[mantisgirl]

hello all,

I was prescribed hydrocodone and tramadol for back problems about a year ago. I take 10mg/325 hydrocodones and 50mg tramadol.. I was given the tramadol and was told that this was a non narcotic and non-addicting, but after reading these post, im starting to think differently..I am very concerned about being addicted which, i am sure at this point I am..I don't want to be addicted and am looking for pointers on how to get myself off of this..I do have a few questions..is it possible or ok to take these drugs if you are taking it as prescribed? I take 2 hydrocodones a day (really at night,because i sleep very poor due to back pain, so i will take one about nine and then wake up at about 3 in the morning and take another one). I take 2 tramadols a day also. (this is during the day)... The problem that i am having with myself, is that i am taking it everyday...I will say though, it does help my back greatly and i don't complain nearly as much since i have been taking them.. but at the same time i know i have become addicted. How should i handle this situation? ANY suggestions would greatly be appreciated..what type of withdrawls will i go through?? im so very scared and anxious about this..

[cheekysod]

firstly congrats on realising now you might be getting into trouble with these pills.
for sure tramadol is addictive, there are people here that use them while withdrawing off their other pain pills, and go between the both.

you have not been using for tooo long. 1 year, so you have a huge advantage on the start line.
there are a few people who will no doubt post to you, regarding a possible way of tapering your dose slowly down.
if you do this correctly, your wd should be as minimal as possible.
try not to be so worried, you obviously have done a lot of thinking about this, and there is a way out and it isn't too late,
have faith
cheeky

can you first start, by dropping of one of those tramadols a day. like right now.
only you will know how you feel about that question, but i would think that was a step in the right direction.
keep posting, lots of people have more advise for you on this one.
good luck mantis

[melinda7.5]

Hi mantis
I agree with cheeky If you want to stop taking your pills I would start with the tranadol and then just taper down like a half a pill on the hydro's it should not be to bad...now I would like to say my sister has takes vic's for years and never had an addiction to them...now me on the other hand I just look at them and I'm in trouble...but she does not take them every day it's more like every other day... and she takes 1 five mg at a time...
so I think some people can do it just not me...and I think if you take them every day it will build up in your system...
keep us posted on how your doing...
Melinda

[Psychmajor]

seems like you have a dependancy but can control your pill use which makes me think you dont have an addiction (but i dont know). dependancy consists of tolerance and the need for the med to avoid w/d's. but if you do want to get off them pain management therapy and like everyone said taper off.

[methadonfriendly826]

i agree with psychmajor you don't sound like you have an addiction. There is a difference between dependency and a mental addiction. Having a mental addiction is alot worse than having a physical one. If your that paranoid about taking pills then dont take them. Im so sick of people on here always talking about opiates and how horrible they are and how they are so addictive. Addicts always ruin it for the people who legitimately take them as prescribed, I feel for people who are in severe pain and get blamed and looked at because they take pain killers. Its all thanks to the addicts

[Robert_325]

Originally Posted by mantisgirl

hello all,

I was prescribed hydrocodone and tramadol for back problems about a year ago. I take 10mg/325 hydrocodones and 50mg tramadol.. I was given the tramadol and was told that this was a non narcotic and non-addicting, but after reading these post, im starting to think differently..I am very concerned about being addicted which, i am sure at this point I am..I don't want to be addicted and am looking for pointers on how to get myself off of this..I do have a few questions..is it possible or ok to take these drugs if you are taking it as prescribed? I take 2 hydrocodones a day (really at night,because i sleep very poor due to back pain, so i will take one about nine and then wake up at about 3 in the morning and take another one). I take 2 tramadols a day also. (this is during the day)... The problem that i am having with myself, is that i am taking it everyday...I will say though, it does help my back greatly and i don't complain nearly as much since i have been taking them.. but at the same time i know i have become addicted. How should i handle this situation? ANY suggestions would greatly be appreciated..what type of withdrawls will i go through?? im so very scared and anxious about this..

Four pills a day for a year will definitely create a drug dependency. Whether or not you want to call it addiction or simple dependency is a matter of semantics. You're not out stealing or robbing anyone for your medication, but having to get up in the middle of the night for more medication is definite dependency that could be a problem or at least be leading to one that is serious.

I would get on a taper as advised immediately or your innocent behavior could turn into more addictive behavior very easily. Four pills each day for a year is getting to the point of being a real problem. Let us know how we can help you. God bless.

[mantisgirl]

Hey all,

I appreciate the responses i got from you guys, and i think it has made me realize that i NEED to GET OFF OF THESE MEDICATIONS PERIOD...they just aren't meant for long term usage..I'm just so scared of anxiety and pain..but i will have to face it sooner or later...SOONER rather than later...what i am doing now is prolonging the inevitable...so i will tackle one at a time..im going to start with these tramadols (after reading these post, it just seems like this is a medication that should not even be prescribed!! brain zaps!! YIKES ) anyhoo, i am taking 2 a day (100mg total) so as of today, i will only take one...and continue my two hydrocodones as usual.. My question is, how long should i take the one pill before quitting all together? I am trying to minimize any withdrawl.. I know there are people who take a considerable amount of narcotics, but i feel the same fears and anxieties as you and i know i will need the same support ( for those of you who are reading my post and going: "2 pills, give me a break" lol) i honestly don't think i would have been able to do this without this site..up until now, i felt that i was alone in this endeavor, which made it that much harder to WANT to stop. My back pain is valid, but there are other options out there for me besides narcotics..and i have to be upfront with myself that i was not willing to switch to anything else because in addition to making me feel better, they also helped me mentally.. thanks for all of your support and i will keep active on this site, until i have a success story..wish me luck!!
p.s. I am thinking of getting some herbal supplements that is supposed to be good for anxiety and restless leg syndrome. ( i don't want to switch one addiction for another..i was going to try and get some anti-anxiety medication, but after reading one can become addicted to those as well, i'm like GEEZ!!!!) So has anyone used herbal supplements and felt that they have actually worked??? what is your experience with them?

Thanks,
:confused

[Robert_325]

Check out this link for the Thomas Recipe. It will help make the w/d lots easier on you. We use it here all the time and it works! God bless.

http://www.drugs.com/forum/featured-...wal-35169.html