Has anyone here ever done a successful tramadol taper?

[NerdOnDrugs]

Tramadol is a soft drug, with disproportionally hard withdrawals. I never want tram WDs again, for me they're worse than with OCs, with residual effects that never seem to end.

Has anyone here successfully tapered off or dramatically lowered their usage voluntarily? I definitely never hear about it, and I need some inspiration!!

 

[bpayne]

I ended up quitting a 20 pill a day tram habit, with Kratom. only later to start taking suboxone recreationally which I am still doing now.

 

[slowdive]

Tramadol is by no means a soft drug. It's opioid activity is weak, but what gives it special and enjoyable kick is the serotonin and norep actions. Tramadol has 7 actions in the brain.

-u-opioid agonism
-serotonin releasing agent
-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor
-NMDA receptor antagonist
-5-HT2C receptor antagonist
-alpha-7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor antagonist
-M1 and M3 muscarinic acetylcholine receptor antagonist

I've heard of people doing a taper with success. When you get to a certain dose you will have "mini-withdrawal" pretty much all the time, but it is much more bearable than cold turkey for sure.

I have considered tapering, but I just enjoy it too much and it's great for pain. Been on it for 7 years. Sometimes I run out a little early and have to face a few days of withdrawal before I can get refill. It's horrible.

Are you attempting a taper?

 

[volp]

Tramadol is a soft drug, with disproportionally hard withdrawals. I never want tram WDs again, for me they're worse than with OCs, with residual effects that never seem to end.

Has anyone here successfully tapered off or dramatically lowered their usage voluntarily? I definitely never hear about it, and I need some inspiration!!

I'm on tramadol and norco right now for nerve pain. Tram is a relatively weak pain medication but seem to work specifically better on nerve pain. I plan on coming off them soon because I don't see a great upside being on them. I have to figure out a long term pain treatment plan, but I'd like it to not include tramadol. I'm hoping when I come off them that the norcos and gabapentin will keep the wds to a minimum

 

[NerdOnDrugs]

Tramadol is by no means a soft drug. It's opioid activity is weak, but what gives it special and enjoyable kick is the serotonin and norep actions. Tramadol has 7 actions in the brain.

-u-opioid agonism
-serotonin releasing agent
-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor
-NMDA receptor antagonist
-5-HT2C receptor antagonist
-alpha-7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor antagonist
-M1 and M3 muscarinic acetylcholine receptor antagonist

I've heard of people doing a taper with success. When you get to a certain dose you will have "mini-withdrawal" pretty much all the time, but it is much more bearable than cold turkey for sure.

I have considered tapering, but I just enjoy it too much and it's great for pain. Been on it for 7 years. Sometimes I run out a little early and have to face a few days of withdrawal before I can get refill. It's horrible.

Are you attempting a taper?

Thanks a lot for this info! Can I ask how much you take daily? I'm doing 8 per day, and want to get down to 4 per day then take it from there. How long can you go before mini-withdrawals start personally?

 

[conoronoc]

From 360mg/day, or 6 x 60 mg SR, I tapered involuntarily by 60mg every four days. It wasn't too bad - the WDs were worst the days I dropped the dose, and I felt increasingly better until the next drop. Strange WD though compared to other opiates; there was some of the sweating/chills, but also persistent headaches and mood fluctuation. Good luck.

 

[slowdive]

Thanks a lot for this info! Can I ask how much you take daily? I'm doing 8 per day, and want to get down to 4 per day then take it from there. How long can you go before mini-withdrawals start personally?

7 years of use, and tolerance has not been a big issue for me. I started on 25mg when I was 15 in 2003. I am now 22 and it's 2010 and I take 200-250mg daily.

Mini withdrawal, for me, starts if I can only take 100mg. At first, there is no withdrawal, but later on in the evening, I start to feel a little withdrawal. It is not intense like cold-turkey would be, but can tell I need more tram. If you decide to taper, do it slowly. And when you get to a certain dose, expect these "mini-withdrawal" symptoms as your body adjusts to smaller amounts.

No problem for the info. Got it from wikipedia, and there are great sources for that info, so it's all legit.

 

[doppelganga196]

Just about to start this myself. Ive been doing 200/500 mg per day for the last week; i know its not very long but i've done cold turkey from tram in the past & it was pretty rough.

Tomorrow i'll do 150 then 100 then down to 50 mg by friday then jump off the tram.

This drug seems to have lost alot of it magic for me even tho i haven't taken any since may.

This time around it's given me tinnitus, & i cant seem to dose below 300 mg per day so this is going to be a little hard.

 

[mister right]

Are you guys taking about Ultram??? What a waste of time those things are. My doctor tried giving me them and I used to throw the script in the garbage. I DO NOT understand how people can get hooked on something that provides no high what-so-ever.

 

[sid3]

Are you guys taking about Ultram??? What a waste of time those things are. My doctor tried giving me them and I used to throw the script in the garbage. I DO NOT understand how people can get hooked on something that provides no high what-so-ever.

Your body just does not posses the ability to metabolise the drug. I'm the same way, to me it's no different than taking aspirin, but there are those who can break down the drug and feel quite a bit from taking it. I'm sure if it was the type of drug that everybody could process it wouldn't be so readily available to buy online.

 

[DHCuser]

Just about to start this myself. Ive been doing 200/500 mg per day for the last week; i know its not very long but i've done cold turkey from tram in the past & it was pretty rough.

Tomorrow i'll do 150 then 100 then down to 50 mg by friday then jump off the tram.

This drug seems to have lost alot of it magic for me even tho i haven't taken any since may.

This time around it's given me tinnitus, & i cant seem to dose below 300 mg per day so this is going to be a little hard.

This is very similar to me. Doing large doses 3 times a week or so was easier to stop than when I took small doses daily for a week.
I planned to taper but lacked self control and only saved enough to take 100mg the first day, 50mg the next, then none, then 50mg.
The biggest thing for me was the change in setting. I went home from university during that time and I think that is a big help in withdrawing from many drugs.

However the psychological lack of motivation and boredom lingers for absoloutely ages. I can't imagine life completely drug free forever. How dull.