tramadol withdrawal

[Birdie23]

I am in the process of getting off of tramadol. It was prescribed for me for ocassional use for mild to moderate pain like headache, muscle soreness, etc. I used it only ocassionally for several months. About 4 months ago, I became involved in a fairly intense project and was experiencing more discomfort. Without really thinking much about it, I started using tramadol every day and then increased this to 2-3 times each day. The dosage was 100mg, so I was taking 100-300mg daily (or 2-6, 50mg pills) for 3 months. After I finished the project in mid-may, I decided that I needed to stop using a drug to get through the day, so I tried to just stop taking it. WOW! Serious withdrawal symptoms including joint and muscle pain, stomch issues, fatigue, depression and a strange hollowness in my nerves ensued. I didn't feel I could just stop functioning for a week or two or whatever it would take, so I used some hydrocodone that I had to help me get my tramadol use down to 100mg per day over the course of a week. I would just take the hydro when I started feeling really bad in the afternoon to get me through the rest of the day. Then, I decided to just quit the tramadol altogether. The withdrawal was really difficult. I was worried about getting addicted to the hydro, so I got some concentrated kratom powder and was alternating use with the hydro every day or two so that neither of them was in my system daily. This got me through week 2 which was a reduced amount of muscle pain, but more fatigue, lethargy, depression. Now I am beginning my third week. I am out of hydro and I am still experiencing some muscle and joint stuff, but the big problem is the lethargy and depression. It's just kicking my butt. The kratom is very helpful in this and lifts the dark cloud that I seem to wake up with, but I'm worried about an addition to this as well. I am now taking about 1.5-2 grams in the early afternoon to get through the rest of the day. I am not using any other drugs or substances. I have never been addicted to anything before and wasn't abusing the tramadol. It didn't make me high or anything, but it did get rid of ALL of my aches and pains and let me do everything I needed to in the day. I don't have any major pain and I know I shouldn't have been so lazy about my health. Now, I am trying to be really careful without losing myself to laying on the couch all day. My questions are: How long will the tramadol withdrawal take to be completely over? and How long can I use a small amount of Kratom on a daily basis without just creating another addiction that I have to get over? Or can I just slowly reduce the kratom to avoid the withdrawal since it is a powder and very easy to measure out? Any thoughts on this would be helpful. I am reluctant to engage my physician in this too much. he knows I am having withdrawal fromt he tramadol, but I don't want to ask for any other drugs if I don't have to. I just feel like I've done something really studpid and I want to get through it without his help, if possible. Thanks!

[freebird33]

I have been on tramadol for roughly a year and a half, and i was taking 8-10 50mg a day. I would take 6 of em first thing when i woke up, loved the hit of euphoria and good feeling that would kick in bout an hr later. I wud pop 1, 2, 3, sometimes 4 more by the time I went to bed, and sometimes a cuple b4 sleep to obviously sleep better. I was in a car accident about 2 years ago and almost went through the windshield after we hit a tree head-on!!!! 6 mo's later my M.D prescribed T-devils for the pain, telling me, "these are non-habit forming and not a narcotic, sooooo there safe, and they will help w/the pain". as others have said, WOW, in my opinion these should b taken off the market yesterday, I never new how addicted I was, until i wud run out and have to wait to get my 120 script to last 15 days, I would usually run out early and have to wait, and that would drive me fuckn insane mad sad no energy, crawlin legs and arms (like turrets or something crazy) , high anxiety , crying, basically the worst feeling in my life!  I needed those pills to function normally, (so I thot)!  I have just hit the 72 hr mark and this morning is the best ive felt since cutting back and stopping all together. It was 72 hrs off hell.   I honestly didn't think the sleepless nights and the hollowing in my veins under my skin was unbearable, seriously almost drove me mad. I was on heroin for 3 mo's, and this withdrawl was way worse if u ask me!!! I cannot blieve they just hand this stuff out w/o any precaution. My typin is not the best, im trying to get used to functioning back to normal.. It takes 72 hrs for the tramadol to rid out of your system, and thats exactly when I started to feel normal again, Ive cryed like a baby because i can feel my old self returning, and all the emotions that this crazy drug has numbed. ITS OVERWELMING!!!    I finally took a nap and got a few hrs of sleep and i am now feeling normal physically, actually the tramadol was giving me the pain that I thot was still from the accident. I feel amazing @ hr 80. I'm Free of this drug, and it is compltely out of my system, I MADE IT THRU!!!!!  I feel New and clean. My memory is clearer, although I'm having thoughts of when I was younger b4 i put any toxins in my system. After 72 hrs the drug is out of your system, the rest is all in your head. Sometimes in life your put in situations to test you to your max, and sometimes there are those situations that are bigger than we can handle on our own. I was seriously scared when I found this site and post after post everyone was feeling the same thing, on how bad this really was. I had no idea, I am  one of the many underinformed patients that were innocent, but we did get ourselves to this point soo. Let me just say that u cannot be depressed and know God @ the same time, IT IS IMPOSSIBLE!!! This was just too much for me to get thru on my own and for those with no hope, I asked God (The Holy Trinity) for help, help to rid this from my body and make me whole again!!! Just when i thot I culdnt take anymoe of this it was gone!!!! IT was as if the wind blew and im completely back to normal, and actually I feel Amazing for the first time since I took that crazy little white thing that's ruining lives one by one. My journey with this drug is over and now I can finally start living without the chains of the addiction that has ripped my life away!!! My beautiful fiance was by my side thru all of this, (God bless her soul). We have a baby boy coming in 6 wks and He will be my new addiction now!  If you really want help, just ask and believe and you mite just find a new addiction that you will never have to quit!!! Im FREE of that ******** Drug. Good luck on your journey and there is light at the end of the tunnel. If GOD is for you, who then can be against you!!!  All of you helped me not feel so all alone through all of this. thank you. Peace, love, empathy!!! Im off to my new life, finally free from the chains of a man-made drug, a drug that is ruining alot of lives. c-ya

[Basher777]

First thing you have to do to quit this addiction is want to quit. You have to ask yourself how much more would you like to lose. Because, rest assure these pills do not discriminate. They will take as much of yourself you are willing to give! You will not win this battle, if you cannot reach in deep inside and pull out the part of you that only you know you have. Its not going to be fun. It will suck more than anything has ever sucked before. But, I promise you this the feeling youll get when you are clean will pay you back 10 fold! You will exude a confidence and even a bit of a swagger once you beat this drug. Its very very powerful feeling when you can beat something such as opiate addiction. You will be very proud. I am not joking when I say this. It really is exhilerating. Now to the nuts and bolts of getting off the pills. First start cutting back (taper) off a little bit the first week. By doing this especially if you are a heavy user. You may noticed withdrawals then very next day. Simply because your dose is smaller and your body knows it. It needs to adjust to this decrease, I promise you it will get use to smaller doses. Then see your doctor about some Xanax or anything in that class of anti anxiety medication. This was help you to calm down and not get to giddy and run to the pain killer bottle everytime you cant deal with the withdrawal symptoms. I understand alot of people dont want to share this with there doctor. Thats why you just ask for the Xanax and no one know the wiser. Its always best to share and be truthful to your doctor at the same time. So he or she can diagnose you with the right medication. You may need something other than xanax for your anxiety or panic attacks. That it your call. I AM NOT A DOCTOR! Im just a person who's has experienced this addiction first hand! Then get something for the runs, because you wil spend alot of time in the bathroom especially for a week or two. This is important so you donmt pass out from dehydration or worse! You will eventually feel like I have nothing left to poop out! So get a grip on this. It may seem silly but, trust me youll see! Do not by any means get into it with your spouse and or children. You will be cranky as hell. And not very socialble person until the cloud has pass over you! This is all normal to feel this way. Besides you have pissed off your body something aweful and it will let you know its displeasure you put it through during this addiction. Take some Aleve or Ibuprofen for the hardcore muscle and joint pain. Get a heating pad, maybe two. Place them where it hurts the most. Your appetite will suffer as well. So eat and drink whatever you can get in your body. Take vitamins; you will need this desperately! Wear loose clothing or very little. You will burn up one min, and freeze the next. If you have gone a week for of opiates you may be feeling the real sucky withdrawals by now. But, thats what you are looking for! This means your body isnt getting it drug it wants and it telling you directly. Now its time to fall back to the otherside. A side you probably dont remember. The sober side. Continue to control these withdrawals the best your can. DO NOT take any opiates whatsoever. If you fall of the wagon you will have to start all over again. At some point your going to noticed its gotten easier, but you still feel kind of crappy. Or just not your former self. Dont worry its coming. You are getting closer and its going to get easier to cope with. Lastly, stay away from negative people. The people that are still on the dope and dont want to shake it. Get them out of your life immediately. You may lose a so called friend or two. WHO CARES its your life and your body. If you think for a second they wouldnt trade you in for some pills or stab you in the back if they benefitted from it. YOU ARE WRONG! I have 3 people in my life I miss alot in some way. But, I know if I pick up the phone and associate with them. Ill be back to my old ways in no time. You must cut ties to anything and anyone remotely connected to negativity. GOOD LUCK! Any questions or comments. Just ask. Dont hold back just ask!

[Basher777]

I have read one post after another on here. It almost like I was taking pieces of everyones story, and it just reminded me of mine. I was addicted to hydro and oxy. Which ever I could get that day was what I was taking. And once the pain killers got their hooks in; it was down hill from here. My wife and I were taking at least 4-5 10's every couple of hours 24/7. When we woke up in the mornings. we both could barely move our arms much less walk. It got to the point we kept pills on each of our nightstands so all we had to do is reach over and grab 4,5, sometimes 6...10mg tabs. We would have to wait around 20 mins before they were good and kicked in so we could get up and function. On weekends was worse behinds when your chasing the addiction you dont really feel like doing anything but thinking about taking more pills. And when you try to stop.....uh no! Not that easy! But, it is very possible to stop. One thing I want to say before I give my plan for quitting. Keep in mind the wife and I did this for our entire marriage almost 10 years. We could no longer hold it together and now we are divorced. It was her fault and it was my fault that we let the drug take us down. And I do mean down the hard way! Trust me I could sit and type for hours, LITERALLY about all the messed up stuff these types of drugs did to us. And when someone says theyve got a handle on it. And they feel fine. Well, you are probably worse off than the person who knows the strangle hold it has on them. If I only couldve saw it like that at the beginning. Its impossible to see how it changes you until you are already have started your dive straight down. Even how it depresses you. And not to mention when you are really addicted. You sometimes start to attribrute the crazy sh*t that happens to you on something else entirely! I remember my first attempt to stop. I no lie cried everyday for 3 days. And it would be for any reason that would set me off. You're hot, then you're cold, then you're hot again, then you're cold again. Your restless legs syndrome will take you for a ride that will drive you to madness!. I remember running around my yard in 30-40 degree temps in just my boxers. This was an attempt to calm my legs down. I figure if I jogged around in the bitter cold would give some sort of relief next to wanting to cut my legs off to stop the extreme discomfort. It is brutal! Those who have had the unfortunate task of dealing with this knows what Im talking about. Well now Im going to give you info on how I beat this addiction. Ill put it in my next post. Im not sure if Im running out of room on this one!

[77cobra]

a class action suite should be in place because the pill mill has convinced that it's not addictive my addiction started 12 years ago from the army so you can do your mission because it was non-narcotic now they sells these things on line and if you look at the different sights they have the same phone#'s.They have monoplized the whole system a few years ago you could get next day,now it takes a week because of shortages.Really i would to see these peaple in court and answer these questions and shut down thse on line pharmacys.Yes it's very tough to get off of and doctors will tell you that ultram is not addictive.Im getting off again Idont't think i will ever be what i used to be I feel drained,not focused,and this will be my i don't know how many times iv'e tried but that monkey is heavy,all my mind does is to see about getting more i have feelings for nothing.but the pharmacuitcle company will say that you abused the medication,even taken as subscibed will knok your *** down.well i really hope recovery for everyone.my name is tommy by the way,so god bless you will hear from me again

[danny1367]

Just a quick update, 4 days free of opiates after tapering down, pretty much free of the physical withdrawals and easier to quit than I thought.  By tapering I managed to escape most of the cold sweats, the hot weather helps!  Expect the runs, runny nose and feeling of choking sickness around eating or drinking what you usually like, if you smoke it won't be as pleasurable for a while. Don't worry these withdrawals don't last that long.  Also expect a slight firery feeling mentally, as much as it may seem contrary to how you feel now exercise really helps.  Watch positive things on TV or engage in acts you used to find enjoyable, as good as Tramadol trance may feel, normal feel a great deal better.  I appreciate I will probably chime most with those of you who have hit rock bottom with this drug, let it be a warning to those beginning and a guide to those, who when ready, want to stop. Best of luck.

[Laura3012]

CaptainHaddock,

I am 28 years old, and have been on Tramadol since I was about 18 years old. I was in an almost-fatal car accident when I was 17, where my pelvis was shattered, neck fractured, and several other injuries (my pelvis is what causes me pain.) I am not the "typical" druggie - as MANY Tramadol users will say - I am an attractive female, I worked in banking and finance for years, and am currently pursuing my degree at Penn State. I am also married and have two children under five years old. I can honestly say that Tramadol has been the handcuffs that have held me back in numerous areas of my life (I get teary-eyed just thinking about it.) I can take 16, 50mg tablets in a day, like it's nothing...and function completely normal. Sadly, I have known others that take only TWO Tramadol in a day and still experience the same awful withdrawal symptoms that someone taking twenty would experience. I stumbled upon Kratom about two months ago, and decided to give it a try; I will honestly tell you that it really is a God-send. I buy the capsules and will take anywhere from 2-5 at a time. If, for instance, I am running low on Tramadol, I will take one Tramadol and two or three Kratom caps to lengthen my supply. I am sure that you can be hooked on Kratom as well, but to be honest, if it helps, it is better than nothing at all.

Also, to the people that have posted about waking up the day after taking Kratom and feeling achy, tired, etc. - basically feeling withdrawal symptoms - I just want to tell you that you ARE experiencing withdrawals. The beauty of Kratom is that it masks (for the most part) your withdrawal symptoms while you're taking it, so when you wake up in the morning and feel so bad, it is because the Kratom has worn off. This is a GOOD thing! It basically means that Kratom allows your body to detox from opiates without causing you horrible withdrawals. It took me several days of taking Kratom to realize this, but when I did, I was so glad to have found it. The only issues I experience with it is that it really does NOT take away your pain (like my pain from my shattered pelvis) unless you consume a high dose. The problem with a very high dose is that it can make you feel dizzy, and if you're trying to function, that can be a problem. If you have an injury like mine, I recommend Celebrex, Mobic or any other arthritis pain reliever, along with Aleve. It won't take the pain away completely, but it does lessen it a bit.

Good luck everyone.

Opiate addiction is terrible...Obviously, I know this,