[Scott...]

Hi:

I've been taking tramadol off and on for about 7 years. I have a painful chronic medical condition and have found tramadol to be the most effective and long lasting drug I can take to manage the pain.

The problem with tramadol is the same as with all pain meds, they quit working. It works beautifully at first - it's like I've become a whole new healthy person. Then as time goes by it slowly stops working and I take more and more and more until even that no longer works.

I've taken as many as 60 pills per day, and I know there were days I took more than that. Because I was shopping 7 different online pill-peddlers I could have all of it I wanted. I started selling things that meant a great deal to me in order to pay for my growing tramadol habit. At 60 pills per day I had to order a new script of 120 pills every-other day.

At the worst I started passing out standing up. I'd usually hit my head on something on the way down, or just fall into the wall or piece of furniture behind me. I don't know why I never had a seizure, not everybody does.

Stopping was hell at first. I'm not sure I've ever been that sick in my life. The first time I stopped I went from 60+ pills per day to zero in only 48 hours. Some of my withdrawal symptoms lasted over two months.

Since I am a chronic pain sufferer I do out of desperation start the tramadol again every year or so. This time I know a little more about how to manage not only my disease of pain, but also my disease of addiction. There are things I do to mitigate the uncomfortable effects of stopping, and I've gained enough self control to taper off over a longer period of time than only 48 hours.

Tonight I took one pill, I have 3 left and after that I'm done again for a while. I'll start making the rounds to all the doctors begging for alternative help with my condition, and as per usual the help will never come. And for the curious of you out there, sure I think about suicide. I think about it every day. The problem is no one will be around to take care of my three dogs and I'll not see them taken down to the "shelter" to be executed.

Don't ever let anyone tell you tramadol is not addictive. I've had plenty of prescriptions for Vicodin and other pain pills and I never had the addiction problems with them that I had with tramadol. When they first came out with tramadol a few years ago the drug salesman lied to my GP, told her there was virtually no chance of dependency with this new "miracle" drug. My GP has since been set straight. It's all about the money folks.

My prayers are with all of you.

Scott

[anony71]

hey here to say my addiction is over to ultram!! u say good for u/ well yes it is!!! and it's easy to quit with no withdrawls by going to your doc and getting the lowest dosage of cymbalta 20mg or another ssri.. DO NOT TAKE SSRI WITH A BODY FULL OF TRAMMIES!! GO 36 HRS. with NO trammies and take half of a 20mg cymbalta or ssri. if capsule form then open and remove half of the med. reason for severe withdrawls on trammy is because your mind isnt generating the serotonin or re-uping the levels.. u can replace this with a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor and you will be on your way to recovery.. It works im not a doc and will say for ME ONLY!! and maybe you, that cymbalta is not hard to get off of and has no narcotic like effects.. u will have no depression and all will be good if your anything like I... so quit paying 3rd world countries and money hungary internet sites an arm an a leg now.. thanks and hope this helps

[KMH120]

Scott do u have a email address. I have some questions for you that I would rather not post on here.

[Scott...]

Originally Posted by KMH120

Scott do u have a email address. I have some questions for you that I would rather not post on here.

Is there any way to reach you directly through this site? I'm not really keen on posting my email address on a public forum. Thank you, Scott

[Scott...]

Just to update, been off of them for 6 or 7 days and am feeling much better. Sick as a dog for the first couple tramadol-free days, felt like h*ll for a few more days, but I'll live. I don't miss them, I'm not tempted to order more, I'm very pleased not to have to mess with the cr*p at all. Of course I still have pain and certainly don't enjoy that very much (but it's sort of too bad).

And to anony71, thanks for the suggestion about Cymbalta. I've been studying that drug for a while on the net. Saw a doctor last week, will see another next week and Cymbalta has already been discussed and is a real possibility for me. Don't want to get my hopes up too high, but there is hope.

Everybody try to have a good day.

Scott