Need advice and support while tapering off of tramadol.

[TaperTime90]

I'm a 25 yr old female with a loving husband, a 18 month old daughter, and a few fur babies. I am blessed to be a Stay At Home mom for my daughter. I have been addicted to opiates for almost four years now, and the most recent one (last two) years has been Tramadol. I have been taking upwards of 12 pills a day for months now. I am currently in the middle of my tapering schedule, down to 6 a day. I take 6 a day for one week, then 5 a day for a week, then 4 and so on. The most trouble I'm having is combating the depression and constantly thinking about getting more pills. I had severe depression/anxiety/bipolar disorder, which after many failed attempts to medicate with the proper meds, caused me to become addicted to opiates. It spiraled out of control quickly, and I'm not sure how I ended up here. I'm ready to quit and be the mother and wife that I know I can. Tapering has been an uphill battle, so I am posting here just looking for advice and support... Thanks.

 

[PassivePanda]

Congratulations on halving your dosage! You should be so proud that you've managed to drop from 12 to 6! That being said, you can drop the last 6!
Maybe when you have that thought, or feeling, to take more, just imagine what you're working toward. You want a healthy lifestyle with your family. Imagine being able to spend time with your daughter without having to take your pills.
I know the pull of opiates, I'm starting my detox from dilaudid today and I know it isn't going to be easy, but there's more to life than dependence.
Feel free to PM anytime you need support.
Be well

 

[TaperTime90]

Thank you so much for the encouragement. I also wish you luck on your journey. You are correct, there is so much more to live for. I wish I had never started taking pills, only started to help with depression, and now I'm paying for it. The physical stuff is the worst for me I think, it makes it difficult to be an active parent, and I constantly feel guilt for having to take another bath or just sit on the couch. The cravings aren't too bad because I'm still taking the pills, but I'm so scared what I'm going to feel like when I'm totally done. The depression and anxiety was crippling before, and no other SSRI helped.. I'm trying to stay positive, but it's not easy. My husband is in the Army, and works pretty much all day through the week, so I am at home with my daughter a lot, it gets boring, which also makes staying positive very hard.

 

[PassivePanda]

You will get through this, you just have to keep your chin up and keep trying. Take it day by day.

Maybe you should try new hobbies that allow you to easily watch over your daughter, but things that will distract you.

It's kind of a silly example, but when my mom was detoxing off a 700mg oxycodone habit, she often played online games that surprisingly really took her mind off everything.

It might not be something you're up to, but there are a ton of options. Maybe you can even write a book, or a diary detailing how far you've come, your goals, ambitions.
Sometimes seeing your achievements and plans on paper can really put into perspective how close you are.
The best you can do is try, and I think you're in the right place. Stay strong! Keep your husband as involved as possible and don't be afraid to reach out for help.

 

[Chriscom]

Hi tapertime. Well done on what you've done so far. I cold turkeyed from Prescribed Tramadol and codeine along with pods and seeds i had bought online a few weeks ago. I used the trams to get through the withdrawals of the other opiates and then tapered down the trams over a week using pregablin and loperimide. Today is the first day i've felt normal. I found the wd's from the trams were more about low mood and complete lack of energy more than the typical opiod wd's. Also it appeared to last a little longer. I think you mentioned having bi polar and anxiety so i would suggest dragging the taper out rather than jumping off too quick because of the affect on seratonin. pregablin seemed to help a lot but i'm not sure what affect they would have on the mental health issues you mentioned so i wouldnt want to recomend them in case they were detrimental. I'm not sure if any of that will help but i just wanted to wish you luck. Trams are a nasty little drug that doctors for some reason give out without any warnings. At least mine did. Good fortune on your quest to free yourself of them. Peace

 

[Jabberwocky]

Have you tried Wellbutrin or an SNRI like Effexor? I ask only because I found Wellbutrin really helps me with my addictive tendencies, it has allowed me to easily taper off methadone. I mention Effexor because I have read that Tramadol has some similar properties in terms of neurochemistry/biology. That said, I am no pharmacology PhD so find yourself a good doctor ASAP! It will make your journey soooooooooo much that much more "easier," pardon the poor grammar