Tapering Question about tapering Tramadol

[The_Selecter]

I have a question about how to best taper off Tramadol without WD symptoms starting at night

I have been taking Tram and occasionally Oxy for about a year now. That became a daily habit about half a year. I can function on 400mg Tram per day but that doesnt cover the night and then it's very hard for me to get up in the mornings. Which is a problem because I need to work and I also have other responsibilities

Under these circumstances would it be better to go through WD during the night or is better to avoid it? What would be a good time/amount for tapering down?

 

[Mushoku_Sensei]

Hey there! Interesting question. You made me think... I'm no good at tapering either but I asked your question to the divine oracle (something like ChatGPT) and it said to better avoid cycling through WD and high/relief. The nervous system needs to stabilize at some level...
I actually had a personal rule not to waste stuff to sleep, which I kicked now though it still kinda hurts my pride. It also feels like an act of compassion for myself/my body to do that. It might sound crazy but I'm used to waking up soaked in sweat 1-2 times every night... It's making a considerable difference fr...

The 10% reduction per week that @Opana313 told you seems to be scientifically backed. I also know another person now who succeeded that way.
Not sure how I'm going to handle that myself but it's at least an orientation...

Good luck anyway!

 

[The_Selecter]

Thank you for the answer. Are you trying to quit, too?

I fell that I'm not ready to quit at this moment. There are several unresolved personal issues I have to deal with and trying to quit now would put additional stress on me

Some might say I'm weak and maybe I am but I think my habit hasn't grown out of hand yet while the personal issues are taking a toll on me. I'm trying to go with what is going to help me then mist in my current situation and then solving my problem step by step

 

[Mushoku_Sensei]

Thank you for the answer. Are you trying to quit, too?

I fell that I'm not ready to quit at this moment. There are several unresolved personal issues I have to deal with and trying to quit now would put additional stress on me

Some might say I'm weak and maybe I am but I think my habit hasn't grown out of hand yet while the personal issues are taking a toll on me. I'm trying to go with what is going to help me then mist in my current situation and then solving my problem step by step

Sounds reasonable as long as the addiction doesn't cause you additional problems.
Well... I should quit... But I have to taper because my tolerance is more than I can afford. Also I don't have any regular dosing regime so I could even tell you how much I take, just a rough average that I like to push and within weeks it's on the next level . So that became a problem... My primary goal is to bring down my tolerance to affordable levels. And it took me more than half a year to realize that I don't get far with short breaks just to continue to even higher doses... I used to avoid regular doses as if it could save me - but it didn't. So I'm actively trying to make it a more stable thing, which still kinda pisses me off because with the tapering it means I don't get high anymore - and that's taking out the whole purpose of taking anything at all ... Which is where I'm stuck at rn...

 

[4DQSAR]

400mg/day is generally accepted as the maximum prescribable dose. Now there are sustained-release formulations right upto a single 400mg tablet taken once daily. Now that would at least in theory provide a steady-state plasma level of the drug.

But if that's not enough, it sounds like the oxycodone has increased your tolerance/dependence.

I've always suggested people acquire dihydrocodine - like tramadol there are sustained-release formulations although only up to 120mg taken twice a day. But 240mg of DHC is a little bit more porent than the tramadol and DHC is well known to be one of the easier opioids to taper on. In fact I would go far as saying it's the best, as long as 240mg/day is enough for you. DHC IR comes as both 30mg and 40mg tablets, both having break-lines so with a bit of juggling, it's possible to reduce smoothly. Certainly much smaller steps that 50mg tramadol tablets.

BTW in the UK at least, tramadol isn't prescribed anywhere nearly as often as it was a decade ago. The reason is simple. People with tolerance who had previously been able to consume a strip (10) of codeine or dihydrocodeine tablets with no ill-effects mistakenly thought that tramadol being a bit weaker meant they could take a whole strip and be fine. PLOT SPOILER - they were not fine.