggest worry now is my husband. He works 48 hours a week. I don't work. He can't afford to feel the way I have felt. Does weening really work? If not his whole vacation in 2 months is going to be spent withdrawling from tramadol. I just wish I could help him. He sees what I am going through and it scares the **** out of him. We both know we can't depend on pills our whole life, mostly for our daughters' sake. I just wish we never would have started in the first place.

[altejd]

Can you tell your doctor?  There is Clonidine and Adavan which will help with the withdrawal issues.  Tapering off slowly is also an important factor.
You will find the real issues will be psychological, so see a therapist if at all possible while detoxing.  

If you are a veteran then go to the VA ER with a copy of your DD214 and they will take good care of your detoxing.

[esmerald32]

I'm sitting here, reading this stuff, and freaking totally! I just recently realized I'm addicted to tramadol and i don't know what to do. How do I start tapering off this stuff? I was prescribed this for my fibromyalgia for breakthrough pain when my Lyrica wasn't enough. For the last few months I've progressively been abusing it and taking tripple my prescribed dosage. I'm up to taking 6 (50mg) pills first, then taking 4 more an hour later, then 4 more another hour later, then 6 more pills over the next 2 hours. So I have been essentially taking 15-20 (50mg) pills a day! I'm freaking out right now, sobbing so hard it is difficult to type this! What should I do? How can i taper off this?  Anyone? help, please!

[FourJays]

Oh, and because this is such an old post it may not get the new attention it warrants.  To start a new thread just click on "post a question" above and it will start a new one.

[FourJays]

Hello John and welcome - I am SO glad you found us!  I personally had a 15 year "love/hate affair" with Tramadol myself and am right now at about 3 months clean!  Our stories are really similar in timing, reason for starting (medical problem) and the dosage amounts.  I was initially prescribed Tram for back pain (w/the understanding that it was NOT addictive and NON narcotic - what a joke).  It turned me in to Super Mom, Super Wife, Super Everything . . . for a couple of years. It was never really a great pain reliever per say; keeping myself fit, injections and physical therapy worked just as well, but by that time I was addicted anyway, so it did not matter.  Over the years my interest in all of the above "super" categories declined as my tolerance for the Tram went up and I took more and more, and it became the focus of my life.  I pretty much lost 10 years to this drug, during which time I had 4 seizures (all from overdoses), lost interest in things I loved, including friends, control of my home and finances and gave up a 25 year legal career - just didn't care anymore.  All of this and I still kept taking it.  I did detox from it a few times in the later years, and once even made it to 47 days clean; but always ended up relapsing.

About 2 years ago my upper back/neck problems escalated & I ended up having cervical fusion last summer.  For a few weeks before and after the surgery I was on such heavy opiates I barely remember it all (maybe good in some ways!).  One huge negative however was the fact that because my opiate tolerance was SO high (due to years of Tram use), they could not control my pain afterward . . . it was like I felt every single movement in my neck for a few days after.  Anyway, within a week or so I weaned down (w/out any major problems or w/d affects) off all of the "heavy" stuff and was back to just my good old Tramadol.  

Because I would run out of pills from my legit dr. scripts, I started ordering online off and on for the last few years.  In late November and order I had placed did not ship.  I was stuck with only a few pills and NO way to get more for at least 5 days.  So I just did it.  In about 5 days I will be 100 days clean!!!  I was taking up to 45 - 50 pills a day at that point.  There is NO way I would NOT have died had I kept it up at the rate I was going.

So - I agree 100% that this drug is one of the more dangerous out there - period.  And even to this day it is still being prescribed as non-habit forming, and without full disclosure about the anti-depressant nature.  Unfortunately it is people like us who have to live it to learn it.  

In the meantime, you are planning to taper again?  I think that is the best way and have heard that the Clonidine is really helpful in w/d.  It sounds like you know what to do and how to go about it.  I DO agree that the emotional/depression issue does need to be addressed once detox is complete.  Whether it is w/AD meds, therapy, natural supplements - any or all of the above; whatever works best for you.  Without the aftercare and support the chances of staying clean are minimal.

You will find a lot of support here and many others that have been through or are currently battling the Tram devil.  Please keep posting your progress and good luck . . . . you KNOW you can do this!

Julie

[altejd]

My name is John and this is my shortened story.

I have been taking tramadol for about 15 years!  It all started as an adjunct to Lortab because of some abdominal pain I began to experience circa 1996.  I was consistently told by my PC, “It’s just a bad case of IBS”.  It wasn’t until I was in the ER for the 3rd time in 7 month with extreme abdominal pain, fever, diarrhea and vomiting when it was determined, not by any ER doctor, but a specialist they called down; which took 4 hours for him to arrive from an office 3 floors up.  I ended up getting a colon resection 3 years later from my “phantom” pain, which turned out to be diverticulitis, which just wouldn’t heal.  I should have sued someone for mal-practice!  I may have saved my colon!

That is how I got started on it.  It then became my Rx of choice for my kidney stones, which flow thru me like water.  I also used it for my arthritis, and so it went.

I grew “immune” to the lower amounts and so it followed I increased the doses.  At my peak I was taking between 35 & 40 50mg a day.  I could not wean myself at all, the psychological issue being the strongest pull!

I finally reached the end of my rope, and was able to get detox help from the VA, although this is my 3 try.  The home support medication is soooo important, and that is a difficult understanding to get thru to these doctors who are suppose to be specialists with addictions.  I also got the impression these doctors haven’t dealt with a tramadol addicted patient before and, therefore, were using opiate withdrawal protocol, which isn’t sufficient; if tramadol is used for methadone withdrawal, then doesn’t if follow that tramadol will be a very difficult withdrawal experience?  This is a most underrated and misunderstood drug from which to withdrawal, and I hope these sites, further studies and these testimonials will begin to have an impact for future withdrawal support and assistance!

My first 2 experiences with detox at the VA was the use of Adavan & clonidine.  My 3rd try used a clonidine patch and the tapering off of tramadol over 5 days.  But I have learned that it will take a minimum of 10 days of the 3rd experience to help defend against the psychological backlashes of the withdrawal symptoms of tramadol.

After being “free” from tramadol for an appropriate amount of time, then maybe the introduction of anti-depressants would be contraindicated.  

This is a withdrawal subject matter, which is in its infancy, and obviously needs A LOT of continued study to achieve the best withdrawal results.

[killerzoey]

http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/08/19/us.online.pharmacies.probe/index.html

Interesting

[killerzoey]

Oh--and best of luck to anyone stopping Tramadol. Don't let the horror stories scare you, just do your homework and research but know that you may find yourself astonished at how relatively easy it was, once you put your plan in effect.

If you are a female who gets a monthly cycle, I can say that I feel that it is worked for me to quit both the Tramadol and the hydro some time other than PMS. Right after my period worked best for me--I was the most chipper and had more in my emotional reserves. We don't always get to choose our timing but if you can, you may consider this.

[killerzoey]

Hello!

I so feel for you. There is hope--you can get off the nasty Tramadol. There is a lot of support on medhelp, but it looks like this room gets visited less frequently, and slows down on the weekends. If you  have not done so, you may also want to post in the Addiction: Substance Abuse forum.

I posted above you a few weeks ago that I was stopping using hydrocodone, and what my general philosophy of quitting was. I wanted to update my quitting experience in case it helps anyone. I have not taken a Tramadol since Jan. 9 (thought it was the 10th but I see above it must have been the 9th). I used a small amount of hydrocodone (Vicodin) daily for 16 days after quitting the Tramadol, then when the timing felt right I successfully quit the hydrocodone without tapering. I tried to take as little as possible of the hydro, just to keep the worst of the WDs at bay so I could function. I'm a working single parent of two little children. I can't drop any balls. Otherwise I would have tried just tapering off the Tramadol and stopping it. I read enough nightmares about doing that that I was terrified to do it. I'm glad I didn't do it that way, but for some, it works, and the horrid WDs probably help keep them away from the Tramadol forever. I wasn't particularly fond of the way it made me feel...just ended up having trouble stopping it. So I'm not worried I'll go back to it, no matter how easy it is to quit. I just wanted OFF.

By the way, I too was nudged by the change in laws in 2013 that made it harder to order Tramadol online. I am thankful for this--beyond thankful. I HATE Tramadol and the hold it had on me and have been wanting to quit for a long time. My plan was to wait until I could take a week off and the kids would be with their dad's family...half a year away. Now it's done and I'm so grateful.

Anyway, the hydro thing worked for me, and I've also heard of people using Kratom, the plant derivatives of which can be ordered online. It acts  kind of like an opiate but isn't really one. It is, however, supposedly mildly addictive in its own right, so neither of these quitting aids should be taken any longer than necessary.

For me, I felt like during the 16 days I was off Tramadol but still taking hydro, I suffered the worst of the withdrawals. I was well aware that although I was taking on average 10 mg of hydrocodone a day, it was only keeping the WORST at bay. That made me feel good, as I knew I was working toward something, not just swapping evils. On this small amount of hydro I could function really well during the day, it was only nights that were hard. And they were. I'm not going to candy coat it. BUT I  never went a full night without sleep. Eventually I dropped off.

The worst, I agree, are the chills and sweats. Man...I soaked the bed every night before sun-up.  I had to make up thyroid stuff to blame it on. My poor boyfriend never had a clue what I was (am kind of still) going through. Last night I had a moment when I thought I should just tell him, especially now when I can claim triumph. But it's really embarrassing for me. Still, maybe I will...I am still rather flat emotionally and still trying to wake up my brain. The poor thing is just plum out of dopamine and serotonin. Oh--I gave up taking those antidepressants I mentioned...I thought it premature and found I could do without them. I DO take Rhodiola rosea (a natural supplement said to do all kinds of cool things for your brain and body) and Sam-E.

I have also relied heavily on the OTC products recommended in the Thomas Recipe for Detox. If you Google it and find the one that suggests Benzos, just mentally swap Melotonin, Valerian root, or Unisom for the Benzos. They won't knock you out as well but Benzos are very, very addicting and problematic/dangerous to stop. Since Tramadol withdrawals last long enough for that to become its own problem, it is wise to avoid those. It's also wise to avoid hydros or Kratom, but for some, those things may be the kindler, gentler (and ultimately effective) way. I was able to use the hydros because I had them left over from before...but of course not everyone can go that route.

Some things you  might consider asking your doctor about:

I've heard of using Neurontin, and there's a study that shows promise using the anti-convulsant drug Oxcarbazepine (Trileptal). I've read anecdotal reports by people who were coincidentally put on either of those at the time of stopping, who were very surprised to find their Tramadol withdrawals mild or nonexistent.

Clonodine is the ol' faithful of opiate withdrawal, and I believe it can help Tramadol WDs, too.

[Moolad78]

Iv been taking 12 tramadol for the past year every day and maybe more sum days wats te best way to detox and is there any medication I can take to ease the withdrawals please help

[pawnee187]

I have been taking tramadol for about 8 years now. I started taking it for lower back pain (arthritis). The way it started is that I would just take the prescribed dose- 4- 50mg/day but I liked the way it made me feel so started taking more and more gradually up to about 12 pills a day. Now it's getting harder to get it off the internet and the price is going up so I really want to stop taking this but am scared to death about the withdrawals. I am 55 years old and just finished up nursing school. I have not been able to find a job yet and this addiction could be why. My doctor told me that the withdrawals from this would not be anywhere near as bad as other drugs such as vicodin. I have no medical insurance so I can't just run to the doctor all the time. I go in once a year for a script but it is never enough.I need some serious help as to what to do.

[Linaya]

So I am trying to quit tramadol iv been a addicted to it for over a year now. I don't know how it happened I started taking it for migraines and iv always had horrible depression and anxioty so when I take it it calms me down gives me peace and I had a rough childhood with my mother abandoning me at the age of 8 years old. I liked the way it numbed me to not feel any emotions. I am taking 8 pills a day and this is a big step for me because this is the first time iv ever admitted to having a problem iv tried to stop before but I have no support system no one nos about my addiction iv kept it hidden very well however I just started therepy today but have not told them about my addiction for fear of it going on my medical record. I don't want to be this dependent on something anymore. I withdrew once a few months ago and it was torture I only stayed clean about 2 weeks befor I relapsed. The worst part was the cold sweats by far followed by the chronic insomnia. Does anyone have any tips on the best way to tapper off this horrible drug so I don't have those? I really want to focas on getting my life back in control but since I have no support I was hoping I could get a little advice idk what to do I just want my life back.

[killerzoey]

Hi guys and gals I'm on day 3 without Trammies but I'm using hydros I had leftover from the past in order to ease withdrawals. It doesn't make logical sense to me but I've read this can be done and so I'm trying it. I can't afford to "get the flu" right now--single parent...job...little kids.

I had been taking 10+ per day for a year, I think. I managed to drop down to 8, then tried to do 5, found it possible, at least on that day. It was the next few days when I dropped down to very little that I started feathering in the hydro. It was a busy work week and I just took the bare minimum possible to function--not to feel good. Day one I took half a hydro and 1.5 Trams. The next day I tried taking no Trams and it worked...with 1.5 hydros (these are 5/500s, by the way. Now on that night I really couldn't sleep and I took way too many Unisoms (Benadryl) trying to do so. The following day I did the same during the day but at night I took a hydro to sleep. So that day was 2.5 hydros, no Trams. Today is Saturday and I've had a very lazy day and have gotten by with 1 hydro. I'll probably need one to sleep, though Ill try to get by with half.

One more thing: once I was 36 hours since the last T, I started Zoloft and Wellbutrin. I don't know if I really need to do this, though.

Basically my philosophy is this: I know how to get off antidepressants and hydros. To do both at once would royally suck, though. I'd like to quit the hydro first (and stay at the lowest dose possible) and then the ADs. Divide and conquer!

[Mike7779]

I been on tramodol for eight years 300mg a day I have stoped five days ago, can anyone help me and tell how long is this withdrawl? When will I have energy again and be able to go to sleep at night and lose this swooshing sound in my ears?

[Mike7779]

I been on tramodol for eight years 300mg a day I have stoped five days ago, can anyone help me and tell how long is this withdrawl? When will I have energy again and be able to go to sleep at night and lose this swooshing sound in my ears?

[kmchristian]

Please somebody.... help!

[kmchristian]

Everything hit me like a ton of bricks about 48 hours and I feel like my life will never be the same again... let me explain...

I am 25 years old. College grad, good paying job, have things together. I have been addicted to tramadol for 3-4 years now. It started in college by just messing around with painkillers now and then. It started with my roommate at the time having his wisdom teeth pulled which means we had a week supply of hydrocodeine. We used every day until it was all gone for about 5-7 straight days. At the end of those days, I went through 2 days worth of withdrawal symptoms, could barely sleep, restless leg syndrome, the basic. It scared the crap out of me, after just ONE week of using hydrocodeine, and I swore to never do it again.

Well stupid me, I wanted to go back for more, problem is that you can't readily get hydro codeine without breaking the law. It was at this point that a  friend came to me and let me know he had something called Tramadol that might do the same thing. he gave me a few and I decided to try it. I loved it and proceeded to get the rest of his bottle from him. Once this was up, I discovered that Tramadol could be found online without a prescription, "jackpot" I thought to myself! Wrong.

It is now about 3.5 years later and I take 15-18 50 mg pills of tramadol a day. EVERY single day. My greatest panic attacks come when I realize i am getting low and my next order might not be here in time. Well everthing came to a head at about 3 am on the night of December 30th... i had a panic attack, I felt worthless towards my family, my friends, and felt like an utter loser. I swore off tramadol then and there, I took my last pill at 1 am. Yeah right...

The next day was ok, by 3 year withdrawal standards, the day went by SLOW, I was achey, depressed, and felt so low about myself... I got about 19 hours into it and gave in. I took 4 pills (my typical dosage). I then took 4 more pills a little later and 4 more pills a little later just so I could sleep. That put my at 12 pills on the day, well below my typical day prior to that. I realized I wouldn't be able to break this addiction cold turkey, I would need to taper down. I am so TIRED of this addiction ruling my life. I was up to probably about 450-500 pills a month, which cost money and I was a slave to my pills.

Even though I gave back into tramadol a mere 19 hours in... I still feel the depression i felt when I had nothing in my system yesterday. Could this be the effects of tapering down? It is my understanding that Tramadol has an "anti-depressant" quality to it which makes you feel good and when you remove this, part of tramadol withdrawal is depression and anxiety. That was by far worse than the physical discomfort I was feeling...

I want to break this... I will break this but I'm terribly scared... I have a very loving family who means the world to me. My mom and dad are two of the most supportive people I know but I don't want to go to them with this because it would be such a shock and disappointment to them. I would break my mom's heart and put a world of hurt and worry on her which she does not deserve to have. As I sit here and write this I feel very hopeless... what do i do? I am going to beat this. I need advice, support, anything, please! What is the best way to taper down on this after 3 years of abuse? The mental anguish is the worst part, I feel worthless to my family and I am  scared to do this on my own but I know it would not be fair to put this on them as well. Thank you all for your support....

[10356]

Hi Cari. Welcome to the forum.. If you go to the top of the page and paste what you had wrote on your own thread you will receive more support. Just scroll up and hit post a question.. I wish you the best on your Journey. lesa

[cari2]

oh my god i just read your post and it is me.  i feel the same.  and  am in nursing school as well.  would love to talk, i have no one totalk to either,no one knows.I am embaressed and ashamed.