Tramadol Withdrawal

[debbie1968]

Hi there everyone


I have been on painkillers for over 20years, this was initially due to bad pain due to endometriosis, then I had to have several ops. Then ontop of that I had to have a spine op last year, anyway I seem to be in pain all of the time and for the last couple of years know I have been addicted to tramadol.
When I wake in the morning my body aches all over, I can't drink as it makes me really sick, I have managed to keep my amount down to 300mg a day!
I am so scared about trying to stop because even when I have not taken them at the correct time or I left my house without them, I would go into sheer panic, I get the shakes and become aggitated. My legs will not stay still and I am driven crazy from the withdrawals.

I know I need to drop the amount gradually, so does this mean say' that I drop 50mg a day for 4 days?
This is what I have picked up from reading the threads!

So that means the withdrawals would not be as bad BUT it will take ages of going through withdrawal?

I feel so ashamed and can not bare sharing this with anyone!!

I know it has effected my social life and my health, I am tired all of the time, my legs ache and i don't sleep well, I get headaches and wake up and take a painkiller straight away.
Please any ideas would be so appriciated, I am a normal working mother and was never informed of the addiction possibilities I just fill in my prescription and get the tablets.

The withdrawals are going to be so bad and would also like to know what can I take to help me through this? can I buy sleeping pills over the counter?

Will I be normal once I have managed to stop taking these and will the pain stop!! I've been in pain for so long that it just does not seem possible, Please help!!!

Debbie

 

[YellowPolkaDotHalo]

If you really need to come off of the Tramadol and find other ways to manage your pain I would come down by around 50 mg a week. In fact I am at the moment coincidentally
Ive tried cold turkey Debbie and lasted about 3 days. It was beyond hellish emotionally and physically. Tapering might
take some discipline but has got to be better than that torment.

Do you feel in a lot of pain and in need of sleeping pills with just the 50 mg drop?

* Hugs * to you Love.. Perhaps we could do this together

 

[nsauce]

I feel so ashamed and can not bare sharing this with anyone!!

You ARE sharing this with someone, and there is nothing to be ashamed of. Do you think you are the only person that this has happened to ? Do you think this is the end of the world ? No to both.
The best way to get off trams is the same as any opioid. Reduce your dose little by little. Allow your body and mind to adjust to the new lowered dose. Then drop a little more. Drop by 1/2 a pill, or even 1/4 pill if you have to . It won't be easy or fun, but once you finally finish you will no longer be chained to a pill bottle .

 

[TheMiddleWay]

If you have a doctor scripting this and you are taking prescribed quantities, I would not listen to taper plans here, talk top your doctor. Tramadol has SNRI (norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor) properties which will include antidepressant withdrawal effects http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SSRI_discontinuation_syndrome#Discontinuation_of_SNRIs with opioid withdrawal. You could maybe bring up with your doctor, switching to a regular opioid like codeine while slowly tapering down the tramadol, then tapering on codeine. This would get you on an opioid with a shorter half life and allow you to face SNRI and opioid withdrawal separately.

Then you can evaluate whether you are in pain during missed doses due to your medical problems or from withdrawal.

 

[TheLostBoys]

Im highly surprised with all the operations & all your pain, your doctor only prescribes you Tramadol. As far as getting off Tramadol, it can be done but my question is this...........what about the pain you will go through from your spine & other problems, how do you plan on managing this?

 

[DaddyPhatSax]

Yea, if u have been on painkillers for 20 years and ur only on tramadol, I would actually say you are doing pretty good. And like someone else said, tramadol is not very strong at that. Do you think some of the aches and pains u are having are because of the physical problems you have and not withdrawl symptoms?

But saying that.......if you are prescribed the tramadol, just talk to ur doctor about a taper plan, or maybe u just need to eventually switch medicines, not stop, that happens too.

If you do start going into withdrawl, there are tons of threads on here about stuff that wilk help, plus I always find it helpful reading about people in WORSE withdrawl then me, sounds mean, but it makes mine seem easier. And you always seem to be able to find someone in worse withdrawl then u on bluelight,haha

Just my 2 cents.

 

[TheMiddleWay]

Yea, if u have been on painkillers for 20 years and ur only on tramadol, I would actually say you are doing pretty good. And like someone else said, tramadol is not very strong at that. Do you think some of the aches and pains u are having are because of the physical problems you have and not withdrawl symptoms?

But saying that.......if you are prescribed the tramadol, just talk to ur doctor about a taper plan, or maybe u just need to eventually switch medicines, not stop, that happens too.

If you do start going into withdrawl, there are tons of threads on here about stuff that wilk help, plus I always find it helpful reading about people in WORSE withdrawl then me, sounds mean, but it makes mine seem easier. And you always seem to be able to find someone in worse withdrawl then u on bluelight,haha

Just my 2 cents.

Since OP mentioned not taking it in time causes the pain, it's probably a mixture of both the pain coming back and withdrawal. I agee that if your in chronic pain and 300 mg/day keeps you pain free you are doing super.

Withdrawal threads here will help, but like I said remember tramadol is going to have SNRI discontinuation syndrome as well.

As for reading threads of people doing worse then you, this does help. LoL. I just try and think there has to be at least one dope addict currently in withdrawals in Somalia and I gel st little better.