OnMyWay2013

To sum up my story pretty quick I am a.mother of four and married to a sheriff deputy. I was in a bad ATv accident six years ago and started taking tramadol. The stuff I was taking was truely the devil for me. I didnt even realize exactly how bad it was for quite awhile. my mood swings were ridiculous. No longer taking them for pain but instead to feel what I thought was normal.The last time I took anything (tramadol) was Wed 3rd Idid take a percocet on thurs to ease the cramping. And since then it has been hell. Lots of pain in my legs and back. Vitals have been off the charts. 4 major anxiety attacks. No sleep! Ativan and Mellatonin couldnt put me out. But....Each day a little better then before. Today I just feel very down.... my head is very cloudy.... but today I got up early around 6:30am....went to walmart... forced myself to do a little housework (not as much as needed)... I got the cheer music figured out for our half time dance. And forced myself to do it with the girls several times (thought the exercise would help, really hurt my legs tho) and got about three hours of sleep. No true anxiety attacks. No Ativan today. But the depression is overwhelming.

finaltime

I know exactly how you feel. Read through my threads when you can. I am also an opiate addict. Its sounds like you are not too bad physically if you are able to dance and be active, but you are going to feel super depressed and much much more. Are you able to have any other support? When I first quit I had to go to NA meetings, I needed that time to talk with other people that understood. Does your husband know? We are here for you.

lagataloca

Long showers or hot baths, sit outside in the sunshine until you sweat, force yourself to take a walk... The insomnia is killer, but it WILL pass. You CAN do this!

Spider1488

I wasn't aware tramadol was a controlled substance and therefore has a very low risk of dependcy. I mean no disrespect and I'm not trying to take away from your struggle. I myself have only had it one time to find out I'm allergeic so my drugs of choice was hydro and morphine sulfate. I'm clean 64 days now and it gets much better little by little with bad mixed in but you can do it.

cleaninLI

Onmyway, trams are hell to withdrawal from! I'm so sorry you're going through this! I used to get them when I couldn't find my doc. It's basically an oppiate but someone here mentioned it has antidepressant properties as well which is probably why you are so depressed. Have you thought about seeing a doctor? Perhaps a small dose f antidepressant could help for the short term. Congrats on getting off those trams. They are no good and much more addictive than people think.

TiredEnough

Tram doesn't get the respect it deserves. One is equivalent to 30mg of codeine with an ssri component thrown in. Just because something is not technically an opiate doesn't mean it won't beat you down.

cleaninLI

TE I know what you mean. It kept my WD at bay so I figured it must bind to the oppiate receptors. My doctor prescribed it for back pain at one time. He said it wasn't habit forming. Yeah, right! Onmyway, I hope you get some relief soon!

Ashamedof

I know all about tramadol and how dangerous this drug is. I was up to 15 pills daily at one time. My friend took 100mg and had a full blown seizure so it shouldn't be taken lightly at all. I would rather detox 3-5 days from Percocet than tramadol. Any day. "Tramadol is not only known to stimulate an opioid, analgesic effect, tramadol is also known to be a serotonin/norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (an SNRI). Thus, tramadol has a weak anti-depressive effect. This mechanism of action is what enables this chemical to be effective against nerve pain. Many types of nerve pain respond to anti-depressants like Cymbalta and Elavil. Tramadol is not just an opioid. Tramadol is an opioid and an anti-depressant. This dual action drug has a one-two punch against pain."

That's why it's hard to kick but it's absolutely possible and I would signets talking to a therapist as well. The depression from not taking tramadol is much worse in my opinion than Vicodin. Keep posting on these boards! It's helps and start taking vitamins, eat as healthy as possible and keep moving!

Good luck!

Dimitri

Tramadol is actually a very difficult drug to wean yourself off of. It has two components: 1. it is a mild opiate 2. it is an SNRI similar to Effexor.

Withdrawal from an SNRI can be very difficult for certain individuals and not so bad for others.

Google "SNRI discontinuation syndrome" or "SSRI discontinuation syndrome" and it will be an eye opener.

Again, for some people it is not a big deal but for others it can be he!! on earth.

I'm one of the ones who had trouble quitting and it was only after I checked into a detox facility that I was able to come off of it.

One of the side effects is that it really messes up the brain chemistry responsible for mood and it takes months for the brain to regain it's equilibrium.

Good luck.

Steven120

I had foot surgery and afterward was on oxycodone then Vicodin. The Tramadol I was put on two months later was to relieve pain in both my feet as I suffer from Degenerative Joint Disease. My doctor, as he prescribed Tramadol, said it was non-addictive. I started taking it and it worked wonders on my pain. I was on 200 mg per day (100 in the a.m. and 100 in the p.m.). I had a 3 day lull in my current RX and the next refill. During that 3 days I began to experience horrible flu like symptoms. On top of that, something just wasn't right. I discovered through research that I was likely withdrawaling from the Trams. I went to get assessed at a detox facility on Wednesday 11/13 and was admitted for a 3 day stay. Those 3 days were absoloute hell. I have detoxed from opiates twice, and neither of those times came anywhere near as horrible as my detox from Trams. I was discharged Saturday 11/16 and feel pretty good finally.
My symptoms during the most acute part of detox were: Emotional rollercoaster, restlessness at all times, anxiety so bad I struggled to not hyperventilate constantly, sweating while having chills at the same time, irritability, and extreme exhaustion to the point that tying my shoes was a chore.