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Tramadol

Hi all,
I'm wondering everyone's opinion about Tramadol. I am clean of all opiates about 10 months now, and it was actually Tramadol prescribed to me several years ago for migraines that begin my opiate hellish nightmare. I'm aware that it's a semi-synthetic opiate "light" and I firmly believe it should be a controlled substance. Having said all that I'm facing two painful surgeries and it's being pushed on me as a substitute for hydrocodone. I'm almost certain that I will reject using this drug. But, can you all chime in on why many of you believe it to be more difficult to kick than HC or oxy? Thank you much, folks. I just need to hear it again.
16 Responses
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4522800 tn?1470325834
VERY, VERY GOOD!!!  Nice reply..lol
Helpful - 0
1926359 tn?1331588139
Hey there-
Yes Tram is an awful drug.  It was prescribed to me after my first detox 6 years ago as an "alternative to opiate' pain management.  I thank my lucky stars that I HATED it and didn't take it for longer than a week.  I can't handle antidepressants (they make me depressed) so that is probably why I reacted so strongly.  On another note- I got clean over 2 years ago and have had to take pain meds several times in the last year for medical conditions and surgeries because there was no other option.  I was scared as h&^% the first time but I was open with my doc, surgeon, family and friends and only took the pills for a VERY short amount of time and switched to OTC meds as soon as possible.  It was surprisingly easy.  When your desire to live a happy sober life is strong and the memory of the horrific existence of living on pain meds is easily as strong, you can take pain meds in a responsible way.  I am having another surgery in three months.  I already have a plan in place.  You just have to be accountable and honest with everyone.  Safeties in place at all times.
Remember secrets and worry are the stuff that feeds addiction.  Don't give it any fuel.
Sending support-
Lu
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Avatar universal
Turns into codeine? I've never heard that before. Wow.
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Avatar universal
Thank you all so much. I'll have my husband read this thread. If anyone else wants to chime in, please do! The more information the better. And, Kyle, I'm a little "no nonsense" myself- I happen to appreciate candor in a person :)
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
my doc told me that trams turn to codeine in the body so essentially its the same with the added anti depression meds. sounds scary to me. i took them when i was detoxing from percs and wondered why i felt better, till i went to the doc. nothing is better than something unless u absolutely need it and in that case as little as possible for as short a duration as possible . best wishes  
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4522800 tn?1470325834
Well I have been on this site for awhile and have a good friend who was really taking A LOT of Trams in one day..I came off many years of Methadone but before that I got hydo/oxys prescribed. I got my Methadone prescribed too..Also had to other meds I came off of at one time.
WE compared note for many, many months. We both had the same issues and for a very long time..I think that the more synthetic the harder it is, becasue of it's half life or it's long legs. For her it was like coming off of 2 drugs and for me it was 3..SO I do know now how hard it could be to come off Trams too!!
The Drs are now getting to know more about this med..Heck the Veterinarians prescribe for pets..BAD DRUG--NO WAY!!
I wish you all the best.
Bless
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1970885 tn?1435860428
Since I didn't take it, I can only relate what my cousin went through, and yes, I think that the anti-depressant has something to do with the hell he experienced. He was a hydro user for many, many years. He got clean, and was a help to me two years ago when I started my road to recovery.
As I stated in my last post, a minor injure, and bad info about Trams from the medical profession lead him to have to detox, and it was horrible.
Have your husband come to this forum and read about Trams.
I am known as a no-nonsense kind of person; I've even spent time off of the forum for some of my very direct responses, but having said that, I would still recommend using hydro, with your doctor's and husband's assistance, rather than Trams. Good luck.
K
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Avatar universal
I really appreciate everyone responding. Truth is, I'm concerned. I really wanted to believe that I used opiates for pain relief, but the last ten months of being clean have helped me admit the TRUTH, which is I AM AN ADDICT. So, I want to have a plan for when I have the surgery, which will likely be in May or early June. I've had three docs recommend tramadol and they won't listen to a word I say. I wanted and needed to hear these responses from people. Just to be clear, though, do most of you feel that it's the anti-depressant properties of the drug that make withdrawal so tough or is it something else, or both? I DID get my psychiatrist to say "it's a very messy drug"-he doesn't like it and won't prescribe it. So, anyway, my husband can definitely hold the hydrocodone for me and dole it out. I just need to explain to my husband what you all have said about tramadol. He is concerned for me too, probably very afraid of a relapse. I don't blame him, because I put him through a lot with my addiction.
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1970885 tn?1435860428
It's been said, but I'll say it again...Trams are really, really hard to detox from; much harder than a decade long hydro habit, and that's straight from my cousin's mouth. He had quit hydros; he was part of my reason for quitting two years ago. About three months ago he suffered a minor injury, and was given Trams instead of hydros, per his request. BIG MISTAKE. He's finally clean, but the crap he went through to get off trams made the hydro detox look like a walk in the park.
Stay far, far away from them. If you need pain meds, then go with the 5/500 vics, and have someone you trust give them to you per the script. When an OTC med will work, toss the script.
Even though we're addicts, there will come a time in our lives that we'll need pain meds. If we have help and regulate their use then we'll be fine. Remember, it's not the pill (the pill is dust, nothing more) - it's us putting the pill in our mouth that's the problem.
K
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Avatar universal
Two foot surgeries- a bunion correction, and the more serious surgery, tarsal tunnel. This is an attempt to find out why my feet (mostly my right foot) hurt all the time. The thought is that it is some type of nerve damage. I have researched and found that the dr can put in a local lidocaine pump at the site of the surgical incision and this should function in lieu of an oral opiate. I can't seem to find a dr who even will listen that tramadol is an opiate! I don't know how pharmaceutical reps can sleep at night, given the lies they sell. Everyone I've ever spoken to had said the same thing about tramadol, that being that it is much harder to kick than hydrocodone.
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480448 tn?1426948538
Tramadol has antidepressant properties, which is why the mental part of tram w/ds are so bad.  Plus, when taken in high doses, there is a significant seizure risk.  Tramadol has been made a scheduled narcotic in a lot of states now, with more and more coming aboard.

I agree with the others, if you're going to need pain medication post-op, stick with OTC meds and minimal, infrequent doses of a regular narcotic.  There ARE ways an addict can properly use an opiate when it's necessary, there just has to be a very solid plan in place, with everyone (doc included) being aware that you're an addict and you want to be very cautious.

If I may ask, what kinds of surgeries do you need, and when are they scheduled for?

Best of luck to you!
Helpful - 0
7671414 tn?1395660495
I agree with all Jenny9906 says.I watched my Husband go through a week of hell like I have never seen before after only taking them for 2 months.Be careful..That said,I have been getting all my teeth pulled.If anyone looks at my pics,I had a headful of beautiful teeth before I went on methadone.The tops are done,I have 8 left one the bottom.When I got the last 4 pulled they gave me norco 5s..a script of 24..I took them the first night.2 weeks later,when I had to cancel my next appt,we flushed 20..So,u see if u and your dr r smart and just do it to get over the surgery u will be fine.U have to have strong willpower when u get in that bottle.If u cant let someone u trust do it for u..good luck.
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Avatar universal
Omg....everything was worse about it...seriously. But what it did to me specifically that no other regular opiate ever did, was messed up my head BAD.  I've never in my life before tramadol has problems with panic attacks...but into tramadol withdrawal I developed them....and they wouldn't go away....I just kept having them over and over and over again for months.  I was convinced I was going to die...have a heart attack...just keel over....and I couldn't make myself think otherwise.  I ended up in the ER 4 times....because I was freaking out so bad...and nothing would calm me down.  My heart would go into this crazy palpitation thing....it was absolutely the worst and scariest experience of my entire life.  Finally I ended up on an antidepressant...and that stopped the panic issues. I seriously thought I had lost my mind completely.  From what I've read, I guess that tramadol has some sort of weird antidepressant properties...so when you discontinue it, it can put you into a mental tailspin.  It messed me up so bad, I can't even describe the mental anguish it put me through. I feel that I'm one of the biggest anti-tramadol advocates out there....I'm so against that drug, and try to convince people when I can to not get intertwined in that mess.    
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Avatar universal
I appreciate you both responding. I keep hearing the same thing repeatedly. I just can't figure out what it is about Tramadol that is so troublesome to so many. I've never tried to get off of tramadol, as I switched to Norco and Oxy so I had to detox from those drugs. But, I believe everyone. It's getting a dr to believe it that is the problem! What exactly is different about the withdrawal?
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1416133 tn?1351123217
Seriously, I couldn't agree more with Jenny.  Tramadol is the WORST.  Stick with the standard opiates for post-op pain management for no more than a week, and you'll be okay.  And make sure the Dr. understands your addictions and won't prescribe this horrible synthetic opiate to you (ie Tramadol).

Good luck to you - and good for you for asking.  Says a lot about your commitment to staying sober.  :)
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Avatar universal
I've said it a zillion times on here..but I'm going to say it again...LOL tramadol IS the devil. That stuff messed me up way worse than hydros or oxys ever did.  I would rather detox 10 times in a row from hydros or oxys than 1 time from tramadol....for real.  Just wanted to add in my 2 cents...I'd choose hydros or oxys any day over tramadol. It was funny because when my dog broke her leg, they tried to give me tramadol to take home to give to her...and I made them give me something different for her.  I wouldn't give tramadol to my dog...literally...
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