Tramadol Withdraw Update....Good Info!

[sa1829]

Hi everyone

I went to the Doctor today.....Pain management and addiction medicine. I learned quite a lot and wanted to pass it on....

I have withdrawn form Tramadol over a 10 week period, after taking it for 6 years but still pretty much feel like ****. Today he congratulated me on my stepping down efforts (I kept a journal with dates, times and dosages) and told me that EVERYTHING I AM STILL FEELING IS BECAUSE I HAVE DEPLETED SEROTONIN LEVELS, not because i am still withdrawing from the drug.That was big news to me!

I had read that Tramadol messes  up your Serotonin but didn't know how, what, etc...

He gave me Lexapro, an antidepressant that will quickly (according to him) add serotonin to my system, making me feel better. he says i should notice a difference within 48 hrs. Tramadol is not an antidepressant, but does in fact work on the body/brain like one, much more than other opiates, and it supposedly depletes the Serotonin levels faster because of its make-up (Synthetic) ???? He told me i would have been better off taking Oxycotin.....He never prescribes Tramadol at all in his practice....That blew me away!  So this Tramadol really is nasty stuff...

I am to continue taking Lexapro until I build up serotonin high enough to start feeling better, (hopefully about 48 hrs) than I step down off of it. Not quite sure how that's gonna work, but I have a 2 week supply of it and I see the Doc again in a week, so I guess I'll find out. He also ordered about a million dollars worth of bloodtests to be done after i fast for 18 hours.......As if I don't already have enough reasons to feel bad right now!!!!!!

I also asked him about Immodium, and he said it's OK to take, even though it has minute opiate structure to it....(which is why it makes us feel somewhat better)  but it isn't enough to interfere with detoxing, so this is definitely good news and  I wanted to pass this along.....

There are lots of herbal ways to build up serotonin, and of course, exercise. I walk every day and I do feel much better afterwards. I should have asked him about the herbal stuff, and I'll try and remember to do so next week......

Anyone out there know more about these herbal serotonin supplements ?????
Would it be a good idea to start taking one as you begin to come off of Tramadol? My initial feeling is yes.....I will definitely ask him.......

He also said that there are lots of antidepressants out there that people are taking these days that cause this same type of withdraw, and that the emergency room physicians are starting to see lots and lots of it because people do this same thing to themselves with the antidepressants....(He told me what particular type but i don't remember) So If you are taking an antidepressant it would be worth asking your Dr about........You wouldn't want to stop taking it  cold Turkey if it's the kind that acts like this I guess.....He said that most of the newer Antidepressants are Much better than Paxil, Prozac...etc and they don't have near the side affects.....

I absolutely hate the fact that I am taking an antidepressant because I want to be completely drugfree...that is my goal, but he assures me i will be very soon and feeling much better, so WE SHALL SEE....

Hope this info helps someone.....

Steve

[toxictome]

goods info...thanks!!

[avisg]

let me know how this works , that would almost be a withdrawl break thru if it works for people that have problem with ultram ......

[worried878]

5HTP is a herbal seratonin replinisher...I take it

[northernstar30]

Tramadol is the devil in disguise.  Well all drugs are, but all you hear is that trams are not addicting.  I hate hearing that.  I told one of my friends about my addiction and she looked at me like i was crazy.  I don't crave trams anymore, but my sis had some vics and that adict in me kicked in.  It was so hard to see that bottle.  I was 16 days clean at the time.  But once I got over it I had such a natural high.  I was so proud that I didnt take one.  Thanks for the info.

[GoingToMakeIt]

Sounds like a good Dr. Most prescribe it like candy.