I have been on 400mg of tramadol a day for 20 years, decided its time to come off them

Thank you for sharing your experience Willie. I have never heard of that drug, but it is comforting to know that, should I ever need it, there is a drug out there and available that can help with opioid withdrawal. I am on less than half of what Archie was taking. As a side note, my doctor won't prescribe me anymore than 125 mg per day. She told me at our very first meeting, she is a pain management doctor, that she would not likely go any higher than that due to the drugs potential for abuse. Now it seems that there is yet another good reason, according to Archie's experience, not to take these drugs long-term. Personally, I do worry about their potential for abuse and my desire for the drug. I'm glad my doctor was so stern about her limits on prescribing opioids. Thanks to her, I don't ever ask for a higher dose even if I feel like I need it. She forced me, thank God, to find a balance between using medication for my pain, and using other methods to relieve my pain.

He's been on it for 20 years. Didn't say he had any problems.

Hi Thank you for chatting, I to have the same long term use can cause Alzemers , Parkinson disease, seizure, liver and kidney disease
I would not recommend taking tramadol. I am currently lying in bed because of this medication withdrawal. I have friends whom came off this drug and feel better for it
They were in more pain from the withdrawal than their actual pain. Doctors don't monitor thus drug enough. There is a man on yourube who called kris he is fantastic. Type in tramadol withdrawal youtube. Watch him tell you about what it can do he had seizure from it.

I'm sorry for what you're going through Archie. Thank you for the information. I'll be sure to take a look at that video. Members of my fibromyalgia group do warn against opioids, mainly because of potential side effects, addiction and withdrawal. Like I said, it has been a miracle for me after 7 years of zero quality of life due to my daily constant chronic pain. However, I do like to keep myself informed, and I do not really want to stay on tramadol forever. I do many other things, non-medication related, to help manage my pain, and I continue to explore new options. Thanks again, and I wish you the best of luck and my prayers.