[donnaf484]

Hello,
I have been taking tramadol for 10 months. I started using because I had 3 operations on my arm due to a compound fracture. I am now addicted. I cannot get off of it although I have tried. I am up to 18 pills of 50mg. tablets a day. Nine in the moring and nine at noon. When I tried to stop I have brain zaps and sleeping are out of the question. Even while on it my ears constantly ring very loudly. I am frightened because I know I am in a bad situation. I cannot stand the thought of running out. I would greatly appreciate any advice.Thank you,
Donna

Donna Forman

[mpvt]

Wean down if you can,slowly.Say 8 in the am 8 in the pm for 4-5 days then down to 7 an-pm 4-5 days then 6 ect.Good luck to you....Dave

P.S. Be careful because at the levels your taking you can have seizures.So stopping would be a good idea.....Dave

[donnaf484]

thank for the advice Dave. Yesterday I found a doctor who prescribed me with subutex. I am to start taking it tomorrow. I am a bit scared because withdrawal from tramadol is horrendous. He didnt even want me to wean myself off of tramdal. I am to just substitute the tramol with the subutex. He told me he does not get patients who are addicted to tramadol but it does happen and it is adddictive. I am going to try this. Anything is better than living like this.
thanks

Donna Forman

[hypersweeper]

These are narcotic pills I have gotten them before they are vicodin

[marsy]

Originally Posted by donnaf484

Hello,
I have been taking tramadol for 10 months. I started using because I had 3 operations on my arm due to a compound fracture. I am now addicted. I cannot get off of it although I have tried. I am up to 18 pills of 50mg. tablets a day. Nine in the moring and nine at noon. When I tried to stop I have brain zaps and sleeping are out of the question. Even while on it my ears constantly ring very loudly. I am frightened because I know I am in a bad situation. I cannot stand the thought of running out. I would greatly appreciate any advice.Thank you,
Donna

Donna Forman

the makers of this drug need a class action law suit filed against them for marketing it as be a non addictive or a low risk. thats what my doctor told me .and two years and 20 to 30 pills a day later i can't stop . i don't get high this is what it takes to keep me from going through severe withdrawals , like deppression, diahreah, headaches, muscle pain, stomach pain, . i hate this i have no motivation other than to get these pills. its going to take professional help. so much for their not being addictive. marsy rochin

[ChrisNev]

Your story sounds exactly like mine. At my peak I was taking 30 tramadol a day. I got up to taking 8 at a time. And I had at least 5 instances of having seizures.

I ended up taking Suboxone. (same as Subutex) and while being on it is 100x better than being on the high dose of Tramadol, it is just as hard to get off of, and you will still get withdrawal symptoms. I am down to taking only 1/8th a pill a day and I will still go through withdrawal if I go cold turkey.

Here is some advice from somebody who's been through exactly what you have. Do not take suboxone for more than 6 months, otherwise you become very dependent on it and its harder to quit.

Unlike tramadol and other painkillers, Suboxone has a long half life, 36 hours. And less is more. You will not get any higher if you take 2 pills instead of one. I would start out with taking half a pill 2x a day, and taper down every 2-3 weeks.

You cant always trust doctors. Most would be perfectly happy to keep you on a high dose of suboxone for the rest of your life to keep your business.

[chessgames7373]

A detox approach for Tramadol (Ultram and Ultracet). Ok, so you've discovered that tramadol is HIGHLY addictive (at least for you, personally). I am recently coming cold turkey off a 150-200 mg per day habit, and have made some interesting discoveries that I hope will also help others. Combined with research concerning the psycho-pharmacology, they make sense.

Things to do:

1) Don't panic and/or beat yourself up.

2) Make a DETERMINED EFFORT to break your addiction.

3) If you are taking more than 50 mg (1 tab for me) begin to taper off. For that, find your comfort level. Be persistent here because, as for myself, I missed the feeling of well-being that I got with a higher dose as I began to taper off. This is where you must let your determination kick in. A 50 mg per week reduction seems reasonable. Push the envelope here if you can tolerate a bit more discomfort.

3) If you are physically able, exercise, exercise, exercise!! This will help boost your mood and help counter the opiate effect of the meds. Sexual activity in the evening was helpful for me as well. At night take some Tylenol or ibuprofen to help you sleep. Expect your sleep to be disrupted for a little while. I accidentally found that Robitussin (dextromethorphan) helped me sleep during the most difficult period, since I happened to have a cold while I was trying to quit. Careful here, though, start out taking half the recommended dose and see how it affects you. The clinical reason is that dextromethorphan will help moderate your serotonin levels, which Tramadol increases.

Warning: if you are taking MAO inhibitors DO NOT take dextromethorphan, as this can be very dangerous.

4) Drink a strong caffinated drink during the day, preferably early in the morning. Why? Tramadol acts to prevent norepinephrine reuptake, and as you taper off, caffeine will help counteract the effects of the reduction of the norepinephrine.

5) Along with your exercise, take care to maintain a good diet to help fortify yourself against reduced or poor sleep.

6) While I did not try it myself, one would expect St John's Wart to offer some relief because of the SSUI effects of Tramadol.

I had to detox because I was running out of pills. The reason Tramadol is so addictive for some is probably due to the fact that you are dealing with 3 separate addictions: opiate, norepinephrine, and serotonin. Another thing: it's probably not a good idea to substitute another addictive drug (though arguably caffeine is) for Tramadol.

If you try this 'method' please give me some feedback about how it works for you. Good luck to all!

PS. BJ has posted at another site:

That sounds like some reasonable advice chess. I would suggest though that since robitussin tends to have other active ingredients besides DXM, most likely the sleep producing effects were actually due to the other drugs in it, such as whichever antihistamine was contained therein. Personally, unless one has a cold, I'd recommend unisom (doxylamine succinate) to help with sleep during withdrawals.

He also adds that it's only the opiate action of tramadol that's addictive. Possibly true, though if tramadol helped with depression, that might well make it more difficult to quit because then you're also taking tramadol for it's anti-depressive action.

Best wishes to all

[Amazon11]

This is an old thread (two years old at this time), but it comes up in Google as one of the first returns when searching the term "tramadol addiction".

So, I feel that I should add my experience here, if it is at all possible to help anyone or at least let you know that you are not alone in dealing with you problem. This thread should be kept alive, because of its ranking in the search engines. And more people should continue to add their experiences and suggestions for getting over this problem.

I began taking Tramadol when I came back home (Bangkok, Thailand) from a business trip in Romania. While I was away, I believe I suffered a minor fracture of the coccyx (tailbone). I went to the pharmacy and received ibuprofen with a few milligrams of codeine. This helped the pain somewhat, but I'm admittedly a bit of a sensation seeker, and did enjoy the little buzz.

The day I arrived home, I became ill with flu-like symptoms and a horrendous sore throat. I sent my girlfriend to the pharmacy, and told her to get me the strongest pain medication possible. She came back with Tramadol.

However, this was injectable (100mg per ampule). I took a my first shot (I have a fair amount of experience in the medical field, so injecting was not new to me), and immediately felt better (no body aches, uplifted mood etc...), but unfortunately, it didn't do a thing for the sore throat, which was the reason I wanted some pain relief.

Anyhow, as Tramadol is freely available over the counter here, I was able to walk in the store anytime, and buy a box of 10 x 100mg ampules for about $9 and shoot myself to Paluka and all. At this point, I was not longer taking the drug for pain, but for recreational purposes (mostly to stave off bouts of depression) and only on occasion. Tramadol boosts serotonin, and the effect is a sense of well-being (and not having any worries).

The addiction began slowly, as I willfully got myself up to about 6 injections (600mg) per day; sometimes with 300mg per shot. Now injections are a bit different than pills, as the compound reaches the nervous system much quicker, resulting in a subtle rush, and the high peaks within minutes. Mind you, I wasn't injecting intravenously, but intramuscularly (not that it really matters how you administer the drug).

It became clear to me as my tolerance grew (along with no more nausea after injections, less parasympathetic sweating, etc...) that I was going to have to stop. In addition, I was beginning to experience tinnitus (ringing in the ears) at night. But of course I found myself in the same predicament that everyone else who becomes addicted to this "non-addictive" synthetic opiate is in.

My withdrawal symptoms were dominated by what the first post describes as "brain zaps"; it feels like my brain blinks or flashes out for a split second. This was my first cue that something was seriously wrong, and that I had gone too far. Additionally, there was some agitation and just a sense that can be described as the opposite one of well-being.

I realized immediately that stopping cold-turkey was not going to be an option. So, tapering or weaning was the only way to go. I began with 100mg every 12 hours by the clock; 100mg at 9am and 100mg at 9pm (the most convenient times). I didn't really experience any withdrawal symptoms other than psychological tendency to want more. I continued this regimen for five days.

I next dropped down to 75mg twice per day. Now, at this stage, I began to notice the brain zaps coming on about 10 hours after the last injection. But I do expect to experience some discomfort. Though if the brain zaps and bad mood become a nuisance, I will take the second shot of the day an hour and a half or two hours before reaching the 12 hour mark.

But this is where I am today. My next stage will be a reduction to 50mg every 12 hours, or perhaps 25mg every 6 hours; the idea being to maintain precise levels and decrease them slowly over time, in order to reduce the withdrawal symptoms. As one poster mentioned, one can experience seizures by quitting to quickly. In fact, these brain zaps are quite likely seizure-related activity (I'm not saying this as fact, but this is the way it feels).

Make no mistake; Tramadol is addictive. And not just a little, but VERY addictive. The withdrawal symptoms may vary among individuals, but they are bad enough to severely disrupt our lives.

I consider myself fortunate that I have easy access to the drug, that I can wean myself. But weaning from Tramadol is not a quick process. It is something that will take some time. My guess is 6-8 weeks or more in my case.

The main thing is to stick to your guns when it comes to getting off of this junk. Don't be tempted just because you are having a bad day to eat a handful of pills, with the idea that it's a one-time deal to get you through your rough patch, and you'll continue with your program tomorrow. That is not the way quitting works. This is like the cold-turkey cigarette quitter who keeps a few cigarettes around "just in case". In case of what? In case you decide to stop quitting? Doing this will only result in a sense of failure, which will make future attempts to quit more difficult, for fear of failure and the associated feelings of poor self-esteem.

If you are prescribed Tramadol for legitimate reasons, do yourself a favor and take as little as possible, and don't take it for any longer than necessary. If a doctor prescribes this junk to you, ask for an alternative if possible.

Many people become junkies using Tramadol; and yes, we are junkies, regardless of whether we became junkies through or own stupidity or if it was inflicted upon us by a doctor by prescribing Tramadol for long-term use. Doctors are not always aware of what they are doing. The are not gods, they don't know everything, and they do make mistakes. They should know the dangers associated with Tramadol, and not fall for the pretty salesgirl's pitch from the pharmaceutical company that wants to give him free samples and literature about this non-addictive option to pain management.

And I second the previous poster's comments that there should be legal action taken against the manufacturers for marketing this compound as being non-addictive. That Tramadol is non-addictive is a lie, and someone should be held to task for inventing this marketing pitch. But let's not hold our breathes on this one. We are talking about pharmaceutical giants here, who develop products to keep people alive....for a price, not because they care. And legislators and regulatory agencies, such as the FDA are not impervious to lobbyists (i.e. bribery).

By my own admission, I was not prescribed Tramadol. But it does not make my experience with the addiction any different than those of you who were. Neither does the fact that I stick a needle in my butt make any difference either, just in case any readers are under the false impression that the manner of administration has anything to do with addiction.

There may be some good suggestions, such as the caffeine intake and exercise to help with the neurotransmitter issues. But keep one thing in mind: Tramadol addiction is not psychological or habitual. Changing your environment or finding something else to do, in order to distract your mind won't cut it. This is a serious physiological addiction causing problems with the nervous system, and your body cannot function properly without the drug once it has you in its grip.

If you are addicted and want to get off of Tramadol, dig down deep and find your will. You will need to taper your doses down slowly. Stick to your program. Don't give-in to a bad day. And don't switch one addiction for another.

Nobody said breaking this addiction was going to be easy, so don't expect it to be. It will be hard. It will not be fun. But you can do it by first realizing and accepting that you are doing something that is difficult. But you will do it in spite of the the pain.

Be strong for yourself and find satisfaction in knowing how strong you are to overcome something that most do not have the will to. You are stronger than the weakling who can't do it. It is with your inner strength and determination not to be beaten into submission or controlled by a substance that YOU will free yourself from your addiction.

Good luck.

[Squirrelthetic]

I've been on Tramadol's on and off for 2 years, I can't seem to break my addiction. As soon as I go off it I launch into a complete panic. Between the sleepless nights and horrible anxiety, getting more is all that I think about.

I'm going to try to follow your detox method, I'll post back with my results.

I sincerely thank you so much for posting this.

[kellyg217]

Hi, my name is Kelly, and I was addicted to Tramadol until two months ago. I am a medical assistant and was prescribed tramadol by the physician I was working for about a year and a half ago for back pain, i had a spinal fusion when I was 11 which leaves me with chronic back pain. I was taking the med as prescribed for about five month before i was finally addicted. Like everyone else, I had to keep taking more and more to get the same effect, until the 120 pills did not last me the usual two weeks. I then began writing my own rx's and I was using two different pharmacies so that I could get enough pills. If I tried to stop taking them I would immediately experience withdrawls. No one knew what I was doing, and of course I didn't think I had a problem, I was in complete denial. I was very respected my employers, a good mom, a good wife, or at least I thought. I was a fully functional addict, so I couldn't even begin to think that I had a problem. Until I was finally caught. I was busted by a pharmacy when I tried to fill a prescription, but nothing was said at the time. I was contacted by a detective on a saturday who told me that there was a problem, and then I ran out of pills because I was busted. I had to tell my husband what was going on and there was no way I could hide it because I was thrown into full blown withdrawls. I had worse pain than I have ever felt, including labor, shakes, fever, vomiting, diarrhea, restless legs, insomnia, rigors, the only symptom I did not have was seizures, and I was lucky that I didn't have that. I was up to 20 pills a day when I was cut off. I was very sick and needed help, plus I was facing the possibility of going to jail. I signed myself up for an IOP "Intensive Outpatient Program" which helped tremendously, but it was only therapy, no help with the withdraw. Luckily my husbands mom is a nurse and she had some Tramadol that was given to her at one time. She gave it to my husband and told him to give me one pill if I had to absolutely have it, I took about one a day for four days and a half one on the fifth day. It helped me be able to be still long enough to fall aseelp, but that was it. It got better every day but I was sick for about two weeks before I started feeling somewhat normal again. Tramadol is a synthetic opiate and should be treated as such, but unfortunately many doctors do not understand how tramadol works and assume it is safe because it is not a controlled substance. That is why I thought it was okay to take it, I told myself it is not like I am taking Vicodin or anything. I am getting better every day but it is a struggle. I will now be a recovering drug addict for the rest of my life, and I will have to always tell myself that. I am hoping to receive treatment in lieu of conviction, but my whole life has been turned upside down. I hope that telling my story can help someone else.

[Amazon11]

Well, as most people can see by reading these posts, Tramadol is not an easy drug to stop using. It doesn't really matter how you got started, whether it was prescribed or not. Once you are hooked, you are hooked. The rest of the story are merely details. But please do not hesitate to share your experiences here, so that others may know that they are not losers or flunkies. What you write her may help someone else.

You know, the word addiction has a very negative connotation associated with it. Let's dispel the notion, right here and now, that being addicted makes you a bad person. It does not. And the old 12-step idea that you're an addict for life is a little outdated in my opinion, and not very good for one's head. If you become addicted to Tramadol or any other substance, and you manage to get off of it, you don't have to go around believing that you are a drug addict for the rest of your days. Just don't be a fool and get yourself into the same predicament again.

I have a problem with Tramadol, as mentioned in my post above and have been managing it pretty well. I've gone from injecting 600mg per day, down to 100mg per day. I will continue weaning myself, cutting about 1/3 of the dosage every week to ten days. I am in the unique position of being able to measure the dosage very carefully with a syringe, so I can actually get the dosages down to 20mg or less before quitting altogether. It's a little more difficult with the pills, as I don't believe the dosages go down that far. You may get away with breaking them in half. The pills should be fairly homogeneous, so if you break a 50mg in half, you should get roughly 25mg.

With Tramadol, it is extremely important not to go cold turkey. It may even be dangerous; even more for us, as we are all probably taking much higher doses than are recommended. Additionally, you will be more prone to fail, as the withdrawals will be very bad. The problems with not tapering down are clearly outlined in the previous post. Failure in trying to quit may affect your determination by experiencing failure, and reduce the likelihood of trying to quit again for fear of another failure.

I have read on many forums, of Heroin addicts claiming that Tramadol is much worse to get off of than Heroin. I've not only read this once, but several times. I've read where many of these experienced addicts who have been on and off of just about everything you can imagine, saying that getting free from Tramadol is absolutely the wost experience of their lives. Many of them even recommend going through detox and getting methadone. I personally don't agree with this, as methadone can simply cause different problems. And it is highly unlikely that you would get methadone from a clinic for a Tramadol problem. Unfortunately (perhaps fortunately in the case of methadone), not too many people have even heard of Tramadol, let alone are they familiar with the seriousness of the addiction. This includes many of the doctors that are prescribing it and inadvertently turning people into junkies.

One of thing that makes Tramadol so difficult a drug to get off of, is that you are not only dealing with the opiate effect, but also the serotonin effect, which is probably more pronounced than the opiate effect, and more likely responsible for the symptoms of withdrawal. Opiates make us not care about pain (or anything else for that matter), and serotonin makes us feel good. Combine the withdrawal effects of these two physiological dependencies at once, and it is analogous to trying to quit an antidepressant (the serotonin) and something similar to codeine (the opiate). So, quitting Tramadol is not something to be taken lightly.

The point that I am making here is that you should not feel bad about what you are experiencing. You didn't try to put yourself in this position. But, here you are, and you should be very aware of the seriousness of your situation, and take steps to remedy it.

Additionally, it is unconscionable, even for someone who gets busted, to have to go through a cruel and potentially dangerous withdrawal. If you must, go to a doctor, and explain your situation. Don't go in there with you head down and your hat in hand. Be frank about your problem. Try to go to someone who will agree not to document your problem. It makes a lot more sense to seek professional help from a doctor who will help you taper down over time, than trying to stop cold turkey. A good doctor should know that there is no shame in being physically dependent on any substance, as long as the individual is serious about addressing the problem. And if a doctor doesn't agree to help you, then I would say that person is not a very good doctor. Go to another one. If you don't think you need the help of a doctor and have access to Tramadol, by all means, try to quit on your own. Read up on it, understand the half-lives of the drug, and figure out how your going to run your tapering scheme.

And again, do yourself the favor of keeping your problems to yourself. Tell you partner or family if you have to, but if you want to keep a clean record for the rest of your life, don't go to any drug rehabilitation center unless you absolutely have no choice. If it is documented that you've experienced an addiction of any sort, you may well be ruining your career options and other opportunities for the duration of your natural life.

You are in a horrible position right now. But you can get out of it relatively quickly and safely, while maintaining your reputation and a clean record, if you use your head. Unfortunately, we live in a society where drug addiction is looked upon through a very clouded lens by people who have no experience with it whatsoever. All they know is what they read in some government literature about just saying no, and will ignorantly think you a lesser person because of your experience.

Recognize that you are dealing with a serious problem. Educate yourself about your problem. Don't expect quitting Tramadol to be an easy undertaking, because it is not. Don't try to go cold turkey. Seek for help from a discrete medical professional in tapering your dosage. Don't expect your doctor to know everything (take some information from the Internet to your visit, if you must). Don't let your drug problem become public knowledge or a matter of record. And above all else, do not think yourself a lesser individual because of your problem with Tramadol. The fact that you are reading this forum is testament to the fact that you are smart enough to recognize something is wrong and that you must act.

Now, get going and kick your Tramadol addiction. Don't wait, get busy today, and within a month or less, you won't even be thinking about Tramadol.

If anybody else can do it, you can too.

[walck]

You all need to go search threads on Suboxone. you will get a world of information. I got addicted to oxycontin from complications of a staff infection after back surgery and I was on oxy for 6 months. I am now on Suboxone to get off the oxy. I was just one of the casualties of surgery.

[wiseghy]

I'm coming off Tramadol after three years and many attempts to go cold turkey.
I found it was putting the zap on my motivation, memory and ability to concentrate. Basically, it makes you very stupid without you realizing it. It is no way to live.

After many attempts, I found the following herbs help with the odd and vexing combination of seratonin and opiate withdrawal effects of Tramadol Ultracet:

Kava-Kava: 3 tabs, three times daily.

Eutherero Root: 3 tabs, three times daily

Gingko Biloba: 100 mg. 3x daily, minimum. (whole Earth brand in disolve proof tabs is best)

Fish Oil-- Whatever amount.

Green Tea--Again, whatever amount.

It will hurt, no question. But Kava will help with the flashes. Keep plenty with you, but beware the kidney and liver effects of high doses, (just like everything). Gingko and fish help with circulation and keeping your brain fit.
Green tea TABLETS help with seratonin, just as Euthereo Root does.
Again, exersize, exersize. 30 minutes aerobic 2x daily minimum, before AND after withdrawal, or it will hurt EVEN MORE, trust me.
Use Tension Tamer Tea for a combo of the above, and use Muira Puama Extract to help with sexual side effects (much cheaper than viagra).

[pippin2005]

It's now 3:47am and I have had my Tramadol as prescribed by my Doctor. For the 3rd night this week I have had no sleep and i've got used to the itching but still can't eat anything. My ears are feeling blocked all the time and I'm getting bad palpatations every few minutes. I have a red rash across my chest and when I do get some sleep I'm waking up after a few minutes with bad nightmares. I was told that this is normal!
I've never been addicted to drugs in my life but I feel a lot worse when the effects of these wear off yet my doctor won't prescribe anything else in case I get addicted!
Is there another painkiller available without the side effects that anybody knows of?

[sa2008]

I want to thank drugs.com for this web-site. I will be sharing my experience with drug addiction in hopes it will help others avoid the same pitfalls.

[sa2008]

Does addiction usually occur with continued use of this drug if taken as prescribed or do you take the prescribed doses and still get an addiciton?

[Amazon11]

Originally Posted by sa2008

Does addiction usually occur with continued use of this drug if taken as prescribed or do you take the prescribed doses and still get an addiciton?

Becoming addicted, dependent, or whatever you want to call it, has nothing to do with how one comes about taking drugs. At the same time dependency itself can be categorized as psychological (habitual), physiological (a physical dependency), or a combination of the two. Tramadol easily falls into both categories.

Many people become dependent on substances prescribed by a physician. It is obviously not the intention, but it happens. Many times the dependencies are worsened when the patient increases the dosage themselves. This can be because the patient either enjoys the drug and begins to use it for recreational purposes, or to relieve depression, or simply becomes tolerant to the drug and requires more to have the same pain relief benefit.

But I think in answering the question posed above directly, it is absolutely and indeed possible to become addicted on the prescribed dose. It happens all the time.

In my experience with Tramadol, I wouldn't say it is a very good drug for long-term use, unless one plans to remain on it for a very, very long time, and then is willing to go through a long tapering period.

What makes Tramadol addiction so deceptive in some ways, is that many people concentrate so much on the opiate effect, when a great part of the addiction and withdrawal is not from the opiate effect at all, but the rapid elevation of serotonin and noradrenaline (nor epinephrine), which gives one a sense of well being. Once the nervous system becomes used to the unnatural elevation of these neurotransmitters, the negative feedback system gets out of whack. The body stops producing the chemicals in the required amounts, as it no longer needs to. And when one stops taking the medication, these levels drop like a rock within hours, and you will feel like ********************. And it will take the body time to begin producing these substances at the required levels.

The body can recover quickly, but it can be a nasty experience. If the body is allowed to recover more slowly through tapering the dose, then quitting is not as painful.

The elevation of serotonin itself was probably not intended, but is itself a side-effect of the drug; a side-effect that makes dependency that much more likely and difficult to become free from.

Read about Tramadol in the drug section here, and you will read all kinds of comments on what a wonderful drug it is, and how good people feel when taking it, how it has "changed" there lives. I read one review, where some girl lost a bunch of weight and thought it was great. She won't think it's so great if she ends up without anymore pills. All of these comments are not based on the analgesic effect, but the mood-elevation. Everyone feels great when they take this junk. Half of the reviews don't even address the pain relief effects, just how great they feel. They are effectively taking a fast-acting SSRI antidepressant.

In my experience so far, Tramadol takes a long time to come off of without too much suffering. The dose should be lowered, and that dose should be maintained for 10-14 days. Then the dose should be lowered again and maintained for the same period, and so on. Yes, one stays on the drug longer, but as long as there is a progression to abstinence, it is the best way to go in terms of not suffering as much.

I never feel the desire to take Tramadol. But I experience pretty significant withdrawal if I don't take it. I've been weaning myself for at least a month now, and I'm not done. However, I can say that the withdrawal symptoms are decreasing along with the dose. Once the dose is down to a fairly small amount, then one can simply quit. Right now, I'm taking 25mg three times per day (75mg total), like clockwork. That's down from around 600mg per day.

My mind doesn't flicker and flash nearly as much as it used to when I wake up in the morning, and the tinnitus is also significantly reduced.

I think one of the most important things to keep in mind when tapering, is to take your medication on a very strict schedule. This will maintain the drug at constant levels in your body. Do not simply take the medication when you feel you need to. Even if you don't feel the need, take it anyways, so as to maintain these levels. Otherwise, you will "confuse" your nervous system and not let it adapt as readily.

As always, good luck, and remain determined. Don't give in. Come up with a plan, a do it.

[slfobsdnsexi]

first of all i want to thank every on here for your advice. i was freaking out a few days ago but now i feel as though i have everything under control.

I have been taking tramadol of and on for about 10 years. Continuously for the last two, for headaches & earpain. no one told me how addictive they were. I was never warned. Ihave taken regularly for at least a year now 150 mg a day, more in the mornings. After a while i wasnt taking them for pain i was taking them for energy.

I havent taken any in over a week, Thanks for all the suggestions, the exercise is whats helped the best. Im still having some joint pain and i havent had much sleep this week but im slowly getting back to normal.

Good luck to everyone...

[Robert_325]

Originally Posted by slfobsdnsexi

first of all i want to thank every on here for your advice. i was freaking out a few days ago but now i feel as though i have everything under control.

I have been taking tramadol of and on for about 10 years. Continuously for the last two, for headaches & earpain. no one told me how addictive they were. I was never warned. Ihave taken regularly for at least a year now 150 mg a day, more in the mornings. After a while i wasnt taking them for pain i was taking them for energy.

I havent taken any in over a week, Thanks for all the suggestions, the exercise is whats helped the best. Im still having some joint pain and i havent had much sleep this week but im slowly getting back to normal.

Good luck to everyone...

It's cool that you don't seem to be having a really terrible time with this considering having used for ten years. You are fortunate that you kept the dose to 150mg. I see people come through here taking 4-5 times that amount, they would be in terrible shape being where you are right now. I think you should be happy so far.

There is no doubt the exercise is helping you as much as anything. I always preach about getting SOME exercise. Makes us feel much better. I have seen a few people really work out hard during detox and almost didn't have any symptoms. That is very hard to do though during detox. I couldn't do it.

Sleep is usually the last thing that becomes normal. It can take a while. But no one ever died from missing a little sleep. It will get better.

Keep doing what you are doing. Mainly wanted to tell you congratulations on getting off the tramadol. I wish you continued good luck doing this. God bless.

[anti_tram]

Boy, am I glad I found this forum. I have a pharmacist friend in rehab for benzodiazapine addiction and she is going through hell. I think she will make it.

She warned me that even though I take 200mg or less a day, I was going to have real problems stopping. I am very motivated to stop after seeing what happened to her. After reading here, I am worried that I don't have enough 50mg pills left to do a controlled "slow taper". Getting any more is out of the question.

I halved my dosage to 100mg before I started reading this forum. My ears are ringing so badly that I have trouble hearing people talk. I had no idea that the brain zaps as I call them are a sort of seizure. The quality of my sleep is lousy. I also noticed the erectile dysfunction but only recently.

I stopped completely a year ago and was doing okay after a rough week of flu like symptoms, low energy, ringing in the ears, etc. I also found that coffee in the morning is essential, as well as forcing yourself to get going. Exercise, if you can manage it, also helps a lot.

I feel really stupid for starting up again because I injured my back. I love the feeling of well being as well as the pain relief. But as someone posted above, it makes you stupid and unable to concentrate. It also is affecting my vision. Now that I know what I am facing I am pretty concerned. I have done a lot of reading trying to understand my friend's problem and am up to speed on receptors, seratonin uptake, withdrawal management and a whole lot more. It wasn't until I decided to Google Tramadol Addiction that I found this forum. Now I realize that I have a problem too. And it's not very far removed from what my friend fell into.

The maximum recommended dosage for Tramadol is (8) 50mg tablets a day. I never went over that and like I said, I was taking one tablet four times throughout the day. Looks like I have a rough ride ahead of me. I'll use the advice posted here and add my own observations as I go through this.

I'd like to echo the comments about a lawsuit against the manufacturers. My pharmacist friend said it was not held in high esteem among her colleagues either. What an insidious drug to introduce to the unsuspecting public.

In closing, Thanks for being here.

[slfobsdnsexi]

Good Luck to you and your friend. Im still not out of the woods yet, im averaging about 2-4 hours of sleep per night. But other than that....

[robin918]

Originally Posted by chessgames7373

A detox approach for Tramadol (Ultram and Ultracet). Ok, so you've discovered that tramadol is HIGHLY addictive (at least for you, personally). I am recently coming cold turkey off a 150-200 mg per day habit, and have made some interesting discoveries that I hope will also help others. Combined with research concerning the psycho-pharmacology, they make sense.

Things to do:

1) Don't panic and/or beat yourself up.

2) Make a DETERMINED EFFORT to break your addiction.

3) If you are taking more than 50 mg (1 tab for me) begin to taper off. For that, find your comfort level. Be persistent here because, as for myself, I missed the feeling of well-being that I got with a higher dose as I began to taper off. This is where you must let your determination kick in. A 50 mg per week reduction seems reasonable. Push the envelope here if you can tolerate a bit more discomfort.

3) If you are physically able, exercise, exercise, exercise!! This will help boost your mood and help counter the opiate effect of the meds. Sexual activity in the evening was helpful for me as well. At night take some Tylenol or ibuprofen to help you sleep. Expect your sleep to be disrupted for a little while. I accidentally found that Robitussin (dextromethorphan) helped me sleep during the most difficult period, since I happened to have a cold while I was trying to quit. Careful here, though, start out taking half the recommended dose and see how it affects you. The clinical reason is that dextromethorphan will help moderate your serotonin levels, which Tramadol increases.

Warning: if you are taking MAO inhibitors DO NOT take dextromethorphan, as this can be very dangerous.

4) Drink a strong caffinated drink during the day, preferably early in the morning. Why? Tramadol acts to prevent norepinephrine reuptake, and as you taper off, caffeine will help counteract the effects of the reduction of the norepinephrine.

5) Along with your exercise, take care to maintain a good diet to help fortify yourself against reduced or poor sleep.

6) While I did not try it myself, one would expect St John's Wart to offer some relief because of the SSUI effects of Tramadol.

I had to detox because I was running out of pills. The reason Tramadol is so addictive for some is probably due to the fact that you are dealing with 3 separate addictions: opiate, norepinephrine, and serotonin. Another thing: it's probably not a good idea to substitute another addictive drug (though arguably caffeine is) for Tramadol.

If you try this 'method' please give me some feedback about how it works for you. Good luck to all!

PS. BJ has posted at another site:

That sounds like some reasonable advice chess. I would suggest though that since robitussin tends to have other active ingredients besides DXM, most likely the sleep producing effects were actually due to the other drugs in it, such as whichever antihistamine was contained therein. Personally, unless one has a cold, I'd recommend unisom (doxylamine succinate) to help with sleep during withdrawals.

He also adds that it's only the opiate action of tramadol that's addictive. Possibly true, though if tramadol helped with depression, that might well make it more difficult to quit because then you're also taking tramadol for it's anti-depressive action.

Best wishes to all

I am currently going through withdrawal from being on tramadol for 10 years. I am currently so disoriented I am having difficulty in responding to all of your advice. I am thankful to know about the caffeine, I have been wondering why I'm craving coffee like crazy and about the only thing that will temporarily calm me down. The main reason I'm responding to your post is because of the St. John's Wort suggestion. Absolutely do not use St. John's Wort because it could cause SEROTONIN SYNDROME and can be fatal. My highest dose was 8 pills a day but I was also put on a morephine patch along with that 8 pill a day dosage & also 30 mg valium a day. I have no stayed on it because of it's pain relieving abilities but I was convinced that it had stopped my Panic Attacks & Migraine Headaches. Couldn't get doctors, nurses or pharmacists to agree with each other about this drug. 10 years later, I'm still being told NO it does nothing for Panic Attacks. After getting on this thread and doing some more research, well yes, I was right and it does stop panic attacks. The reason for the withdrawal now? Because I developed irregular heartbeats or what the doctors have referred to as PVC's very shortly after starting the tramadol. Since going thru withdrawal (although everything else is out of kilter) I'm not having any PVC'S. But more recently (this year) I developed asthma like breathing problems. Waking up in the morning and gasping for air like asthma or have I overnight came down with Emphysema, a smokers cough, what? I can take one 50 mg tramadol and if you did not witness it for yourself you would swear I had taken an inhaler, a steroid or something for asthma. But less than a year of taking the tramadol I did realize without it I became very dizzy. I have now been to the emergency room at least 4 times mostly due to not being able to breathe. The dizziness has got to be absolutely the worst part of it, we are talking so dizzy, I can't hardly hold my head up at all. But that was my first symptom of it being addictive was the severe dizziness. I too thought it was helping with depression but found evidence to support that it can also cause severe depression. So I go to psychiatrist & talk to pharmacist and find out that I can't take anything for depression until I'm off and they are suggesting being off for a good couple of months. I too know what opiate withdrawal is about because of the moraphine & I would rather come off cold turkey from moraphine anyday over this. It is not just the opoid that you are withdrawing from but also the serotonin and the norenephrine (I can't spell it). The serotonin and the other one are both hormones. I'm bouncing back & forth worse than a ping pong ball due to hormones. Crying one minute, almost manic laughing or talking the next. If I did not have the valium, I don't know what I would do because I know that valium stops seizures and risk of seizures is definately possible with tramadol. I talked to a detox center and they want to put me to sleep for about 10 days for the entire withdrawal. Now I know why, the withdrawal does mimic a panic attack and it is very hard to determine if it's a panic attack or withdrawal. They say they use this drug for restless leg syndrome, which I have suffered from before starting and while using. Withdrawal makes me feel like I have restless body syndrome. I started withdrawing from this by making it longer between doses. Went from every 4-6 hrs to 1 every 7 hrs, now I'm at 1 every 11 hours and stay at that dose until I'm not feeling any withdrawal symptoms for at least 2 days before I cut it again. Sorry for the rambling, just wanting to share how dangerous this drug is and how misinformed all the doctors, nurses, pharmacies are about it.

[melinda7.5]

Hi Robin
Thank you for sharing your story with us,sounds like you have had a rough ride.but your doing great now,down to 1 every eleven hours.your almost there!!!...
I tapered off of my pain meds also,and klonopin,I went through the panic attacks to...It's no fun.let us know if we can help with anything.
Talk to ya soon,Melinda

[Orchard]

People have written of "brain zaps".. what exactly are they?

[Robert_325]

Originally Posted by Orchard

People have written of "brain zaps".. what exactly are they?

Brain zaps are like electrical shocks. They will happen for no particular reason other than w/d symptoms. To me they are like someone just stuck me with a live electric chord. They have been so bad they nearly lifted me off the floor. Can be very painful and seems like they never want to go away. Hope you never have to deal with them. God bless.

[anti_tram]

Dear Robin,
I took my last half tablet a week ago and I still have slight ringing in the ears. But you are so right about staying away from St. John's Wort. Another different friend went into "SEROTONIN SYNDROME" and disappeared into rehab for months after taking 12 Tramadol a day and upping his dose of St. John's Wort.

I feel for you and what you are going through. Is there any way possible to get professional help for yourself? Insurance will cover a supervised rehab program and one of the benefits is making you comfortable with no risk of seizures. Self medicating with any long or short half life benzos is extremely risky. I'll never go near any benzo again after seeing what my Pharmacist friend has been through. And I'm damn sure never going to take tramadol again.

A supervised withdrawal program with some of the new drugs available (none of which has any abuse potential) sounds like your best bet for successfully getting off tramadol forever. You've been taking it for ten years my friend. It's going to take some time to get those metabolites out of your system and allow your brain to rewire the receptors.

I don't know when the ringing in my ears will stop but the fatigue and mood swings are gone. I get so pissed off at myself for allowing this to happen that daily I throw myself into some kind of physical activity and sweat everything out for a while. I know the damn stuff is still in my system because my urine still smells funny. But I beat it by tapering down slowly and then just stopping. Not everybody can do this.

Please consider laying your cards on the table and getting some help. You're worth it! Cut yourself some slack. I had to do it completely alone. Hopefully there's someone in your life you can go to. It's so much easier that way.

I'll be thinking about you Robin. Positive energy going your way as of now!

Sincerely,
Red Afterburn

[heyhelp21]

I could use some help. I have no medical insurance and I have a problem. I'd consider myself a much lighter user then most who have posted. I have been taking 2-3 pills at a time sometimes 2-3 times a day. I have decided to kick this ******************** and get my life back in order.

I MUST quit cold turkey. I have zero access to these. I need ideas!

I'm on my second day(almost) without taking any. I have gone two days already, earlier this week. The only problems I have are severe anxiety and VERY restless legs. I thought I had RLS at first. Now from reading here it is probably my withdrawal from the pills.

Is there anything I can do to cut at this anxiety and restless body/legs without seeing a doctor? I feel like I just cant sit still as I lay in bed. It's driving me insane!

[melinda7.5]

Hi Heyhelp
We have all been there,You can do thus just hang in there and let some time pass.Keep posting and let us know how you are doing.I put the thomas recipe up here for you It may help a little.
Talk to you soon,Melinda

Thomas Detox Recipe
PLEASE NOTE: I am not a doctor, simply a long-time Rx opiate junkie who has had many opportunities to develop a way to detox. This is a recipe for at-home self-detox from opiates based on my experience as well as that of many other addicts. It is not intended as professional medical advice. It is always wise to make sure none of the recipe ingredients or procedures conflict with medications you may be taking. Likewise, if you have any medical condition, disease, allergy or any other health issue, consult your doctor before using the recipe. Thanks, Thomas

This recipe is designed for cold turkey opiate detox. It assumes that you can get about 5 to 7 days away from your job or household responsibilities during which you can sleep, veg and act as miserable as you feel. Opiate WD mimics the symptoms of the common flu, so, if you need a smokescreen, hide behind a bad case of the flu.

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
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.
Imodium (over the counter, any drug or grocery store). [generic brand anti-diarrheal is fine. Don't take it unless really uncomfortable]
L-Tyrosine* (500 mg caps) from the health food store.* [See Warning]
Strong wide-spectrum mineral supplement with at least 100% RDA of Zinc, Phosphorus, Copper and Magnesium.
Vitamin B6 caps. [or stress B-complex?]
Access to hot baths or a Jacuzzi (or hot showers if that's all that's available). [many gyms offer free trials]
How to use the recipe
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 W/D symptoms will subside. You shouldn't need the Valium after day 4 or 5. [melatonin worked well after day 4 for me. Sleeplessness sometimes hangs on awhile]

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 W/D symptom. [I like Epsom salts in the tub. Forces Magnesium into the muscles]

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.[Diarrhea is the bodies way to aid in the detox so take Immodium or generic for the comfort factor, if needed]

At the end of the fourth day, you should be waking up from the Valium and experiencing the beginnings of the opiate W/D malaise. Upon rising (empty stomach), take the L-Tyrosine*. Try 2000 mg, and scale up or down, depending on how you feel. You can take up to 4,000 mg. 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 W/D, however, this effect of L-Tyrosine* is mild and normally does not return after the first hour. Lowering the dosage may help. [*Read the Warning first! *L-Tyrosine* is great. *SamE 400* mg works for mood too]

With breakfast, take the mineral supplement.

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. [Walking gets the blood and lymph systems working, helping you detox better.]

PLEASE NOTE: If you have any medical complications, first check with your doctor before detoxing to verify that this regimen is safe for you.

[heyhelp21]

Hey, thank you Melinda, appreciate all of the support =).

I feel very nauseous and edgy, but I'm doing alright. I've been drinking some coffee and have started taking good multi-vitamins and a Vitamin B supplement. Being a huge tea drinker, I brewed some herbal tea, to help cleanse my body. Listening to reggae has helped my elevate my mood. It must be the "good vibrations" =). The music has helped me tremendously with my anxiety. Hot showers are also amazing after a cup of coffee!

I've heard people saying, "keeping busy just isn't enough." I think keeping yourself busy, is one of the most important things you can do.


Tomorrow morning will be my third and a half day without anything. Hopefully some of these adverse effects will dwindle away quicker then slower. Wish me luck, for I do the same for all of you =).

On the more funny side, most can probably relate to this. I had the weirdest dreams of my life last night. I never thought dreaming about pills, the election and south park at the same time was possible. I will spare you all the details!

[melinda7.5]

Hi heyhelp
Sounds like you are doing good ...I also listened to music my hole withdrawals
It really helped me allot, It keeps the mind busy...
That had to be a great dream,hate to admit this but I love south park...
Day 4 for me was my turning point,I knew after that I would be ok...
I wish you all the luck and prayers for you...
Talk to you soon,Melinda