sbakeruc

Hello, I am new here. I don't think tramadol is a narcotic but sure feels like one and sure has the same withdrawals! (actually worse in my opinion) than narcotics (yes I have something to compare too, abused vicodin and adderall 4 years ago).

I have been taking Tramadol since September 09 for pain management. It recently has blown out of control. Yesterday I took 22 50mg (1,100)mg. I normal range between 8-12 a day but I have an impulse to take 22 for some reason. I believe this is very dangerous. I was upset so I just kept taking more... and more...

So later that night my girlfriend came over and we talked and then she started crying, she had no idea about this. I was so torn apart from seeing the way that I hurt her that I was furious (Didn't hurt her directly, hurt her in the way she was scared for me and didn't know what to do). I was enrage and grabbed my Tramadol bottle, set aside 20 and ran to the toilet and flushed down all the rest. I didn't even think about this I just did it. So now I have 20 to come down with & can't get more. I am going to space it out probably like this:

Day 1: 7
Day 2: 5
Day 3: 3
Day 4: 2
Day 5: 2
Day 6: 1

That's all I have to work with.

Let's see how this works.....

Anyone else have problems with Tramadol, it's an ugly drug.

barb dwyer

I've been taking tramadol for pain for three years.

Only once in all that time have my count and my monthly allotment
been off....
... and that was because a roomate was stealking them.
I began taking my meds to work with me
and the count came back to what it should be.

While it sucks bigt red rocks to come off any medications for pain
because the pain and it's unbearable nature immediately returns....

I'm confident in my ercovery
and my attitude and approach to sobriety

to know that it's not the pill ... that's the problem.

I feel I HAVE to advise you to notify your doctor about your problem...

... I hope you find the happy medium you want.

Marshgirl

One of my buddies from suboxone journey has a lot of experience and can give you some advice and information about the DANGERS of sing too much tramadol. She should be along in the next 24 hrs - Beckyboo, where are you????

Anyway, I used it as a go between when I could not get my DOC, Vicodin. I understand that it is difficult to w/d from, but if you are ready, you can do it. Stock up on Gatorade, Immodium and vitamins. Hot baths help with muscle spasms and joint pain. I recommend trying to keep down as much liquid as possible and if cramps get bad, try an anti-inflammatory. The moderator, Dee, always tells everyone to see a doctor. Everyone's addiction/dependence is different. I know your gf wants you to be safe. We do too. I wish you luck, love and prayers. Keep posting, there are plenty of great peeps here!

You CAN do this!

Wolfchild

Welcome to our Sober Recovery community.

whiskerkissed

I abused Trams for a short stint, too. That was actually the last drug I used before finding the rooms of NA. These are being reclassified because of their addictive qualities. My doctor (an addict in recovery) even said they get tested for Tramadol along with the other drugs now.

Welcome to SR. You've had some great suggestions. You CAN do this!

windysan

Tramadols never did nothing for me. Same effect as aspirin. Lots of folks on here have had problems with them.

tennladybb

Hello there! and welcome to SR I am the friend that marsh girl mentioned..

I have had a loonng love affair with tramadol..I have a link to my original thread that i will post here in a second.. First, that level of tramadol (i got up to 30 at one point) can KILL you. I had a grand mal seizure, at my sons baseball game in front of everyone. I flipped down concrete bleachers, busted my head open and then flopped around like a fish, foaming at the mouth, jerking, eyes rolling back in my head and all the kids saw this.. it was horrific. I have lost soooo much of my memory due to that. I cant even remember most of their childhood. 8 is the max limit that the FDA approves before you hit seizure territory.

I agree, that to me, tramadol was worse as far as withdrawals then from other opiates. Its very dangerous and very addictive if you have that tendency and even if yo dont in some cases. It just about killed me.. Heres what i thought on.. Supposed the boys and I were going somewhere,and that seizure had hit me then.. we could all be dead. I risked their lives every day.. I could have killed my kids in a split second. What if it had happened at the awards banquet? or ANYwhere. My children were already sooo embarrassed!!! I went to a 28 day rehab and that didnt work either. countless inpatient 3-7 day stays.. 5 I think is how many times I went.. I have almost lost track. I relapsed, and relapsed,and relapsed..

It led up to tabs, then percocet, vicodin, and finally roxies and oxies.. The only thing that saved ME PERSONALLY was suboxone... BUT, it can be done without it! I think Stagebear is one who beat it on his own, cold turkey, and sooo many others on here were able to do it. Its a nasty drug, and dangerous as hell. I wish they would pull it off the market to be honest, but there are tons who use it properly, so thats prob. not a good idea. I have suffered so much, lost so much,embarrassed my whole family, risked my KIDS LIVES!!! It ruined me..

Please oh please quit taking it! Flushing those others was a GREAT idea, and i pray your taper will work. I usually only "quit" when i was out. As soon as i was able, I got more. FOR ME and only only a doctor can decide this, suboxone saved my life. No more cravings.. ZERO. Its still hard for me to wrap my mind around that.. But its expensive. Maybe its worth speaking to your doctor about?

I am pulling for you, praying for you.. it can be done, and you need to do it now,before you kill yourself or someone else you love dearly, or an innocent stranger with a family and people who love them...This is a great place for support and advice, and for great friends.. We are here for you..

Love, Beck (links below)

http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...-drs-plan.html

and another one

The Alcoholism and Addictions Help Forums- by SoberRecovery.comys-im-back.html

sbakeruc

So far its going great, tapering down & forcing myself to exercise 2-3 times per day while drinking lots of fluids is helping a ton. Melatonin is a miracle for sleep, and you can take up to 30mg with little side effects (3-9mg is the usual). Tomorrow I am going for 0, only did 1 50mg today! It seems like tapering down slowly 7,5,3,2,1 was a much better idea than going 'cold turkey'. I am guessing things will probably get worse once I stop taking it completely, but making it down to 1 this should be a breeze... Exercise is proving to be a miracle for me on withdrawal.

Another note I am so glad Im doing this when I did, I hit 3 day's straight of 15+ 50mg's, continuing at that rate it would have made things so much worse.

Lily

Yes, after 18 months clean the end of last summer I relapsed on tramodol. I had heard it was a antidepressant w/ some pain relieve qualities. I hate tramodol, it is a sneaky drug. Keep posting, there is tons of help on these boards.

Marshgirl

sbakeruc - Way to go! Keep yourself busy and your mind occupied. I tended to isolate myself while using, so being with people lessened my symptoms and took my mind off of feeling sorry for myself. You sound like you are doing all the right things for yourself. 15+ pills a day is scary. The most I took was 10 before I found out about the seizure risk. After I learned about that, I never took more than 8 in 24 hours because I was scared. There is something called Serotonin syndrome that scared the heck out of me - and hopefully should scare everyone else. I hate the way doctors treat Tramadol as if it were Tylenol. The last time I came out of treatment I had back pain and told dr I was a recovering addict. I did not know anything about Tramadol when they prescribed it. Now, I am very specific - NO narcotics and no Tramadol. Keep posting your progress. Thinking of you.

cjsg

sbaker....I completely relate with you. I was a slave to this drug and IV'd it. In mexico it is available without a prescription in ampules. 35 to 50 a day plus benzos almost killed me. I was so frail that the doc gave me suboxone and I just recently tapered off it. I am grateful and surprised how good I feel now. The detox was not fun from subs or tramadol but I stuck it out and reaped huge rewards. We can, and do feel normal again and our old selves will come back if you get off the dope and do a little work on ourselves. Good luck to you. I am a little concerned about your week long taper schedule. Like tennlady said the threat of seizure is MORE real than we think while on them. I just worry a little how your body might react to this kinda quick taper. I applaud you and from this tramadol junkie you get props, my respects and best wishes. Plow through this with determination and a little faith for the good days that will come.
Chris

sbakeruc

Things are going great! The ONLY withdrawal symptoms that I have right now is my legs can't sit still, headache, anxiety, that's it! This drug seems to defiantly offset the balance of serotonin which makes it an interesting withdrawal... I found like 6 more pills in my desk so I am going to continue a slow taper down.


What seems to be making this easier on me than last time is:
1) Forcing myself exercise 2-3x per day
2) Lots of liquids, over 2 gallons
3) Melatonin for sleep
4) Caffeine in the morning for energy
5) Lots of tea for constant energy during the day
6) Lots of (XXX) vitamin water
7) Positive mind set
8) Lots of milk thistle for liver detox
9) St. John's Wort for serotonin levels
10) Eating a lot healthier

Question:

Should I slice the pills into 1/2 or keep them whole? I'd like to taper down to 1/2 pill, anyone done this?

willy85

Tramadol is not an opioid per sue. It's primary a pro-drug for the opiate aspect, meaning that when you consume the drug, your body metabolizes it and creates a mild mu opiate agonist. This is also commonly called in vivo metabolization.

Taking tramadol above 400mg a day is quite dangerous, since it also releases serotonin and acts as a norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor. Above 400mg, you can have seizures and convulsions.

I would not try and taper off such a high dose by yourself. Because the drug works in areas that anti-depressants work, discontinuation could be dangerous and horrible.

A doctor should assist you in discontinuing the medication. As I said above, not only does the drug's metabolites act as a central acting opiate, but it also has many metabolites that work the same way as anti-depressants.