[Onlinenow]

I have been taking tramadol over the past several months as a way to kill lower back pain. I also take bp, cholesterol and lexapro medications. I notice the directions given by the doctor to take the tramadol were 1 or 2 50mg tablets every 6-8 hours with no more than 400mg daily. I asked about side effects and was told of possible seizures. After the first month the medicine stopped working so I upped and upped the dose. Now I take between 400 and 1600mg DAILY. I have been feeling strange lately. If I do not take the medication in the morning, even if I am not in pain, I start to get these imaginary jumpy feelings in my head. I am sorry this does sound stupid but I do not know how to explain it. I am currently trying to ween myself off the medication and this has caused these strange feelings to get worse. I am currently down to between 400 and 800mg daily with the occasional hydrocodone instead to help with the pain. When I take the hydrocodone I still feel the "jumpy" sensation until I take at least 3 or 4 tramadols to go along with it. Does anyone have any advice or similar experience. I think and pray it will go away once I get off the tramadol altogether but now I worry I will have to start taking hydrocodone again which I stopped taking in the first place because of fear of liver damage... Any suggestions would be nice. Thanks (no Im not crazy )

[melinda7.5]

Hi onlinenow
NO your not crazy...but you need to lower your dose on the tramadol...
you need to do a slow taper off of it...
I'm helping another person with a taper right now you should read her thread.
I'm sure you two could help each other, her thread is in the need to talk and her name is inhiding. don't worry if you need some help we can help you also...
let us know if you need us...
Talk to you soon, Melinda

[melinda7.5]

here is some info I got for you and im findng more...to help you taper off dont be scared will get you there
Melinda

How bad is Tramadol withdrawal?


Answer - Ultram (Tramadol) Withdrawal
Tramadol is highly addictive. Normally your doctor would reduce intake slowly. Various withdrawal effects may include shakes, shivers, diarrhea, nausea, and possible flu-like symptoms. Not all people experience will all withdrawal symptoms, and some people may experience others not listed here.

The length of time withdrawal symptoms occur can range from a couple of days to weeks depending on how high your dose was and how long you were on the drug. Withdrawal symptoms can be reduced by discontinuing use of the drug slowly (i.e., gradually reducing the daily dose).

Tramadol is more complex than other opiate and opiate-like medications because it also appears to have actions on the GABAergic, noradrenergic, and serotonergic systems in the brain. This may cause some people feel additional withdrawal symptoms or intensified psychological withdrawal symptoms when discontinuing tramadol.


This is why I want you to do a slow taper...
Talk to you soon, Melinda

[melinda7.5]

To avoid possible tramadol withdrawal symptoms, a patient should not stop taking it suddenly. A person who stops taking the medication suddenly may develop tremors, chills, and abnormal sweating. He may also hallucinate, experience anxiety, and have trouble breathing and/or sleeping. Nausea and diarrhea are also among the unpleasant effects of tramadol withdrawal.
The dosage level of tramadol may be directly related to the intensity of the withdrawal symptoms a person experiences when it is time to stop taking the medicine. A higher dosage may mean more intense withdrawal symptoms. The length of time a person took the drug may influence withdrawal symptoms as well. The best way to avoid tramadol withdrawal is by gradually stopping the medicine. It’s also best to take the medication exactly as a doctor prescribes it, without missing doses.


justa little more

Tramadol Withdrawal
If you abruptly stop taking tramadol (Ultram), withdrawal symptoms are likely to occur. These symptoms will vary in intensity and may include anxiety, insomnia, shakiness, and hallucinations, to name a few. In order to limit withdrawal, your healthcare provider may slowly decrease your tramadol dose at a rate that helps minimize these often unpleasant symptoms.


so I guess we need to start you a slow taper...are you ready...
Talk to you soon, Melinda

[Onlinenow]

Hi, thank you for the information. I just took a dose of 100mg and that is all I have had today. Been feeling weird still but hopefully it will go away with time. Thanks again for the help

[melinda7.5]

Hi onlinenow
Let us know if we can help...OK...
Talk to you later, Melinda

[Onlinenow]

You are already helping just by letting me know that I am not losing my mind! Thanks. I hope to just be totally off of them by Monday.

[melinda7.5]

I know how hard it is I was addicted to allot of pain pills also...
if you need some help just jump on here it helps just to talk...
Melinda

[LOTSAPOP]

My pain management doctor gives me 60 vicoprohen a month. I have told him several times that is not enough. I work 10 hrs a night and at the end of the night my back is killing me. Ive never asked him for anything stonger because the vicoprophen still works if i take them befour the pain starts and they are short acting. i ve told him i take 3 a day alot of times and he dosent seem to have a problem with that but he wont raise me up to ninety. The last time i was there he gave me the 60 vicroprophen and 26 ultram er 100mgs to make the vicros last longer. When i took the ultram er about 4hrs after the vicroprophen they made me feel like i was over dosing i got real tingly and couldnt sit still i had to go wash my face and walk around and felt very uncomfterble. I felt taht way for about 30min. I tried taking them differant ways and times but they still made me feal funny. So i quit taking them

[Onlinenow]

Thank you for that reply. The "tingly" feeling you have reminds me of what I feel. It describes it better than the "weird" feeling. I might go to my doctor and tell him that I need something that does not have acetominophen in it. That stuff scares me just about as bad as the tramadol. I am up late tonite but I do not keep getting the weird/tingly feeling in my head that I have been getting. Tylenol kills just as bad as "narcotic" pain killers (almost) and I would assume this b/c people have always had pain and they have always found a way to stop or slow it. Whether chewing on a plant or sucking down a bottle of whiskey. Anyway, I am getting the feeling tramadol is worse than the "hard" stuff.