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Tramadol Tapering
Hello there,
I am 29 years old, 8 months pregnant with my 2nd child, and currently trying to taper off of Tramadol. I have a lot of questions and need help with this. I was taking 16-20 pills a day and am now down to 8. I was supposed to be down to 4 by today but I cheated this weekend and I feel horrible about it. I have a mandatory class for work and by Saturday afternoon I could not handle the leg twitching and such. I had so much anxiety that I felt like I couldn't breathe and the moodiness was for sure kicking in. So at lunch I went home and took 3 pills to get rid of the W/d's. I am so ashamed that I ruined my progress. This is the hardest thing I have ever done, especially tapering. A couple years ago I quit Tramadol CT and doing it CT was better in my opinion because it didn't last as long. Now that I am tapering, the w/d's are HORRIBLE and it makes me even more frustrated to know I am going through so much pain but still on the pills. At least when you go CT, you know you have not taken anything and that seems to be more of a motivator. My Pain doctor put me on a pretty fast taper schedule, he wants me to drop 1 pill a day, so Monday (tomorrow) I have an apt with him and am supposed to be at 3 pills but I have to tell him I cheated this weekend and am still at 8. Not sure what he will do as he made it perfectly clear last week that he will not refill me anymore if I take more than I should. My OB seemed fine with this fast taper. The reason I wanted to taper is because I am pregnant and wanted to reduce any risk to the baby, but if it is dropping 1 pill a day, which is pretty much CT, then I wonder if I could do CT without hurting the baby? Any suggestions would be appreciated! I don't know what to do and need support.
I am 29 years old, 8 months pregnant with my 2nd child, and currently trying to taper off of Tramadol. I have a lot of questions and need help with this. I was taking 16-20 pills a day and am now down to 8. I was supposed to be down to 4 by today but I cheated this weekend and I feel horrible about it. I have a mandatory class for work and by Saturday afternoon I could not handle the leg twitching and such. I had so much anxiety that I felt like I couldn't breathe and the moodiness was for sure kicking in. So at lunch I went home and took 3 pills to get rid of the W/d's. I am so ashamed that I ruined my progress. This is the hardest thing I have ever done, especially tapering. A couple years ago I quit Tramadol CT and doing it CT was better in my opinion because it didn't last as long. Now that I am tapering, the w/d's are HORRIBLE and it makes me even more frustrated to know I am going through so much pain but still on the pills. At least when you go CT, you know you have not taken anything and that seems to be more of a motivator. My Pain doctor put me on a pretty fast taper schedule, he wants me to drop 1 pill a day, so Monday (tomorrow) I have an apt with him and am supposed to be at 3 pills but I have to tell him I cheated this weekend and am still at 8. Not sure what he will do as he made it perfectly clear last week that he will not refill me anymore if I take more than I should. My OB seemed fine with this fast taper. The reason I wanted to taper is because I am pregnant and wanted to reduce any risk to the baby, but if it is dropping 1 pill a day, which is pretty much CT, then I wonder if I could do CT without hurting the baby? Any suggestions would be appreciated! I don't know what to do and need support.
She hasn't abandoned you. She's still there to take care of you and the baby. She's just refusing to prescribe any more Tramadol. I know this is terribly difficult for you and I'm sure you know the doctors aren't at fault here.
I hope it all works out and that the baby will be born healthy.
I hope it all works out and that the baby will be born healthy.
Vicki595,
After my OB basically abandoning me, I have little interest in asking her for any more support or questions. I feel that it is so bad of her to make decisions on a drug that she knows nothing about, especially when it involves an unborn baby.
After my OB basically abandoning me, I have little interest in asking her for any more support or questions. I feel that it is so bad of her to make decisions on a drug that she knows nothing about, especially when it involves an unborn baby.
Yes, it's a tough situation. You're going to need to rely on your OB for support and guidance. You don't have a choice.
We can't suggest any kind of taper schedule, it's against forum guidelines. Stay in contact with your doctor, especially if you don't feel well. You might ask her about the possibility of the baby being born dependent on the drug and the chance of fetal seizures during detox.
I hope you're looking into an outpatient program for support with your addiction. Good luck.
We can't suggest any kind of taper schedule, it's against forum guidelines. Stay in contact with your doctor, especially if you don't feel well. You might ask her about the possibility of the baby being born dependent on the drug and the chance of fetal seizures during detox.
I hope you're looking into an outpatient program for support with your addiction. Good luck.
Vicki595,
I have been on tramadol for over 2 years. Obviously a huge reason for quitting is that the state of ND doesn't allow you to purchase tramadol online anymore. I knew that was coming and stoked up. I have even tried to go online and it will not ship to any ND address. Anyway, beings that my supply was running out, I was also just getting so sick of taking them. I having to keep them on me 24/7 and remember to take each dose. It was awful. I did not get any sort of high anymore, it was just strichtly for me to function everyday. Not sure where I led you to believe my Pain doc had me on them for 8 months, but no, about 2 weeks ago I decided to build up the courage to tell my OB because I needed help getting off of them in sake of the baby. So she referred me to the Pain doctors and that is where they set up the tapering plan to drop 1 pill a day. I initailly thought that was too fast but went with it. After last weekend, not being able to go through it and cheating, that is when I met with both the pain doc and OB yesterday to tell them this is not the plan for me, and that is when they both left me hanging:( So yes, I only have 62 pills left to figure out what kind of taper plan I should do...I CANNOT get anymore after these 62 are gone so I need to be smart about this. I am extremely busy until the weekend of Aug 16-18. My plan is to taper down by 1 each day until I get to next weekend. Next weekend I have NO plans. My husband is also gone all next week for work which will be nice so I don't have to pretend to have the flu again. Do you kind of understand now what my situation is? I agree with you that I am pregnant and should not be going through withdrawals. I did this to myself though and would like to get clean before my baby is born. I know I can do this, I just have to find that deep inner strentgh.
I have been on tramadol for over 2 years. Obviously a huge reason for quitting is that the state of ND doesn't allow you to purchase tramadol online anymore. I knew that was coming and stoked up. I have even tried to go online and it will not ship to any ND address. Anyway, beings that my supply was running out, I was also just getting so sick of taking them. I having to keep them on me 24/7 and remember to take each dose. It was awful. I did not get any sort of high anymore, it was just strichtly for me to function everyday. Not sure where I led you to believe my Pain doc had me on them for 8 months, but no, about 2 weeks ago I decided to build up the courage to tell my OB because I needed help getting off of them in sake of the baby. So she referred me to the Pain doctors and that is where they set up the tapering plan to drop 1 pill a day. I initailly thought that was too fast but went with it. After last weekend, not being able to go through it and cheating, that is when I met with both the pain doc and OB yesterday to tell them this is not the plan for me, and that is when they both left me hanging:( So yes, I only have 62 pills left to figure out what kind of taper plan I should do...I CANNOT get anymore after these 62 are gone so I need to be smart about this. I am extremely busy until the weekend of Aug 16-18. My plan is to taper down by 1 each day until I get to next weekend. Next weekend I have NO plans. My husband is also gone all next week for work which will be nice so I don't have to pretend to have the flu again. Do you kind of understand now what my situation is? I agree with you that I am pregnant and should not be going through withdrawals. I did this to myself though and would like to get clean before my baby is born. I know I can do this, I just have to find that deep inner strentgh.
You can ask them what is safe and what they think of your taper plan...you can ask them what you should do about this problem and they may have some suggestions...
So, tomorrow you'll take 8 pills and then drop one each day? It IS kind of fast but not unusual and it would probably work. What's bad about it is that you're pregnant and the last thing you should be going through right now is wd's. Did you just now decide you needed to get off the Tramadol? I'm wondering why the pain doctor kept you on this for 8 months. Just curious.
So, tomorrow you'll take 8 pills and then drop one each day? It IS kind of fast but not unusual and it would probably work. What's bad about it is that you're pregnant and the last thing you should be going through right now is wd's. Did you just now decide you needed to get off the Tramadol? I'm wondering why the pain doctor kept you on this for 8 months. Just curious.
Yeah, everyone on this site keeps telling me that CT is never good when pregnant. If all of us regular people know this, why don't the doctors know as well? I really don't think the pain doctor has had any experience with tramadol either. When I asked him if he did, he just said this is the schedule he uses for all pain pill tapering. Which isn't right on his part, he is being half *** and not adjusting per individual and situation. I still cannot believe that they are leaving me to hang and essentially do not care about my baby. It almost makes me not want my OB to deliver now. You say I should call the hospital and talk with a delivery nurse, how will they know? Talk to them about what?
It's obvious that your OB doesn't know much about Tramadol. Yes, it does contain an antidepressant similar to Effexor...
Cold turkey detox is never recommended in pregnancy. A taper schedule is very, very slow so wd's are kept to a minimum. What you feel, the baby feels. The only suggestion I have is to call the hospital where you plan to deliver and speak to one of the nurses in Labor&Delivery. They know all about Tramadol (or should) and will advise you. Detox can cause premature labor so you are right to be concerned.
I wish you well with your situation...stay strong.
Cold turkey detox is never recommended in pregnancy. A taper schedule is very, very slow so wd's are kept to a minimum. What you feel, the baby feels. The only suggestion I have is to call the hospital where you plan to deliver and speak to one of the nurses in Labor&Delivery. They know all about Tramadol (or should) and will advise you. Detox can cause premature labor so you are right to be concerned.
I wish you well with your situation...stay strong.
Ok, so my OB's nurse called me back today and said my OB can't (isn't) going to change the taper schedule either!!!! OMG...what is wrong with these people. I realize they don't want to change taper schedules because there are the people out there who abuse the system, but come on, I'm almost 9 months pregnant and they should be concerned about the baby! I am very disappointed in my OB since she has always seemed willing to help through this. I have a feeling the pain doc talked to her and told her not to do anything because my OB has no clue how bad tramadol is, she even told me that today. I called back after I heard the voicemail from the nurse and I left a message for them. I said that I got the voicemail and I respect their decision, but I thought they were making a mistake. I asked my Doc if she could take a few minutes of her time when she gets home tonight and Google tramadol tapering and she will learn how dangerous and bad this pill is. I asked if she could please do that and then I said I don't have an appointment with her until Aug 9th so I hope the baby is ok until then. I am just so disappointed and stressed over this. I feel like they are abandoning me and leaving me hanging. I can see if it was just me, but it is my OB's responsibility to care for my unborn baby. Today my OB did ask me if I wanted to go on an anti depressant until my w/d's let up. I told her probably not because an AD is already in tramadol and what would be the point. But I guess I don't really know much about antidepressants so can anyone give me some advice on that. Should I go on one until the w/d's settle down just to keep my emotions and depression in check? It seems crazy though to me that she will prescribe me an AD but not prescribe me tramadol to taper. I don't get it!!! What should I do???
First of all, take a deep breath, calm down, and try not to stress. Talk to your OB and see what she says and recommends. Let her know your concerns for your baby and go from there. However, I recommend stocking up on supplies you may need for withdrawals in case in comes down to that. It's okay and we'll all help you through it, but I really hope your OB does some research before deciding not to help. Big hugs. You're going to be okay.
Hey everyone,
Thanks for all your nice words and support. So here is how my day went. I am currently still at 8 pills a day which is manageable even though I barely sleep at night. I met my OB this morning and told her that I cheated this weekend. She is Amazing and didn't lecture me at all, she just listened. She admitted to me that she didn't know much about Tramadol and is learning as I tell her things. I told her to come and check out this site to see how awful it is. She asks me about the withdrawals and seems like she wants to help me. I told her my concern about dropping 1 pill a day and that is why I cheated on Saturday because I couldn't handle it, 1 pill a day is too fast of a drop. She actually said she agreed and thought it was fast too. So then I met with the Pain Doc in the afternoon and I am still in shock over that appointment. I told him and his PA that I cheated and so forth. I told him that it is just not possible for me to taper that fast and I asked him to maybe plan something slower. He looked at me and said NO. He is not and will not adjust my taper schedule. I said "really?". I even asked him if he has ever dealt with a Tramadol taper before and he said no, but he said this is the way his office and co-workers do it for all opiate/pain pill addictions. So he gave me my last script for 6 pills and let me be on my way. I immediately started crying once I got in my car. I can't believe he isn't going to help me. I am doing this (seeing all these doctors) for my baby and to realize I will have to go CT now is really upsetting. Like I said before, I found some old pills so when I got home I added them up. Waterview I did get a pill box and I know it will help. So I put all my remaining pills in the box. Tomorrow I am going to take 8 and then I have no choice but to drop to a pill a day until I am out. So by next week I will be going CT and I am really nervous!! I am not nervous for me because I did this to myself, I just pray that my baby stays ok and isn't put in too much pain. I am not sure what else to do. I have to go out of town this weekend for a wedding and I am not looking forward to it. It is going to be very hard to pretend to be happy and energized. I still can't believe the pain doc, that he would say this to an 8 month pregnant woman and send me on my way to figure it out alone. So after I saw him, I called and left a message for my OB. I told the nurse to tell her what happened and I am waiting on my OB to call me back. I will let you guys all know as soon as I hear something. Any advice on what you would do right now if you were me? I would love it if I could order more pills and do my own slower taper schedule but I can't. The state of ND does not allow the online websites to mail the pills to any ND address, I have tried. I am hoping my OB will say she will do a taper schedule and prescribe me the pills but I highly doubt it. What can I do? I have no way of getting anymore pills so I have no choice but to go CT:(
Thanks for all your nice words and support. So here is how my day went. I am currently still at 8 pills a day which is manageable even though I barely sleep at night. I met my OB this morning and told her that I cheated this weekend. She is Amazing and didn't lecture me at all, she just listened. She admitted to me that she didn't know much about Tramadol and is learning as I tell her things. I told her to come and check out this site to see how awful it is. She asks me about the withdrawals and seems like she wants to help me. I told her my concern about dropping 1 pill a day and that is why I cheated on Saturday because I couldn't handle it, 1 pill a day is too fast of a drop. She actually said she agreed and thought it was fast too. So then I met with the Pain Doc in the afternoon and I am still in shock over that appointment. I told him and his PA that I cheated and so forth. I told him that it is just not possible for me to taper that fast and I asked him to maybe plan something slower. He looked at me and said NO. He is not and will not adjust my taper schedule. I said "really?". I even asked him if he has ever dealt with a Tramadol taper before and he said no, but he said this is the way his office and co-workers do it for all opiate/pain pill addictions. So he gave me my last script for 6 pills and let me be on my way. I immediately started crying once I got in my car. I can't believe he isn't going to help me. I am doing this (seeing all these doctors) for my baby and to realize I will have to go CT now is really upsetting. Like I said before, I found some old pills so when I got home I added them up. Waterview I did get a pill box and I know it will help. So I put all my remaining pills in the box. Tomorrow I am going to take 8 and then I have no choice but to drop to a pill a day until I am out. So by next week I will be going CT and I am really nervous!! I am not nervous for me because I did this to myself, I just pray that my baby stays ok and isn't put in too much pain. I am not sure what else to do. I have to go out of town this weekend for a wedding and I am not looking forward to it. It is going to be very hard to pretend to be happy and energized. I still can't believe the pain doc, that he would say this to an 8 month pregnant woman and send me on my way to figure it out alone. So after I saw him, I called and left a message for my OB. I told the nurse to tell her what happened and I am waiting on my OB to call me back. I will let you guys all know as soon as I hear something. Any advice on what you would do right now if you were me? I would love it if I could order more pills and do my own slower taper schedule but I can't. The state of ND does not allow the online websites to mail the pills to any ND address, I have tried. I am hoping my OB will say she will do a taper schedule and prescribe me the pills but I highly doubt it. What can I do? I have no way of getting anymore pills so I have no choice but to go CT:(
Hi Kylie! Please don't beat yourself up over the slip up. You are doing a great job and I have no doubt that you'll be able to kick this habit! Just be honest with your doctor. I know, for me, the weekends were my binge days (and if I was taking at least 10 pills M-F then you can imagine what the weekends looked like) so don't get down on yourself. Is there anyone that can administer the pills to you while you taper? Can you go CT from here while pregnant (I have no clue and am definitely not a Dr. but maybe you can ask your Dr. since you said that may be easier for you)? I love that you are doing this. You are so brave and I can tell you're an awesome mom!
I agree with Sara as far as the slower taper, I left you a longer message on the tramadol forum Kylie. Empower yourself today at the doctor for both you and your baby, you can do this
COMMUNITY LEADER
I would ask for a slower taper as these pills are nothing to mess with. I am glad you are going to be honest with your doctor. Let us know how things are going after your appt, You are not alone here~
You definitely will! Good luck tomorrow; let us know how it goes. You are not alone :)
I so needed to hear those words FourJays!!! Thank you!!! I WILL beat this and start fresh tomorrow:)
Hi Kylie,
Don't beat yourself up about the slip over the weekend! You are dealing with a lot here. And, it is the past; just move forward from here.. IMO you are right about the taper; it is difficult, I couldn't do it. But you have a big motivator here - being 8 months pregnant. I know you are scared about going to the doctor tomorrow but I'm so glad you are. I am sure he will advise you as to what is best for both you and the baby at this point. You have done SO well thus far tapering down from your original amount; and should be really proud of yourself. Whether he continues your taper or OK's you jumping off at this point, you are going to be OK. It is tough, but it will be over very soon; and the end result WILL be worth going these days of discomfort. Think big picture and a lifetime free of tramadol - you can do it; stay strong and keep posting for support as you go along :))
Don't beat yourself up about the slip over the weekend! You are dealing with a lot here. And, it is the past; just move forward from here.. IMO you are right about the taper; it is difficult, I couldn't do it. But you have a big motivator here - being 8 months pregnant. I know you are scared about going to the doctor tomorrow but I'm so glad you are. I am sure he will advise you as to what is best for both you and the baby at this point. You have done SO well thus far tapering down from your original amount; and should be really proud of yourself. Whether he continues your taper or OK's you jumping off at this point, you are going to be OK. It is tough, but it will be over very soon; and the end result WILL be worth going these days of discomfort. Think big picture and a lifetime free of tramadol - you can do it; stay strong and keep posting for support as you go along :))
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