rockgal81I was on day 6 of being off tramadol yesterday. It was my 3rd attempt to get off these meds. I'd been addicted to them for 7 years and was up to taking 25 a day.I went through all of the horrible withdrawal symptoms and was past the worst of them. I went to the doctor yesterday for my well-woman exam because I've been having some abdominal pain. I find out that I have a major infection, so she gives me a few different antibiotics. I go to the pharmacy to pick up my meds and low and behold, she prescribes me Tramadol for the pain! So, instead of saying "no thanks", I say "ok", and proceed to to take 3 of them! WTF!!! Why can't I be stronger than this drug!!! I'm so angry at myself for this! I've taken more of them today, so tomorrow, it's back to day 1 withdrawal! UGHHHHHH... I hate myself sometimes!
Responses (8)
Anonymous 
Tramadon't3 Mar 2012
I know the feeling! I abused for 7 years at the same dose. I recently went back to work from being retired on disability (bone disease and artificial rt hip) since 2004. Thru the cold months of winter, I started low dosages again to ease the pain. I'm at day 3 quitting again. The only saving grace this time is I had my wife control them for me and I never went over 150mgs per day, been back on them 3 months. The weather is warm enough that I don't want them anymore. They make me so lazy and I have put back 20 pounds of the 60 I lost last time I quit. I just got back from Walmart stocking up on the supplements and I gonna start walking again today!! You can beat it! Just stop now! Good luck & God Bless!!
rockgal81
3 Mar 2012
Good luck! Day 3 is a toughie! I wonder what it is about this particular med that makes us so addicted to it?! I don't get the same feeling from any other opiate. I think part of it is the weight loss. I just dread gaining the weight back when I get off them. Last time, I went from 110 to 140! I don't know, I'm just a mess. I'll keep ya updated on how my withdrawal goes... day one yet again tomorrow.
Tramadon't
3 Mar 2012
I'm doing amazingly well, even slept some last night. Lack of energy is my biggest symptom just now. Thank Jesus Christ I didn't allow myself to go as far as I did to begin with! I think it's the double whammy of the opiate plus the SNRI properties, You got an opiate & antidepression withdrawal rolled into one nasty little pill! You need to hit the vitamin store and stock up on things to help rebuild your depleted brain chemicals! and believe me they're depleted, thus the terrible WD! My List is as follows: Imodium A-D as needed for the first few days for the screaming chits!! hehe! Fish oil 1200mg 2x daily, Multivitanim W/ multimineral 1 a day, l-tyrosine 500mg before breakfast, SAM e 400mg before breakfast With a B Complex, L-Glutamine at lunch, Milk Thistle (for your Liver) 2x a day, C 500mg at lunch, sublingual B12 as needed for energy! I use benedryl and melatonin 3mg for sleep, Eat lots of protein (eggs, chicken, turkey & nuts).
Anonymous 4 Mar 2012
Hi rockgal,
I must concur with Mary, don't beat yourself up over this relapse. You've made up your mind that you are not going to take anymore and I just know you'll be sucessful. Anyone in your shoes (the pharmacist handing you your d.o.c.) would have one hell of a time not relapsing!!
I will keep you in my thoughts today, and pray you've the strength to toss the trams away!!
Lara (sweet lemon)
Anonymous 4 Mar 2012
Forgot to add something, Trams are unique as they act like an SNRI antidepressant in the brain, hence coming off of them is so difficult because some people get horribly depressed.
If you rockgal and trandon't either feel horribly depressed after coming off of them, ask your doc for an SNRI to help with depression IF you feel it coming on.
Most opiate/opioid pain meds have the propensity to cause depression during and after cessation, yet Tramadol is by far the worse culprit.
I wish you both all the best, and keep us updated on how you are doing, we care!!
Anonymous 4 Mar 2012
Yes we do care, & rockgal, don't you know all us girls should have 3 sizes of every pair of pants or jeans? The skinny ones, the in the midle ones, & the fat day pants... Mary
Delila5 Mar 2012
Hi, you are not alone! I had to smile when i read this because of the irony. I came off Tramadol a couple years ago. Was off them for about 4 weeks. At my worst i was taking 20 a day, so similar to you. I started on them initially for a back injury. So i was doing OK, went through the withdrawals like you. Then one day my back started hurting again, and i thought, i'll just ask my doctor for another prescription for them and the spiral started again! I also think, what an idiot i was! I had help coming off them 2 years ago, and i think that was the only reason i was able to do it. Now i don't have the help any more, so i keep merrily taking them every day. Some good news, is that i have learned to cope with less tablets each day, and don't take any where as much as i used to. I am quite proud of this fact. Try to keep your chin up, and if you have only taken the 3 tablets so far, muster up all of your will power and try to flush the rest of them.
rockgal81
7 Mar 2012
Ya, well that willpower never came! lol They gave me a script for 30, I just took the last 2 an hour ago. So, I'll be starting day 1 tomorrow... grrrr! These pills sooooooo suck!! How much are you taking a day now? It's crazy how we let ourselves get to a point where we're taking handfuls of them at a time right?! And all of those, just to function like a normal human being! We're nuts! lol Since you were taking as many as I was, did you ever get any seizures? I had one grand mal and a few petite mal. You'd think that'd make me stop right? Heck no! lol I do hope that you will eventually get off of them. Even if you're only taking a few a day, you and I know how quickly that can spiral outta control. I wish you the best of luck and I'm going to friend you so we can chat! Thank you for your support!
Delila
8 Mar 2012
Hi, sorry to hear you took them all, but once you open a pack it's hard not to finish it! It doesn't mean that all your work has been undone though. You've been strong enough to stop them once, so try to find that strength inside of you once more. I will friend you back & we can talk in more detail...
sedrickusa6 Mar 2012
You poor sweetie the brain does not forget drugs that it once had even though it may have many years ago. It goes back to that old saying "one is to many and a thousand is not enough". I have confidence in you to kick this again and have the knowledge never have to go back. To say I maybe if I do this just once should of set of lights and warrning bells. It will be ok? You just made a bad choice, don't see yourself as foolish, the doctor was no help on this part. You are in this battle for yourself and only you can do it . My sympathy and hope for a swift recovery.
rockgal81
7 Mar 2012
Thank you very much for your support! This will be the time that I beat this!!! :D
Lills7 Mar 2012
Hi - I am 64 years old and have been on Tramadol for the past 20 years for fibromyalgia and ME. Just lately I have found myself needing more of these to avoid the side effects - shaking, wanting to crawl out of my skin, tummy upset etc. If I take an extra one I am OK for a few days, then it comes back. Just the same as when I have tried to come off these appalling drugs! I would much rather just come off 'cold turkey' ... I did that with SSRI's after a very long period and - apart from NOT feeling suicidal any more! - I had no side effects. Why can't I do the same with these things? I looked at your list of things to buy from the pharmacy ... but I live in the UK and we are much more restricted on what supplements we can buy 'over the counter' - melatonin for instance and I suspect Tyrozine too. I shall see my doctor next week - won't get an appointment before then - and see what she suggests.
rockgal81
9 Mar 2012
You are most definitely in my thoughts! This is a hard med to come off of. It sounds as though you're building up an increasing tolerance to them, which is why you're going through withdrawals unless you add another pill. I would talk to your doc about tapering because trust me, going cold turkey is HORRIBLE! I knew, for me, it was the only way, as I didn't trust myself to taper. YOU CAN DO IT! I'm here for you if you have any questions! Good luck with your appt next week, hopefully they'll be able to give you the help you need! Stay in touch ok. :)
Lills
9 Mar 2012
Thank you, what a lovely answer. I talked to a close friend who is a hospice nurse and deals with people on opiate based pain killers all the time. She looked at my meds and said 'DON'T CUT THEM IN HALF'! Apparently I am on the slow release ones, and if you cut these in half the slow release coating is compromised, and you get a quick rush, and then nothing! So now I'm going to need to get some 'ordinary' 50mg tabs. I have written up a chart so I know what I'm doing (which will make a change!) and can come off them at 50mg a week ... slower if I think I need it. Thanks for your support!
Anonymous 7 Mar 2012
This is maddness. I have been in fibro and spinal pain for a year and a half. My doc would not give me ANYTHING. Yesterday, he gives in and refuses to give me anything BUT Tramadol. He tells me it's not addictive and no side affects. Craziness. I took one last night, 50 mg, and one this morning, gotta say I FEEL great, better than ever period. Now I am so worried hearing from all of you. I was just going to take one nightly so I could sleep cause I can't find a comfortable position without pain. I have great will power, do you think I can stay safely at 50 at night??? any advice welcome
rockgal81
9 Mar 2012
I'm sorry if we're scaring you! You know, many people can take this med without having affecting them as it as with us. I just know that I, myself, have an extremely addictive personality, so this med is my enemy. I would just suggest that you take the recommended dosage. If you ever feel like you need to take more to get the same feeling, talk to your doctor. You just may be one of the people that can benefit from it! If you're only taking a couple a day, then I think you're ok if you keep it that way. When/if you do decide to stop taking them, I would try to taper down off them, not go cold turkey like I had to. I am an addict, so that really was the only way I could do it, as I didn't trust myself to taper. I do think you'll be ok, however. I would like you to keep me updated on how you're doing though ok. Good luck!!! :)
Anonymous 10 Mar 2012
rockgal is right MsSophia, many people can take this medication without becoming addicted to it. Just don't take more than is prescribed.
Hope it helps your pain!
11 Mar 2012
I'm at day 6 again! Yay!!! I'm feeling pretty good! I have my ups and downs. I usually start the day feeling pretty damn good, but as the day goes on... wah wah wah... energy depleted and the leg aches come back. I've been sleeping well, which definitely helps! I made it a point the day before yesterday and yesterday, to get out of the house and do something with my daughter, but alas, she came down with the flu overnight, so I'm home taking care of her now. The days seem to drag by now, as I'm realizing how much of a zombie I must've been. I feel bored unless I'm up doing something, so I think that I'm becoming human again! YAY! It's sad, because I'm starting to see that I probably wasn't much fun all the time with my daughter, and what a guilty feeling that is. But, I'm in the process of making all of that up to her now! I'm not ever going back to zombie mom, I'm gonna be ME from now on! How are you all doing??? I hope everyone is well!!
Tramadon't
11 Mar 2012
Way to go! I'm officially changing your nick to rocketgal2012! haha! What a journey coming off this drug has been. I'm still having ups & downs but doing much better without tramadol than with. I know first hand how good it gets from my last battle with them. Nowhere to go but up if you're flat on your back in the throes of addiction. I think you are doing great. It's a difficult drug being two fold. I started exercising again yesterday, walked for 15 min. then for 20 today... setting a goal of 30 by weeks end... babysteps. Supplements are really helping this past few days. Sleep is still hit and miss but better. Mood has stabilized for the most part, my worst symptom is fatigue and low energy. Steady sleep patterns and normal energy are the last things to return. Unbelivable how fast one can get out of shape. Last summer before going back on this stupid drug I was 20-30 pounds lighter and power walking an hour 5 days a week.
rockgal81
12 Mar 2012
That was an incredibly lovely response! You actually made me cry! lol I think you are doing tremendously well and I really am so proud of you! I just woke up a little while ago, and I'm having kind of a bad day. I know I have a doctors appt later and I'm trying to will myself not to ask for any. The cravings are really getting to me today. It's like I actually feel panicky in my chest, you know. I had a nerve conduction test done last week, and today is my follow up. This doc has never given them to me, so I'm hoping I'm strong enough to not even mention them. Please just keep me in your thoughts today! I'm 7 days clean and I hope to god I stay that way!
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It's is better to do a slow taper, & you won't have the withdrawals so bad... Mary
Thanks. I don't think I can taper... I'll just have to go cold turkey again. I just am so mad that I put myself in this position again. I was just starting to feel ok, you know? I wish I knew what it was about this particular drug... I've taken other opiates(percocet, vicodin, etc) before, and never got addicted like I have with these. Thank you for your support though! I'm glad I can go to this site and talk to people in similar situations. It makes me feel like less of a sh*t! lol
It's just like when you're on a diet and have a binge day. You just get up the next morning and start over. I will pray your withdrawal won't be as bad as it was. Just don't beat yourself up! You will succeed! I believe in you!
Thanks! I still haven't stopped. I actually took them all. My last 2 were taken an hour ago. That means tomorrow is day 1. Grrrrr! I'll be on here for the next few days letting you guys know how I'm doing. Thank you for the support!!