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Help Me With Tramadol Withdrawal?
[45 yr old suburban Caucasian female. Dx'd eight years ago with ankylosing spondylitis (severe back pain) and Rx'd Indocin and Tramadol. Felt fine on Indocin alone, no side effects to this day...but took Tramadol for a headache seven years ago and got the Rx and have been on it ever since.]
Hi. Last week I started my tapering off of Tramadol. I was taking 200mg/day for the past seven years. I stopped taking one full 50mg pill every late afternoon about six days ago, so I'm now just doing two pills in the a.m. and only one pill around 4pm.
The only problems I have had so far were some mild occasional brain jolts, and for the first two days I woke up at 5 a.m. jonesing (sweating, hot/cold, insomnia, jolts), so I'd stop the wd by taking my usual daily morning dose (the two pills) at 5 a.m., rather than 8 or 9, then go back to bed. I'd get up around 8 or 9 a.m., and then take my one pill by 4 p.m., as scheduled. Only a few brain jolts during the day.
So, in a nutshell, down from four 50mg pills per day to 3 pills per day...over a period of six days.
As of today I am feeling okay. I don't know when to start taking away one of the morning pills. I don't know if I'll cut it in half, or just remove the full pill from the pill schedule. Haven't decided yet. No ideas on when to even do that. I'm just so happy to be doing so well (better than expected) on only taking the three pills, down from the four!
I've quit cold turkey in the past and it was terrible. I felt so sh*tty that I couldn't last a week, just said, "screw it" and started up on the four pills per day all over again.
On a few other occasions I tapered down to one pill a day by cutting slivers of my pills off little by little and cutting away more every three or four days. I thought taking away tiny bits would ease me off, but then by the time I got down to one pill I freaked out and just started taking all of it again.
I'm now in the throes of perimenopause. I am having migraines for the first time in my life and I just want to get off these pills!
So, anyway, I appreciate that this support is here and I am ready to hear anything from anybody willing to put in their two cents here. I just need to talk about it and stay on track. Thanks.
Hi. Last week I started my tapering off of Tramadol. I was taking 200mg/day for the past seven years. I stopped taking one full 50mg pill every late afternoon about six days ago, so I'm now just doing two pills in the a.m. and only one pill around 4pm.
The only problems I have had so far were some mild occasional brain jolts, and for the first two days I woke up at 5 a.m. jonesing (sweating, hot/cold, insomnia, jolts), so I'd stop the wd by taking my usual daily morning dose (the two pills) at 5 a.m., rather than 8 or 9, then go back to bed. I'd get up around 8 or 9 a.m., and then take my one pill by 4 p.m., as scheduled. Only a few brain jolts during the day.
So, in a nutshell, down from four 50mg pills per day to 3 pills per day...over a period of six days.
As of today I am feeling okay. I don't know when to start taking away one of the morning pills. I don't know if I'll cut it in half, or just remove the full pill from the pill schedule. Haven't decided yet. No ideas on when to even do that. I'm just so happy to be doing so well (better than expected) on only taking the three pills, down from the four!
I've quit cold turkey in the past and it was terrible. I felt so sh*tty that I couldn't last a week, just said, "screw it" and started up on the four pills per day all over again.
On a few other occasions I tapered down to one pill a day by cutting slivers of my pills off little by little and cutting away more every three or four days. I thought taking away tiny bits would ease me off, but then by the time I got down to one pill I freaked out and just started taking all of it again.
I'm now in the throes of perimenopause. I am having migraines for the first time in my life and I just want to get off these pills!
So, anyway, I appreciate that this support is here and I am ready to hear anything from anybody willing to put in their two cents here. I just need to talk about it and stay on track. Thanks.
Jeffii,
Thanks for your support. Im trying very hard to take one day at a time. I hope you are doing well and wish you the very best on your road to recovery. Hang in there, as i have heard it will all get better. Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Thanks for your support. Im trying very hard to take one day at a time. I hope you are doing well and wish you the very best on your road to recovery. Hang in there, as i have heard it will all get better. Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Hi brokenhearted,
I'm sorry to hear your having a bad day. But better days will come for us just keep taking one day at a time. Just wanted to show some support and wish you Happy Holidays...
I'm sorry to hear your having a bad day. But better days will come for us just keep taking one day at a time. Just wanted to show some support and wish you Happy Holidays...
Hey MamaSueBee,
Its me, im back. Haven't been on in a couple of days. I've been busy after work with my daughter that by the time i get home im bushed and too tired to do anything. Went to a mens basketball game with my daughter last nite and by the time we got home all i said was goodnite. Today was a horrible day for me. The only thing i could think about was my relationship with my husband. I keep torturing and beating myself up about it. The people at work dont know how what im going thru except that my marriage is on the rocks. Im so teary and depressed that sometimes i wonder about myself. Tomorrow i take one pill away and will be at 4 aday. So far it hasen't been too bad. Im so trying to take one day at a time and live for today. I dont feel very confidant right now and feel very alone. Pls give me some feed back i need something positive to read.....
Its me, im back. Haven't been on in a couple of days. I've been busy after work with my daughter that by the time i get home im bushed and too tired to do anything. Went to a mens basketball game with my daughter last nite and by the time we got home all i said was goodnite. Today was a horrible day for me. The only thing i could think about was my relationship with my husband. I keep torturing and beating myself up about it. The people at work dont know how what im going thru except that my marriage is on the rocks. Im so teary and depressed that sometimes i wonder about myself. Tomorrow i take one pill away and will be at 4 aday. So far it hasen't been too bad. Im so trying to take one day at a time and live for today. I dont feel very confidant right now and feel very alone. Pls give me some feed back i need something positive to read.....
Jeffii, so good to hear back from you. Hang in there. You CAN do it. We are rooting for you.You have made such a wonderful choice for yourself. When you want to crawl out of your skin, when you become exhausted....irritable....remember the freedom on the other side, so don't give up. We will be here.
I slept last night with no sleep aids. Got a solid 7 hours. Today I woke up feeling more normal than ever. I few mild brain zaps after breakfast. No biggie. Taking a warm bath helps. Companionship helps. But also, I make myself sleep by ordering my body to go to sleep. I think the many years of controlled dosing did a number on me, but something tells me I 'd be worse off if I had been taking many more pills per day, so my heart goes our to those who still suffer. I still don't know what the future holds for me sleepwise, but I'm getting by. What I DO know is that I'm never going back to tramadol.
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