[cinful angel]

i been on them on and off 6 years , it got to the point i was craving more and more . i decided to get off them this my second day and it killing me the cramps and aches and pains . i trying to be strong but it hard

[melinda7.5]

Hi cinful angel
Yep, day two is no walk in the park ...but your doing good hang in there.
I started to feel better by day four...
I'm going to put up the Thomas recipe for you.
and keep posting to let us know how you are doing...
Talk to you soon, Melinda

THOMAS RECIPE

If you can't take time off to detox, I recommend you follow a taper regimen using your drug of choice or suitable alternate -- the slower the taper, the better.

For the Recipe, You'll need:

1. Valium (or another benzodiazepine such as Klonopin, Librium, Ativan or Xanax). Of these, Valium and Klonopin are best suited for tapering since they come in tablet form. Librium is also an excellent detox benzo, but comes in capsules, making it hard to taper the dose. Ativan or Xanax should only be used if you can't get one of the others.

2. Imodium (over the counter, any drug or grocery store).

3. L-Tyrosine (500 mg caps) from the health food store.

4. Strong wide-spectrum mineral supplement with at least 100% RDA of Zinc, Phosphorus, Copper, Magnesium and Potassium (you may not find the potassium in the same supplement).

5. Vitamin B6 caps.

6. Access to hot baths or a Jacuzzi (or hot showers if that's all that's available).

How to use the recipe:

Start the vitamin/mineral supplement right away (or the first day you can keep it down), preferably with food. Potassium early in the detox is important to help relieve RLS (Restless Leg Syndrome). Bananas are a good source of potassium if you can't find a supplement for it.

Begin your detox with regular doses of Valium (or alternate benzo). Start with a dose high enough to produce sleep. Before you use any benzo, make sure you're aware of how often it can be safely taken. Different benzos have different dosing schedules. Taper your Valium dosage down after each day. The goal is to get through day 4, after which the worst WD symptoms will subside. You shouldn't need the Valium after day 4 or 5.

During detox, hit the hot bath or Jacuzzi as often as you need to for muscle aches. Don't underestimate the effectiveness of hot soaks. Spend the entire time, if necessary, in a hot bath. This simple method will alleviate what is for many the worst opiate WD symptom.

Use the Imodium aggressively to stop the runs. Take as much as you need, as often as you need it. Don't take it, however, if you don't need it.

At the end of the fourth day, you should be waking up from the Valium and experiencing the beginnings of the opiate WD malaise. Upon rising (empty stomach), take the L-Tyrosine. Try 2000 mgs, and scale up or down, depending on how you feel. You can take up to 4,000 mgs. Take the L-Tyrosine with B6 to help absorption. Wait about one hour before eating breakfast. The L-Tyrosine will give you a surge of physical and mental energy that will help counteract the malaise. You may continue to take it each morning for as long as it helps. If you find it gives you the "coffee jitters," consider lowering the dosage or discontinuing it altogether. Occasionally, L-Tyrosine can cause the runs. Unlike the runs from opiate WD, however, this effect of L-Tyrosine is mild and normally does not return after the first hour. Lowering the dosage may help.

Continue to take the vitamin/mineral supplement with breakfast.

As soon as you can force yourself to, get some mild exercise such as walking, cycling, swimming, etc. This will be hard at first, but will make you feel considerably better.

Thomas"

[Donald60]

Okay, I've read all these posts with great interest. I am heavily addicted to Tramadol. This is really stultifying because I am a man who never took anything, other than some marijuana in Vietnam. Otherwise, I have never smoked, drank, or taken addictive drugs.

I was given a few Tramadol by a business associate because I had a bad case of bursitis. Of course, the Tramadol made me feel very good, and it did actually relieve some of the pain. The pain came back so I asked for a few more. And right away, I doubled the dose, figuring that the "good feeling" was very nice to have.

Suffice it to say that I have had an unending supply of Tramadol, and have increased this addicition so that now I am taking from 30 to 40 (!) pills (50mg) per day.

I've experienced the start of withdrawal symptoms, as I decided I needed to quit this stuff several weeks ago. I had those "brain bursts", twitching extremities while trying to sleep, and heavy-duty hot flashes and sweating. So of course, I just had to take more Tramadol in my own mind, to stop these "weird" things going on.

So now I am scared. This is just not good for my life, and I am getting steadily weaker and weaker from not sleeping properly. Nothing huge yet, but I DO feel the downturn happening subtly and slowly.

The inspiration here is tremendous. I never would have thought that others were addicted to Tramadol; rather, I thought it was just something that I seemed to "want", and thought I could deal with by just plain quitting.

I am, as of this morning, on an immediate detailed plan to reduce the withdrawals. I will be doing this over a long period of time, as I have access to having enough to wean myself slowly. I have started this morning at 10am with 10 pills (500mg), and will follow with 10 pills at 4pm.

I am ALREADY experiencing the brain bursts again, and sweating. Also I also feel a sort of general malaise that is sort of like nausea. This started about 2 hours ago (1pm), so it started about 3 hours after taking the 500mg. Wow, talk about hooked and screwed up.

I am trying to use these symptoms to my advantage by calling them "indicators" of how scared I am. I hope and pray that I'll have the will to get through to the end. I really, really want to. I am using the words of inspiration on here as well, to get myself through.

I know that after I take the 4pm dosage, I'll be okay for several hours, and then I'm sure that my sleep is going to be highly disrupted tonight. In actuality though, my sleep is already disrupted because of the twitching that always happens at night. I can only assume that these are some kind of seizure-type of reaction. So, if I ALREADY twitch, I'm hoping that the continuation of the twitching is something that I can "home in" on, and just let it go. Sometimes that "twitch" is actually a "whole body" twitch, where my whole body jumps as though it was shocked with electricity. The other problem is that I have to pee at LEAST 10 times per night, so there's an additional sleep deprivation. I wonder how my kidneys and liver are coping....another reason I am scared.

I am encouraged by the posts that mention that "if others can do it, so can I". It sounds like most others are NOT taking these high doses that I am. I only hope that my plan will work for me.

Here's my immediate plan which I started this morning:

Two Weeks from June 21 thru July 5
10 pills at 10am
10 pills at 4pm

Two Weeks from July 6 thru July 20
8 pills at 10am
8 pills at 4pm

Two Weeks from July 21 thru Aug 4
6 pills at 10am
6 pills at 4pm

Two Weeks from Aug 5 thru Aug 19
4 pills at 10am
4 pills at 4pm

At the end of this (damn, I hope I make it), I will reassess to see where I'm at, and to plan for going forward. I'm anticipating some withdrawals, and I know that is the truly difficult part based on the short periods of withdrawal symptoms I am already experiencing, even as I type this.

I would be totally and eternally grateful for ANY feedback from you folks on this. Does this seem "do-able"? Am I biting off too much? Am I reducing too slowly?

I never ever thought I would be in this predicament from anything that I might have done wrong in my life. It's my fault of course, and now it rests solely on me. That is why even some encouraging words would be gratefully listened to by me.

I hope that ALL of you are successful, and would GLADLY reciprocate to support you.

Best to all of you,
"Donald" (Had yet another brain burst just a few seconds ago)

[melinda7.5]

Hi Donald

I think you taper plan sounds great...after you get into it you can go a little faster if you want...
There is one thing I want to ask about tho...
If you were taking 30 pills a day it's a big drop to go to 10 a day...
Just wanted to check on that...
Please keep us posted on how you are doing...

Talk to you soon, Melinda

[MaisieC]

Hi Donald,

It's great you've made the decision to get off tramadol. I'm sure you know you're at a very high dose, and you'll be so much healthier once you get clean!

I do share Melinda's concern about your having dropped so quickly to your current dose. There's no harm in letting your body stabilize at this dose or even going back up temporarily if you're having a lot of trouble. Easy does it.

Here is a taper schedule from another site, which people say is successful. You'll see that this person went from 1500 mgs per day to 0 in 17 days. That's faster than you're proposing, but this schedule is also a little gentler than the one you're planning. You'll see she tapers more and more gradually toward the end, which I think is key with this drug. I don't know the reason for it, but tapering at the lower doses can be a real challenge, and taking it slowly at that point is really the best way to go.

http://www.medhelp.org/user_journals/show/725

Hang in there, and God bless you!

Maisie

[Donald60]

Thank you both, melinda and Maisie. I have read your posts and thought about it much.

Since I seemed to have a propensity to start WD symptoms only 3 hours after taking the 10 pills, perhaps I need to build a different schedule wherein I cut to say...I don't know...15 pills at 10am and 15 at 4pm. (Man how did I get INTO this mess. I mean 30-40 pills is simply stupid).

But now reading back through again, it might be best for me to perhaps start with 4 times a day on a more "even" schedule, rather than going through the night being quite uncomfortable.

I am going to stick with what I have for tonight, and assess how bad these withdrawals get. If I just can't stand it, I'll immediately reassess and go to:

8 pills at 8am
8 pills at 2pm
8 pills at 8pm
8 pills at 2am

The 2am time is no problem since I'm up every hour or so to urinate anyway.

This would be 32 pills over 24 hours, which is STILL lower than I've been taking the last few weeks (40 or so per day). Gosh, this seems so ridiculous, and it's shaming to know that I am so heavily hooked.

But perhaps this more palliative measure wherein I'm not letting myself get into too much of a WD state will be smarter? Just measuring it out over 24 hours like above?

And perhaps I could go with the second 2-week period with say....7 pills at the alloted times. And then 6...and so on?

I actually feel fortunate that I have the large supply now, as this might be my "holy grail" for substantiating an extremely gradual release from this nightmare.

If anyone thinks that this might be a wrong approach, I would love to hear. I don't even know if I'm thinking straight these days.

At one time last week I started blaming the person who gave me the initial pills in the first place. But after a while I came to a bit of "common sense" and realized that it's ME that did this. I'm even shocked with myself.

Another thing I've vowed to do....a thing I MUST do, is when I feel I am totally weaned, I WILL THROW AWAY the rest of the pills. It's almost like they are the "enemy" to me now.

I have the will for this...I just want to have the strength for this as well.

One thing I've learned the hard way, is that addicted people aren't "bad" people at all. It starts off with wanting to feel good, and who wouldn't want to feel good? Then it becomes alarming, and I'm alarmed at this huge dosage. It almost seems surreal.

I had two more "bombs" go off in my head while writing this...it's like the "charge" starts in the right side of my head, and screams across to the left side...then I get dizzy for a few minutes. It's a real weird thing indeed.

Best to you.
Donald60

[melinda7.5]

Hi Donald

I'm glad you decided to change things a bit...
I think it will make things a little easer on you..I wanted to tell you not to beat yourself up about getting yourself where you are right now, We have all been there, mine was oxycontin, Maisie was tramadol, but there are many stories just like this on the forum...

Let us know how it's going...
Talk to you soon , Melinda

[Donald60]

Originally Posted by melinda7.5

Hi Donald

I'm glad you decided to change things a bit...
I think it will make things a little easer on you..I wanted to tell you not to beat yourself up about getting yourself where you are right now, We have all been there, mine was oxycontin, Maisie was tramadol, but there are many stories just like this on the forum...

Let us know how it's going...
Talk to you soon , Melinda

Melinda (and Maisie) - I am totally in respect of you two. I have heard how oxycontin is a HUGE addictive potential. And of course Maisie already knows about tramadol.

I am going to follow the taper schedule from the link you gave me (THANK YOU). I have a little trepidation about the night-time following that schedule, but perhaps there will be enough in my system to avoid symptoms of WD over the course of the evening. That taper schedule starts off just about exactly where I've been on amounts of this ********.

I DID get through the night last night, but it wasn't fun. Many many times I woke up with a hot flash and those bombs going through my brain. Also, it was like I had to thrash around because I couldn't get into a feeling of comfort. So...yeah, I set up too difficult a schedule, and that's why it looks like I can go with the taper schedule. I am SO lucky that I have a stockpile of this nightmarish drug and can do it this way. I think I could "take" the WD symptoms if I had to, but this taper procedure will be much less hard on me, I hope. I DID wait until an hour ago to start the taper, so it's been uncomfortable since midnight. But AT LEAST I made it to the start of my taper schedule, and I got to see just how bad these WDs can be. So I consider it a short education of things.

I am also buying the mineral supplements that were advised in the Thomas method. I already take multivitamins, but they don't have all the minerals listed.

I actually started jogging last week, and am going to continue in that training regimen. I DO feel better after jogging. Perhaps it increases the metabolism enough to start to flush the ******** out of my system?

I do a lot of hiking throughout the year, so if worst comes to worst, I'll take a week off and park myself in the rain forest valley while doing this, especially if it is hard to get that "final dose" weaned away at the end of the taper period. I would be walking a lot then, and carrying some pretty heavy camera weight along with the normal backpacking weight. That could help too, I think? At the very least, it will negate the possibility that others will see that I'm going through a "weird period".

I can sure see the value in planning.

I'll try to give updates, but of course I don't want to "fill the board" with my ruminations!

Melinda and Maisie - Did you two also do a taper schedule to get yourself off those nightmare drugs?

THANKS SO MUCH
Donald60

[Donald60]

Originally Posted by cinful angel

i been on them on and off 6 years , it got to the point i was craving more and more . i decided to get off them this my second day and it killing me the cramps and aches and pains . i trying to be strong but it hard

citiful, are you able to set up a taper schedule? I am totally in awe of your resolve to get over this...you have my utmost respect. Keep on trucking!
Donald60

[melinda7.5]

Hi Donald
yes I did a taper off my drugs, I stopped my oxycontin and tapered down with vicodin...It was a long process but I made it ...
I can be a little pig headed sometimes and it was good to be that way on my taper...
keep on being strong...
Talk to you soon, Melinda

[Donald60]

Originally Posted by melinda7.5

Hi Donald
yes I did a taper off my drugs, I stopped my oxycontin and tapered down with vicodin...It was a long process but I made it ...
I can be a little pig headed sometimes and it was good to be that way on my taper...
keep on being strong...
Talk to you soon, Melinda

You are an inspiration. I'm on the "taper" program today - my first day. Yeah, I think I am a bit pig-headed too, that's why I said screw it last night, and just let the WDs start until I took the 9am does this morning. Man those are weird symptoms. It's like it's impossible to get comfortable.

Thanks again Melinda - I'll let the board know how it's going in a few days, as I feel you people I can rely on for advice. For that, I am forever in debt.

Donald60

[MaisieC]

Hi Donald,

Well, I have detoxed off so many different pain pills in so many different ways, I don't even remember any more. I wish tramadol had been the only one, but I can say that for me it was the worst one. Not that the percocet, darvocet, vicodin, codeine were fun...but the tramadol was the most complicated for me and I think it is for some others, too. But I found the tapering was absolutely critical for the tramadol. I don't think you can cold-turkey off this particular drug.

Donald, be kind to yourself. You don't get extra points for suffering. So I think you should follow a taper that will minimize your suffering from w/d symptoms. I believe spacing out doses evenly over the course of the day is the best way. Maybe take a little more at bedtime and relatively less during the day, to help you sleep. Whatever makes it the least worst (one of my favorite expressions from one of my favorite teachers).

It's not cheating to try Benadryl to help you sleep, or even something like valium or xanax on a short-term basis if you have it. You're bound to have a somewhat bumpy ride coming off the high dose you're on; so I think you should do what you can to smooth out the bumps. Be really kind to your body and eat as well as you can, take some supplements, make sure you're hydrated. Potassium (like bananas) can help with twitchy legs and arms.

If I were you, I would not go out into the wilderness carrying heavy gear. I would keep jogging (this is EXCELLENT for you) but make sure I got back to my own nice safe bed every night. Be nice to yourself.

You're going to do really well at this, Donald. You have the resolve you need. You're going to do fine. And go ahead and post all you want; that's what this forum is for.

Hang in there, and God bless you. This is going to take some time and some resolve, but you're going to be just fine. One of these days soon you'll have your health and energy back, and you'll be so grateful! Take good care.

[Donald60]

Originally Posted by MaisieC

Hi Donald,

Well, I have detoxed off so many different pain pills in so many different ways, I don't even remember any more. I wish tramadol had been the only one, but I can say that for me it was the worst one. Not that the percocet, darvocet, vicodin, codeine were fun...but the tramadol was the most complicated for me and I think it is for some others, too. But I found the tapering was absolutely critical for the tramadol. I don't think you can cold-turkey off this particular drug.

Donald, be kind to yourself. You don't get extra points for suffering. So I think you should follow a taper that will minimize your suffering from w/d symptoms. I believe spacing out doses evenly over the course of the day is the best way. Maybe take a little more at bedtime and relatively less during the day, to help you sleep. Whatever makes it the least worst (one of my favorite expressions from one of my favorite teachers).

It's not cheating to try Benadryl to help you sleep, or even something like valium or xanax on a short-term basis if you have it. You're bound to have a somewhat bumpy ride coming off the high dose you're on; so I think you should do what you can to smooth out the bumps. Be really kind to your body and eat as well as you can, take some supplements, make sure you're hydrated. Potassium (like bananas) can help with twitchy legs and arms.

If I were you, I would not go out into the wilderness carrying heavy gear. I would keep jogging (this is EXCELLENT for you) but make sure I got back to my own nice safe bed every night. Be nice to yourself.

You're going to do really well at this, Donald. You have the resolve you need. You're going to do fine. And go ahead and post all you want; that's what this forum is for.

Hang in there, and God bless you. This is going to take some time and some resolve, but you're going to be just fine. One of these days soon you'll have your health and energy back, and you'll be so grateful! Take good care.

Maisie THANK YOU. I am taking your words to heart, and I will try to make this as easy as possible. I guess it's really not a good thing to suffer if I don't have to. Last night, it was almost like I wanted to punish myself for getting on the tramadol in the first place.

I'm sticking to the taper program, but since I have been taking 30-40 per day, I modified it upward a little, and also ran it out for about 2 months. Does that sound pretty decent?

Thanks for the tip on bananas! I forgot about magnesium, and it DOES tend to calm down the muscles, from what I've read.

I hope and pray that you are "all done" with these crazy drugs, Maisie. It sounds like you ARE done.

Worst thing for me now is the anticipation of WDs.

[MaisieC]

Originally Posted by Donald60

Maisie THANK YOU. I am taking your words to heart, and I will try to make this as easy as possible. I guess it's really not a good thing to suffer if I don't have to. Last night, it was almost like I wanted to punish myself for getting on the tramadol in the first place.

I'm sticking to the taper program, but since I have been taking 30-40 per day, I modified it upward a little, and also ran it out for about 2 months. Does that sound pretty decent?

Thanks for the tip on bananas! I forgot about magnesium, and it DOES tend to calm down the muscles, from what I've read.

I hope and pray that you are "all done" with these crazy drugs, Maisie. It sounds like you ARE done.

Worst thing for me now is the anticipation of WDs.

Hi Donald,

Yeah, I was kind of getting the sense from you that you thought you needed/deserved to suffer. But guess what...you already have suffered. Enough. Being miserable makes detox harder, and there are enough real challenges along the way without beating yourself up.

You have to set up a taper that you're comfortable with, but I think you could safely go faster than you're planning. The person on the site I sent you to got from 1,000 mgs to 0 in 17 days. You're at roughly 1,500--maybe more--so you might not need 2 months. Bottom line is, whatever is going to work for you. As long as you are honest with yourself, you'll get where you need to be.

Take good care of yourself.

Maisie

[Donald60]

Originally Posted by MaisieC

Hi Donald,
Yeah, I was kind of getting the sense from you that you thought you needed/deserved to suffer. But guess what...you already have suffered. Enough. Being miserable makes detox harder, and there are enough real challenges along the way without beating yourself up.

You have to set up a taper that you're comfortable with, but I think you could safely go faster than you're planning. The person on the site I sent you to got from 1,000 mgs to 0 in 17 days. You're at roughly 1,500--maybe more--so you might not need 2 months. Bottom line is, whatever is going to work for you. As long as you are honest with yourself, you'll get where you need to be.

Take good care of yourself. Maisie

Maisie, you hit the nail on the head - honesty with oneself has to be a huge part of this. In fact, I went ahead and counted the number of pills I have stockpiled for this.

Based on the schedule I've set up in relation to the "taper program" web page, I am looking at 7 weeks and 3 days worth before I come down to having 6 pills left at that time.

When I am there, I'll assess if I can finally go to zero; I know I'll be awfully close. I can always knock those remaining pills into a quarter dose or an 1/8 dose if I actually have to get even more precise at that time.

I can see that the purest requirement here is consistency.

Last night I took the day's final dosage at 9pm. And...to my wonderful amazement...I didn't experience any symptoms until about 6am this morning! I can only hope and pray that will continue as I grind this down to zero over time.

The WDs from 6am until 9am this morning (I was scheduled for first dosage at 9am which I took at that time) were not too bad, a couple of those weird "brain rushes" and a general sort of malaise. I could see, however, that if I had waited too much longer the symptoms were going to intensify strongly.

I did also have a couple of "full body twitches" last night that woke me up, but overall my sleeping was not too bad! Knock on wood!

I will be running a forest trail in a few minutes, hoping to get maybe 3 miles in and a good decent workout without knocking myself out. I'll call it a "slow run".

I think that one thing I have going for me, is that I've never pushed "bad stuff" into my body before, and have always been pretty active. I don't drink or smoke, and that is probably a + thing for me. My mental attitude is one of "scared determination", and I want to hope that I can continue that attitude as this program goes forward.

[file-monger]

Have been taking 50-250 mg of Tramadol a day for a few months perscribed for lower back pain and have been noticing that I feel out-of-sorts if I don't take it. Being clean and sober for 11 years this triggered the ole spidey sense that something wasn't quite right. After reading this forum I see that my fears are founded. I def need to get off this stuff as soon as possible. Although my back has improved little - I'll just have to recover a different way.
Now for the question. I take 50 mg a day of Zoloft down from 100 mg/day a few months ago. I have taken it for about 8 years. Would it make sense to go back to 100 mg/day of the zoloft during the taper of the tramadol to help with the seratonin changes?


duped by the doc,
file-monger

[sherri90049]

Hi everyone! And welcome Donald! I'm glad that you found this site. Aren't Melinda and Maisie wonderful? Just such angels, here to help everyone! Melinda was my lifeline for the first few weeks of this. I am having a ********** of a time getting off this stuff. I only ever took eight 50mg tramadol tabs a day at the most, but I guess since I took that dose for 12 years, my body just refuses to let me to stop taking it.

So, friends, I'm comfortably down to 100 mg a day and lived through the W/D's (barely), but something about these smaller doses at the end, at least for me, is beyond difficult. I'm trying to stabilize at 75mg/day, but it feels impossible. The W/D's are really horrific. And I seem to keep wanting to rush this and get down to 50mg/day. Whenever I try that, I feel even worse! :-(

I had a bad time a couple of weeks ago and finally gave up on tablets and switched to liquid tramadol, which is not without its difficulties either. (I had to go buy a little dropper for giving medicine to a baby.) The W/D's are very noticeable about 4 hours after my last dose. (sometimes 3 hours after) So I'm trying to be better about staying on a regular schedule. But I doubt that is gonna help much. I am just in the worst part, and I think realistically it will be a while before it passes completely.

Sometimes I feel like I might never get off this ********, that I might have to go to inpatient rehab or something. But that just seems utterly ridiculous to me, given that I am taking next to nothing now! :-( Any way, thanks everyone for always being here and listening and giving great advice! Donald, I wish you well and will be praying for you, too! Hopefully this will all be a distant, bad memory for us very soon!

:-) Sherri

P.S. File-monger: I wish I had some advice for you (antidepressant-wise). I battled with getting off Paxil several years ago, long before trying to stop Ultram. But I bet someone on this site will be able to help! Wish you the very best! (Love the closing on your post: "Duped by the Doc". I was, too!)

[melinda7.5]

Hi Sherri

Oh you are doing so good I know how hard this is,when I did my taper the end was hard for me to.
But I could see the end and I was so excited but at the same time I was worn out and scared.
I just kept telling myself I was going to push thru it no matter what.
when we get down to nothing are minds start to play tricks on us and we need to tell that part of the brain to just shut up.

Post a little more and let us know how it's going,It will help you to get past this last part of the w/d...

Talk to you soon, Melinda

[sliver_of_light]

I wish I'd found this board before today. I took Tramadol for about 18 months and settled in at 700mgs 3x/day.
And, I'm no stranger to addiction. In 1992, I went through treatment for addiction to narcotics. And, until the Tramadol came along, I had been sober for over 15 years. Over those 15 years, I had various simple medical procedures that involved vicodin as a pain reliever and actually took the medication as prescribed - no problems.
About 18 months ago, I had surgery to remove a couple monster kidney stones and of course, was given vicodin for the pain. I don't know exactly why, but when the vicodin was gone, I wanted something more and hit the internet. The rest, as they say, was history.
But, when I was taking Tramadol, I felt numb (which is what I wanted), but it also felt bad because it wasn't me. I thought about quitting a dozen times but just ordered more. The problem was - I didn't like the me who was taking the pills and I didn't think I could quit. And worst of all, my wife didn't know I was taking anything so the thought of going into treatment scared the ******** out of me because I love my wife more than anything and she knows my history. (We work in 2 different towns so are often apart a couple weeks at a time)
So, I made the decision to quit. I've been through withdrawal before and know that it sucks and I thought I'd saved enough pills to taper off.
Now, I must say that the advice I've seen on this message board makes so much more sense than what I did but wtf? I decided D-Day would be a Friday so I would at least have the weekend to deal with the first couple days.
I took 300 mgs in the morning, 300 mgs at noon and 300 mgs at night. Since this was well less than half my normal routine, withdrawal set in pretty hard. I have to say - the first night and the following day were awful but not unbearable. I decided that whenever I absolutely couldn't stand it, I would wait one more hour and then take 300mgs. Saturday, I laid around all day with a killer headache. And sleep was next to impossible. Sunday was bad but better and I ended taking maybe 400 mgs the whole day. By Monday, I only had 4 pills left. I felt pretty good when I got up but by mid-morning, my stomach was in knots and I took 2 pills. I freaked out thinking there is no way I can make it with only 2 pills left.
So, being the good addict, I ordered more pills "just in case". Monday night, I took 1 pill in hopes I could sleep (I also pounded 5 or 6 melatonin and a couple benedryl). I actually got a few hours of sleep and when I woke up on Tuesday, I felt pretty good. Then, it hit me again mid-morning and I took my last pill thinking that even if it gets bad again, I've got a new batch on the way.
BY THE GRACE OF GOD, my shipment never arrived. I had a message on my cell phone saying my credit card had expired and they needed the updated information. I never called them back.
Today is Wednesday and I still don't feel like myself but I worked out, played with the dogs and told my wife I love her. I feel better than I have felt in 18 months. I'm trying to decide when I will tell her the whole story, but it will be soon.
Here's the one thing I truly wasn't prepared for and maybe it doesn't affect everyone the same way - Several times I became totally overwhelmed with anxiety to the point I just cried. I have a high-stress job and have never experienced anything like this. It was one of the worst parts of the process. BUT, I MADE IT!! AND YOU CAN TOO!!!!
I have tears in my eyes as I write this last part because I am so happy to see the sliver of light. DON'T GIVE UP EVEN IF YOU HAVE TO TRY A HUNDRED TIMES.

[MaisieC]

Hi everybody!

Donald, how are you doing? Please post and update us!

File-monger, my advice would be to try to taper off the trams without increasing your dose of Zoloft. This is just a gut feeling of mine, I haven't had experience with this particular question. You're at a low dose of the trams, and I think if you double your Zoloft you're likely to end up with another issue to deal with once you're entirely detoxed. I don't know how 50 mgs. of Zoloft compares with, say, 50 mgs. of tramadol. I strongly suggest you just keep tapering slowly and keep a very close eye on your emotional condition. Don't let your depression get out of hand, of course, but really see if you can get off without messing with your dose of Zoloft. It's very likely that you'll have some emotional symptoms coming off the trams, regardless of your Zoloft dosage. I'd just give it a try, and easy does it. Make sense?

Sherri, it's great to see you back! I'm glad you're still fighting the good fight. I really think you should stay at 100 mgs. til you're comfortable, then taper down to 75. It's good to take it really slowly at the end. I don't know what it is about this drug, but those last 100 mgs. can be really beastly. It's why I recommend that people taper faster in the beginning and then slow down toward the end. It really can be a bumpy road. Taper slowly, be brave, hang on, and you will get through this!

Congrats, sliver-of-light! You did it the hard way, and you were very brave to get through it. I'm really glad you're feeling better. The emotional symptoms coming off this drug can be pretty wild. But if you recognize them for what they are--just withdrawal symptoms and nothing more--it's easier to get through them. Hang in there. You'll feel better and better with each passing day.

[sliver_of_light]

Originally Posted by MaisieC

Hi everybody!

Donald, how are you doing? Please post and update us!

File-monger, my advice would be to try to taper off the trams without increasing your dose of Zoloft. This is just a gut feeling of mine, I haven't had experience with this particular question. You're at a low dose of the trams, and I think if you double your Zoloft you're likely to end up with another issue to deal with once you're entirely detoxed. I don't know how 50 mgs. of Zoloft compares with, say, 50 mgs. of tramadol. I strongly suggest you just keep tapering slowly and keep a very close eye on your emotional condition. Don't let your depression get out of hand, of course, but really see if you can get off without messing with your dose of Zoloft. It's very likely that you'll have some emotional symptoms coming off the trams, regardless of your Zoloft dosage. I'd just give it a try, and easy does it. Make sense?

Sherri, it's great to see you back! I'm glad you're still fighting the good fight. I really think you should stay at 100 mgs. til you're comfortable, then taper down to 75. It's good to take it really slowly at the end. I don't know what it is about this drug, but those last 100 mgs. can be really beastly. It's why I recommend that people taper faster in the beginning and then slow down toward the end. It really can be a bumpy road. Taper slowly, be brave, hang on, and you will get through this!

Congrats, sliver-of-light! You did it the hard way, and you were very brave to get through it. I'm really glad you're feeling better. The emotional symptoms coming off this drug can be pretty wild. But if you recognize them for what they are--just withdrawal symptoms and nothing more--it's easier to get through them. Hang in there. You'll feel better and better with each passing day.

Masie - Thanks for your encouragement. I've spent a few hours reading through this board and it sounds like you and Melinda are the "rocks" for the community. I know you've heard it a thousand times, but thanks for all your help. It's amazing how lonely this struggle can be even though so many people are in the same boat.
I re-read my post and fear I may have mis-led fellow sufferers about how manageable the withdrawal symptoms have been even though I am coming off a fairly high daily dose. This is just day 4 with no drugs. I haven't had a decent night's sleep in about a week. Benedryl definitely helps but I can't lay still in bed - it feels like I just have to move my legs and arms. I started the mineral supplements this morning so I'm hopefull tonight will be better.
And, it still feels like I'm having an out of body experience but it sounds like this should slowly improve.
Thanks again for your encouragement - It's very comforting to have an ally in this struggle.

[sherri90049]

I wouldn't even be able to attempt to get off this ******** w/o all of your support! Thank you SO much! I'm trying to hang in there. Was really trying to convince myself I could get to 75mg/day, but my body for whatever reason is not allowing that. Part of my problem is that I really can't miss work. I live paycheck-to-paycheck (like most people) and missing a day of work here and there totally wipes me out.

At this point I feel like 75mg/day is a pipe dream that is just not going to happen (or just not right now). I think ur right Maisie. I think I didn't spend long enough at 100mg/day before trying to go down more. So I'm going to work on stabilizing at 100mg before trying to go farther. I can't believe how hard this is! It makes the other drops look like they were nothing (like 400 to 300, and 300 to 200).

Should I consider any kind of professional help? (I don't think my insurance covers much, like $175.00 a day.) Or is that just a waste of time and money? What could they possibly do to help me at this point? I would definitely rather do this by myself. So many people on this site have, so I feel like I really should be able to. Heck, people have gotten off of much higher doses than me. Has anyone been on any dose of tramadol for many, many years like me? It's been at least 12 years I've been at 400mg/day. That is so frightening when I stop and think about it!

I just took my last dose an hour ago, and I only feel marginally better than I did before taking it. I swear, I think these W/D's are getting worse. Or maybe I'm just being a baby, but sometimes it's really scary. I feel so dizzy and disoriented, sometimes like I'm about to pass out, tired, jittery, have terrible pain everywhere esp my lower back, trouble breathing, etc. Agony. I'm sure all that sounds familiar for everyone. It just sucks so much. Sometimes I feel like I'm running out of gas for even trying to do this. But I know this drug messed up all my hormone levels so much that I didn't ovulate for the whole 12 years! I still want to have a baby some day, even though I'm 41. (Maybe that's a crazy pipe dream, too, but I'm not ready to give up that dream yet.)

Thank you all for listening and giving so much support! You guys are the best! I'm keeping all of you that are still trying to detox in my thoughts. I know I am not alone, and that does help.

:-) Sherri

[MaisieC]

Sherri,

I'm sorry this is so miserable for you. You WILL come out the other side and feel much better, believe me!

So how long have you been at 100 mgs.? And where did you drop from? I'm just trying to understand why you're feeling as bad as you are. I think the number of years you've been on this stuff is inevitably going to make it harder to get off, but that doesn't mean it will be impossible. You're obviously in withdrawal, and that's no fun.

Regarding professional help, I wouldn't know what to recommend. Suboxone can work for tramadol addiction, but you're at such a low dose right now I really hesitate to get you started on suboxone, cuz you just have to get off that, too. On the other hand, it's a long-standing habit, so the absolute dose is not the whole issue. I think if I were you I'd do some research into suboxone doctors in your area. I hear tons of stories of irresponsible suboxone doctors on this site, but mine was very good. (Unfortunately, suboxone didn't work for me because I am one of the few people who gets high on it, so I just abused it. I guess I wasn't really ready to quit.) I think you might feel better just to learn about your options.

Anyhow, please let me know about how long you've been at 100 and where you're coming from, and I will keep thinking.

Hang in there! I know you feel wretched, but you're doing great!

[raiden41]

Hello everyone, I'm new here and have spent a couple of hours reading most of the posts this morning.

I started taking Tramadol (200mg. tablets) about 10 years ago for intermittent back pain. I only took as needed over the period of about a year and never had any touble stopping then.

About three years ago I began having alot of pain in my hips and lower back again. In June of last year I finally went to the doctor and began taking Lorcet on a regular basis. In December I was diagnosed with degenerative arthritis in both hips and osteophytes on my spine (bones spurs which, when inflammation is present, put pressure on the discs and send shooting pains/burning sensations to my arms legs, feet, etc.) Over the past year I have increased from 5 to 10 mg doses of it, all the while taking 400 to 600 mg of ibuprofen with each dose.

In about February of this year the Lorcet/ibuprofen combo was becoming no longer effective and my doc added 50mg Tramadol to take along w/it. I had originally been hesitant about the Ultram due to things I'd read and that was why I had opted for the Lorcet to start with, but being in pain and needing to work (and the fact that I had not had a problem previously) I accepted the risk and went along.

Up until last week I was taking 10mg of Lorcet, 100-150mg Tramadol & 600mg ibuprofen 4 to 5x a day (usually about every 4 hours) just to be able to get through a day of work. I have been working at the same place for almost 2 years now and my job has always consisted of being on my feet for 6-10 hours a day. For the last year and a half I've also been required to do a lot of lifting 40-50lbs repeatedly, on a daily basis. On Friday of last week, I quit my job. Thankfully, I have a husband who supports me, but the loss of income is added streess in and of itself.

I had gotten to the point that all of my allotted pain medication for the month was simply going to get me through a days work. My days off were spent in horrible pain and I couldn't take anymore. I decided to "reset" myself so to speak. I needed to figure out just how much pain was being caused by my job aggrevating my condition and how much is just unnavoidable.

I have cut my doses in half over the last week and now am down to my last 7 Lorcet and 2Tramadol and trying to figure out the best way to spread them out. Being the holiday weekend, I was unable to get an appointment with my doc until next Wednesday. I'm pretty sure she will refill, but not sure I want to.... I will see where I'm at then and if I still need to taper down. I'm pretty sure I'm still going to need something for occasional extreme pain as I did have that before the job, but still trying to figure out how I will manage that. I could always let my hubby dole them out - God knows he can be stubborn!!!

Sorry to ramble, but I wanted to give a little background before asking questions. I haven't had any Tramadol since Wednesday night and am sitting here in a cold sweat as I type this. Due to the pain in my back and hips I can't sit for long periods and so couldn't read through every page of the posts, so I apologize if I'm asking something that has been covered.

First question is if anyone else here has used these medications for arthritis and their experience with quitting? I saw a few references to joint pain from withdrawal, but how much of this was pre-existing or just withdrawal related?

Second, Sherri, you mentioned hormonal issues - has anyone else encountered this? Heavier periods, spotting, etc.? I'm going through menopause at present, so mood swings are a given no matter what..... but just trying to figure out which symtoms I can contribute to what and which ones I can hope to have relief from eventually.

I was sick a few weeks ago with what I thought was a stomach virus, was off work and lowered and often completely skipped my dosages of pain meds. I believe it began as a virus, but now am leaning toward it having been withdrawal symptoms by about the 3rd through 6th days, until I started back on normal doses of pain meds. It was during that time that I realized how much of my pain was actually being brought on by my job.

Thank you all for your posts and info - it's a great help to know you're not alone.

[MaisieC]

Hi raiden,

I can't address your question about using tramadol for arthritis, but I can say something about the hormone issue. I'm perimenopausal myself, and when I was addicted to tramadol I lost a LOT of hair off my head and other parts of my body. The hair on my arms nearly all fell out. I attributed the hair loss to menopause and decided "oh, well, I guess I'm an old hag now." A couple of months after I quit, the hair started coming back! I may be a hag, but I'm not a hairless hag anymore!

Seriously, I don't think it will ever be possible to pinpoint which of your symptoms are due to the tramadol (unless you have an experience like mine, which is pretty clear-cut). But it's definitely the case that this med can mess with your hormones big-time. God knows what else it's doing. You're making the right choice to get off it!

Hang in there. I know you feel bad now, but you will eventually turn the corner and feel much better. Just don't give up.

Take care,
Maisie

[raiden41]

Thanks for the info and words of encouragement, Maisie. I will hang in there. I haven't had any problems with hair loss, although for me I just don't think it would be a bad thing. Maybe my head would finally stop sweating.:-)

I went swimming yesterday afternoon and the weightlessness in the water felt great on my joints. I did have a lot of problems with the RLS last night though and didn't get much sleep, unfortunately. The alternating between sweating and freezing is driving me insane, too.

The other question that came to mind was if anyone else has tried to get off of the tramadol and hydrocodone at the same time or separately, and if the withdrawal symtoms from each are about the same? I suppose I should try to check another thread about codeine withdrawal and get some info. I need to figure out what my best options are for future pain management issues. I'd like to try something different, but without insurance options are limited.

Keeping you all in my thoughts and wishing you the best.

[MaisieC]

Originally Posted by raiden41

Thanks for the info and words of encouragement, Maisie. I will hang in there. I haven't had any problems with hair loss, although for me I just don't think it would be a bad thing. Maybe my head would finally stop sweating.:-)

I went swimming yesterday afternoon and the weightlessness in the water felt great on my joints. I did have a lot of problems with the RLS last night though and didn't get much sleep, unfortunately. The alternating between sweating and freezing is driving me insane, too.

The other question that came to mind was if anyone else has tried to get off of the tramadol and hydrocodone at the same time or separately, and if the withdrawal symtoms from each are about the same? I suppose I should try to check another thread about codeine withdrawal and get some info. I need to figure out what my best options are for future pain management issues. I'd like to try something different, but without insurance options are limited.

Keeping you all in my thoughts and wishing you the best.

Hi raiden,

I have experience coming off both tramadol and hydrocodone, though not simultaneously. I think coming off tramadol is harder. In my opinion, the best way to get off trams is by tapering over to hydros, dealing with the emotional turmoil caused by tramadol withdrawal, and then tapering off the hydros. I don't usually suggest that to people, because I don't want to advocate people getting started on yet another addictive drug which they might like even better than trams and get even worse messed up. In your case, though, if you're using them both and have them both, I would recommend that approach. If you only have a couple of trams left, taper off those and you'll be done with them by your Wednesday appointment. I would strongly suggest not getting any more trams from that point on.

I really wish I could recommend something regarding pain management, but I don't have any experience with that. I'm sure you could learn some things by reading other threads, because a lot of people on here are dealing with chronic pain.

Good luck to you.

Take care,
Maisie

[jtpo1982]

I have been taking tramadol on and off for about 3 years now, but no more than 100-150 MG per day. I am going to try to taper off from them, but am worried about the effects of these pills on my liver and kidneys after taking them for 3 years. I rarely go over 150mg per day, but does anyone out there know what kind of effect these pills have, and if they are hard on your system at those dosages?

[sherri90049]

Hi friends,

Sorry to be gone so long. I finally went and saw an addiction specialist and started on Subutex. So far so good. I don't mean that it has been easy. It has been quite the ooposite. But I have not taken tramadol in two weeks! I am down to a pretty low dose (2 mg/day) of Subutex. (and luckily didn't have any issue with getting high from it) But as I am getting lower and lower on it, it is getting harder. My goal is to be off it within 3 weeks of starting it because that's when my doctor said people sometimes start to become addicted to it is if they don't stop it within 3 weeks. So I am seeing him tomorrow afternoon. I have say that so far, I think the hardest withdrawals for me have been more of the anti-depressant-type withdrawals. (since as most of you know, there are anti-depressant properties in tramadol, SSRI and SNRI) At this point I am starting to feel the physical opiate withdrawal again, but I guess I am making progress. It's so hard. But I know I'm preaching to the choir when I say that.

I feel like I still have a long way to go. I've read that even after you are completely off tramadol, it takes many weeks or even months to get back to "normal". Some days I feel like I'm not going to make it and I want to just give up and go back to taking 100 mg/day. But I know that I don't want that. So I keep plugging away, trying to hang in there and work enough so I don't lose any of my bookkeeping clients. his has been an arduous, terrible journey. Thank you all so much for all your help! The end sure feels like the worst! I don't even know if I'm over the hump so-to-speak or not. That scares me.

Hope everyone is doing ok in getting off and staying off this ********! Hopefully I will be off it soon (God-willing).

Best,

Sherri

[Robert_325]

sherri ....you're doing good on the subutex. Your dose is low and you're doing fine. You WON'T get addicted to subutex in three weeks. I agree it should be used short term but three weeks is too fast. Read around the forum for sub threads. You have nothing to worry about where you are. If you want my help with the rest of the sub taper let me know. We work with lots of people on subs here every day. God bless.