how many days to detox off 20-35 tramadol per day?

[alnite]

I've been on Tramadol for 2 or more years.  I went up to 15 recently, and am surprised by how many I've taken recently.  I am checking into a detox.  They will only keep me 6 days.  How many days will it take?  Please help.  

[shiningstar500]

By the end of the 6 days you should be feeling better. You may still have a little of the withdrawls but as long as you want to quit you will be able to fight those!! Good luck to you and just remember all the wonderful things your future has to hold without pills!

[alnite]

ty, they offer catapress and soboxone for 5 days.  They only give 4 subs the 2nd day and taper you off through the 6th day then you're let go.  Will I be able to catch a bus for about a 2-3 hr. venture?  Scared.  I'm thinking to try to wean down now, good idea?

[vicki595]

NO no no...

Alnite~ I'm not sure what they'll give you in detox. They're all different. Tramadol detox should be tapered;not cold turkey.  It takes at least a month to feel better and longer to feel really well.  What did they tell you would be done there?

Vicki

[shiningstar500]

Is Tramadol stronger than Hydrocodone?

[vicki595]

Okay...I'm not sure about this really. I know I wouldn't do this and get on a bus. You are not going to feel very well. I know that. Just being realistic...

[vicki595]

Shiningstar~  If you have to ask that question then maybe it would be better if you looked up this med,understood it,before you offered advice about it. I don't mean to be rude here...not at all.  But,be careful.

[shiningstar500]

I appreciate the feedback Vicki, I have taken Tramadol before and It made me sick. Probably because I wasn't used to it or something. Thanks!

[vicki595]

Star~  It's not that it's stronger than than hydrocodone,it's very different chemically.It should be tapered off slowly,especially at that high of a dose.

[avisg]

With the amount you are taking I would slowly taper off There are very few doctors that prescribe sub from tram wd .Do they specifically know what you are coming off of? I will say this if you are up to 35 DO NOT CT that's prime for seizures .Tapering at your level would take a long time but I would try it until you get on a far lower dose .

BTW tram was my DOC

[shiningstar500]

Are you being forced in to detox or are you doing this on your own? I am wondering if you would have the time to taper as you mentioned if you are forced to go. Good luck to you!

[singha]

Tramadol is the devil in disguise. In 2007 I came to this forum for the first time and there weren't many tramadol stories. Now it seems like almost every other post is about tramadol. When are dr's gonna get it?

[LeaAnn807]

OH MY GOSH!  Do not do cold turkey!  I went CT from 15 a day, and I can tell you that it was horrible!  Start tapering now.  The dose you are on is toxic....you could EASILY have a seizure on that amount.  I had several seizures, and I didn't ever take that many in one day.  Please be very careful!  Taper slowly, ok?:  This medicine is poison!  I'm not even kidding!!!  

Please let us know what and how you are doing, ok?

[avisg]

yes another thing here is that tramadol works in two different ways one as a pain reliever and as a ssri  antidepressant .so it raising your serotonin level sky high which could send you into serotonin syndrome it can be fatal.

Serotonin syndrome most often occurs when two drugs that affect the body's level of serotonin are taken together at the same time. The drugs cause too much serotonin to be released or to remain in the brain area.

For example, you can develop this syndrome if you take migraine medicines called triptans together with antidepressants called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and selective serotonin/norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SSNRIs). Popular SSRI's include Celexa, Zoloft, Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil, and Lexapro. SNRI's include Cymbalta and Effexor. Brand names of triptans include Imitrex, Zomig, Frova, Maxalt, Axert, Amerge, and Relpax.

The FDA recently asked the manufacturers of these types of drugs to include warning labels on their products that tell you about the potential risk of serotonin syndrome. Talk to your doctor before stopping any medication.

Serotonin syndrome is more likely to occur when you first start or increase the medicine.

Older antidepressants called monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) can also cause serotonin syndrome with the medicines describe above, as well as meperidine (Demerol, a painkiller) or dextromethorphan (cough medicine).

Drugs of abuse, such as ecstasy and LSD have also been associated with serotonin syndrome.
Symptoms
Symptoms

Symptoms occur within minutes to hours, and may include:

    * Agitation or restlessness
    * Diarrhea
    * Fast heart beat
    * Hallucinations
    * Increased body temperature
    * Loss of coordination
    * Nausea
    * Overactive reflexes
    * Rapid changes in blood pressure
    * Vomiting

[alnite]

I appreciate the comments and concerns.  Has anyone ever tried suboxone to get off tramadol?  I have tried to taper and could only make it to 10.  I'm going to try to get down to 15 or less before I go in.  It wasn't that long ago it was only 15, it was only last week I took 35 per day and I can't believe I did that, I wasn't stoned all the time.  the detox said they have had a few tramadol patients withdraw.  Will the suboxone help me?  Will I be able to get airride home which is like a small car that takes you at least double the time to get home because they stop for others?  Its the only alternative I have.  I'm going far away to detox because no one tapers here or even gives you medication except this far away detox in the big city.  I'm pretty sure I can get down to 15 no problem.  Will the suboxone help me?

[vicki595]

To be honest,I personally have not seen anyone on the forum who has done this. But,I know who I can contact.  

Hang tight...I'll try to reach him.

Vicki

[alnite]

I go into the hospital Monday morning, so I have Wed, thurs, Fri. Sat, Sun and Monday to taper.  I thought I'd start at 15 which might be a more realistic average and cut one pill out per day.  I am not forced but I have run out of medication.  My daughter can watch my dogs for 4 days and I have to be home at the end of 6.  I won't have a ride home unless I must desperately beg my daughter to come pick me up.  I would have to come home in 5 to get air ride home and catch a bus on sat which is unresonable too.  It's going to be tough but my tapering hasn't been successful.  I've tried to give my meds to someone but it always falls through somehow, my will power is not strong enough or they don't want to stick with it.   I've got to be strong.  I'm getting more scared.  The detox said I should be fine that they've seen this before..  Yes they do not what I'm coming off of.  I've read that suboxone also helps with tramadol as well.  Think of heroin addicts that must be awful.  I have also heard the tramadol withdrawal was very mild compared to methadone.  I will have all the medications.  catapress and suboxone for 5 days - 6.  any hope for my situation?

[avisg]

Normally no doctors will not put you on sub to go off tram .Every once and a while we will get a member that says there doctors are going to put them on it for tram but not often .I dont know anyone that has taken it to get all way off tram maybe someone will pop in

[LeaAnn807]

Hi!  I have detoxed off of everything you can imagine....literally.  I'm ashamed to say that I have abused a lot of stuff, but I'm over it for the most part....as far as the shame.  Anyway, methadone is rough.  Suboxone is rough.  Tramadol is rough.  They are all bad.  Tramadol's problem is double because of it's anti depressant effects.  Your seratonin will bottom out, and it makes you feel like crap.  THEN....there's the opiate withdrawal feeling!  NASTY!  It's just icky!  YUCK.

Do what you have to do to get off of it.  That is about all I can say.  I would rather take arsenic than ever take another one of those.....for real!  The WDs are just too awful!  Be sure you let them know at the facility how many you have been taking, so they can treat you properly.  

Good luck to you!  I'm glad you are doing this!!! : )

[vicki595]

I just sent a message to Henry.  He's who I turn to when I'm unsure. He's very smart and has a lot of experience with sub.

Yes,I think there's hope. Definitely.  You're doing a wise thing to try to get yourself off the tram now that it's unmanageable.  You really took a large dose for a while!!

It's just that I am not sure how you will feel. I'd like to say you'll be fine but I don't know.
I'm thinking,logically,this will work. You're just not going to feel very good...but you have to do something.

Obviously,the folks at the detox know more so...Did they say anything about being narcotic free for a period of time prior to coming in?

[alnite]

I copied this article, part of it and it discusses the seretonin probablem.  Will zoloft take care of my seretonin problem?  I will not get addicted to suboxone.  Will I get addicted after 5 days? at only 11 pills?

…. I would suggest approaching the withdrawals from two perspectives.  To cover the serotonin withdrawal, replace the Ultram with a different serotonin reuptake blocker, specifically Prozac (fluoxetine).  Replacing the serotonin effect of Ultram will be tricky—if you just add Prozac you will risk causing serotonin syndrome, a not-uncommon result of combining an SSRI and Ultram.  I would add the Prozac a day or two before stopping the Ultram.  Somewhere down the line she can just stop the Prozac—which then tapers itself over weeks.  This is, by the way, a common technique to get a person off Paxil, which has a very short half-life.

I must add here that I am assuming that all of these things will be done under close medical supervision. Serotonin syndrome, or Ultram alone, can sometimes cause seizures; there are risks to seizures alone, but they become much more dangerous when they occur suddenly while a person is driving on a highway. These are just general ideas that may or may not be appropriate depending on your sister’s specific history and health status.

The prior considerations were concerned with the serotonin effects of Ultram. As for the opiate effects, a big decision must be made.  Suboxone puts addiction into remission, but doesn’t cure addiction.  There is a lot of silliness on the internet about Suboxone, mostly because of confusion on this issue.  The people who complain that they are ‘stuck on Suboxone’ miss the point of what Suboxone does.   Opiate addiction is a life-long condition that eventually destroys a person; Suboxone prevents that destruction by removing the obsession to use.  But there is no cure for addiction; if people stop Suboxone, they tend to relapse—unless they go through 12-step based treatment or get involved with meetings.   So to handle the opiate half of the withdrawals your sister would have a choice; she could take immodium and clonidine to reduce the opiate withdrawal symptoms, planning on becoming completely clean… or she could go on Suboxone to handle the opiate withdrawal symptoms—- and plan to be on Suboxone for a long time....

[avisg]

It will be up to the doctor what they put you on .That is not the AD that I would think would be the best choice but I am not a doctor so hopefully they are very knowledgeable of tramdol I also hope the the sub doesn't not just put off the tram wd until you are off the sub.

[vicki595]

Okay...Where is this article/letter from?  Is this in reference to you? Are you taking zoloft now??

You know what?  If this were ME,I would go into detox in-patient,not take suboxone,get
myself to NA,find a sponsor and devote my life to being sober. But,that's just me. With Tramadol there are some tricky issues with the serotonin component.  You'll be far from home,alone,depending on some kind of transportation,I just don't like it.

Have you exhausted ALL other options??

[LeaAnn807]

Ok, I have been clean since March, avisg has been clean for an eternity and vicki is a nurse.  I don't think any of us think that sub is the answer to this!  What is going to happen to you when the 6 days are up and you are home alone?  Is there any way at all that you could try tapering one more time and maybe get the doctor to help you with the taper and some clonidine or something?  That is what I took to detox, and it really helps.

Think about it!

[alnite]

I can taper down in the next few days.  I am going in patient.  The suboxone is suppose to reduce the intensity and the length of the wd.  I think I can get down to maybe 12, should that be enough?  Also, I won't have anymore pills to taper with.  My daughter has taken 3 days off work, so can cover me from Mon - Fri, its almost perfect.  When I am home alone?  They said I'd be ok in 6 days???  I live alone with 2 dogs.  I do go to AA.  I was at 10 per day just a few weeks ago maybe even two, I don't think its as bad as I've made it.  I will take as few as possible tomorrow and let you know.  Its the best I can get down to, no one will help me taper and left to my own devices it is much worse.  I need hope.  I am on the zoloft, 125 mgs.  I know about the serotonin wd it is terrible.  Without my zoloft I get very emotional and anxious, almost out of my mind, crying spells.  I stopped my zoloft before and it was a bad idea.  I took it the whole week I was taking the 30+ pills, oops, ....................I'm so fearful right now, the next few days I'm going to be so scared, I want to start now (tapering) but afraid of the withdrawals this week and how messy my house will look when anyone comes in to take care of my dogs.  The only other detox is no taper and only catapress which is like clonidine.  I'm going to talk to my dr. tomorrow and ask her all that I will need.  I have requip for restless leg syndrome, and willl have a muscle relaxer., zoloft will help me with the serotonin wd.  I can buy immodium.  I can hopefully get my dd to pick me up Sat from hospital.  Tramahater, if I get down to 12 should I be okay?