Help Me With Tramadol Withdrawal?

[MamaSueBee]

[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.

[Jeffii]

I don't post much because I'm still using so I don't know how much help I would be to someone. When I get some time (under my belt) I hope to be as much help to someone in need as all of you have been to me. I'm lucky to have found you guys...

[Jeffii]

Yes Mamasue I'm still here, getting by one day at a time...  Saturday will be my first day without any pills. I have taper down to 1/2 a pill a day so I hope it will be a little better than going ct. I have a 4 day weekend for the holidays so its now or never...  Wish me luck.

[Teresa1717]

Thats great! How are you feeling overall?? I see that you slept a little more last night? Hang on tight to those nights! lol Sleep is something that I still have issues with!

4 days is fantastic, keep up the good work!! :)

[MamaSueBee]

Jeffi, are you still out there? How are you doing and where are you in your process?

[MamaSueBee]

Just re-reading your original advice. I'm on my fourth day clean! Re-reading keeps me on track with what to expect. Anyway, thanks for commenting. I appreciate it.

[MamaSueBee]

How are you doing today? Today is my fourth day being clean from tramadol, and I can't say it was a walk in the park to get to this point, but I cannot imaging NOT doing this. Last night I finally slept more than three hours in a row. Each night gets easier. I cannot describe the freedom I feel today, and I really wish I'd had the strength to do this long ago. SO...I hope you are hanging in there and any one of us is here if you need an ear. The help I got here last week carried me through and I successfully made it to today. You can, too.